Wrapping your dog’s paw at home
In the case of an injury, you may need to re-clean and re-dress your dog’s feet in the days following the vet visit. Our vets provided at-home advice to give your dog’s peeling paw pad the best chance of healing:
Clean your dog’s paws — This may seem obvious, but keeping an injured paw pad clean is essential, even indoors. Debris can easily get stuck in open wounds, and may be hard to detect. Use paw wipes or a warm washcloth to clean off paw pads before re-applying any bandages.
Bandage the paw pad — Learning how to wrap a dog’s paw is a useful skill for any pet parents. This simple yet effective method can be done using items, like gauze and pet-safe antiseptics, that many of us always have in our own medicine cabinets. Since dogs spend so much time on their paw pads, frequent re-bandaging is important to keep the area clean and free from infection.
Apply a topical treatment to help your dog’s paws heal — In some instances of paw injuries an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin can help speed along treatment. However, you should always consult a vet before applying any medical ointments to your dog’s paws. If you want to go a more natural route, there are many natural paw balms and paw waxes to try! We recommend Natural Dog Company’s Organic Paw Soother, containing skin-soothing ingredients like jojoba oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter.
What Causes Peeling on Paw Pads?
Your furry companions’ paws may be peeling just because they are dry and need more moisture.
Another reason the pads may be peeling is if they’re exposed to too much sun. We all need the sun, but too much sun can dehydrate us. The same is true for your dog.
A third possible reason is if your dog is walking or running on hot surfaces, such as asphalt or concrete. Sometimes those pavements are too hot to walk on in the summer.
Another reason your dog’s pads may be peeling is because of an infection. Infections tend to create an imbalance that could result in dehydration and other problems.
II Apply a Topical Treatment
There are topical ointments proven to prevent and treat infections. If you have one at home, feel free to use it on your pup.
A balm like Bodhi Paw Balm will not only soften the crack but also help it heal fast.
Ensure that the superglue is dry before applying a topical balm and remember to keep only a single layer at a time.
How to treat Peeling Paw Pads
Dogs don’t wear shoes every time they step outside – surely, there are consequences for taking on the world barefooted?
Dog paws are surprisingly resilient against nature and the elements, as they were designed to be.
So if you realize your dog’s paws are peeling, you may wonder where you went wrong in protecting those precious paws.
Sometimes, you do everything you’re supposed to, and your dog’s paws still look less than normal.
The causes of peeling, cracked, or damaged paw pads range from weather and nervous licking habits to common dog health issues like allergies.
There’s always a fix for beat-up paw pads, and it doesn’t have to involve boots – which is good news for the pups who can’t stand to wear them.
Questions? To chat with a veterinarian about your dog’s paw pads, Click here