Summer is a fun, carefree time…but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t dangers out there for your dog. Today we want to specifically talk about your dog’s paws and summer. While we often think of winter hazards to our dog’s paw pads, like ice and deicing chemicals, summer is a time of paw problems as well.
Last month, we headed to the Gulf coast with Irie and Tiki to try out Snuggy Boots, an orthotic and footwear suspender system designed to protect your dog’s paws from hazards:
While there, we saw potential paw hazards that ranged from unusual (Portuguese Man O’ War Jellyfish washed up on the beach) to quite common (broken bottles). Do you encounter any of these problems in your summer dog walks or summer travels?
Hot Asphalt
We’ve all seen the summer newscasts where an egg is fried on the sidewalk–think what this hot asphalt does to your dog’s paw pads! Yes, our dog’s paw pads are thicker than the bottom of our own feet but, nonetheless, they are sensitive and susceptible to blistering against hot asphalt. Please: if you wouldn’t walk barefoot on a surface, don’t ask your dog to walk barefoot!
Hot Beach Sand
Just like asphalt, beach sand gets hot, hot, hot!
Broken Glass
Broken glass, jagged metal, and other hazards can quickly result in a cut paw pad.
Stickers and Burrs
Stickers and burrs don’t just cause an issue with your dog’s paw pads but between the pads as well. Small stickers can work their way between the pads and cause great discomfort to your dog. (Just imagine how it would be to walk around with a sticker between your toes!)
Sensitive Paws After Swimming
You know how soft your feet feel when you get out of a long bath? Well, your dog’s paw pads are just the same after a day in the lake or at the beach. When your dog’s feet have been wet for a sustained time, those paw pads soften up, losing what resistance they had to stickers and other hazards.
Summer is a time of fun for you and your dog. Please be sure to make it a safe time, too, by protecting your dog’s paw pads with booties
Snuggy Boots is a DogTipper advertiser. We only share products we have used with our dogs and all opinions are entirely our own.
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