Paw Pad Care: Maintenance for the Feet That Do Everything

Know the terrain

Healthy pads are smooth-ish, resilient and slightly rough; dryness, deep cracks, peeling or constant licking mean trouble. Check weekly: pads, between toes (grass seeds, pebbles, matted fur), and nails while you're there.

Seasonal enemies

Summer: pavement burns (the 7-second hand test) and hot sand. Winter: ice-melt salt, ice balls between toes, and drying cold — rinse or wipe paws after winter walks and trim between-toe fur. Year-round: thorns, glass, and burrs in the toe webs.

Maintenance kit

Paw balm for dryness (dab thin, distract with a lick mat while it absorbs), blunt-nosed scissors for toe fur, tweezers for splinters, and booties for extreme surfaces or post-injury protection — introduced gradually with treats and the mandatory funny-walk grace period.

Injury triage

Small cuts: flush with saline, check for embedded objects, and prevent licking. Deep cuts, burns (pads blister and peel), limping, or a pad flap injury need a vet — pad wounds bleed dramatically, heal slowly under body weight, and often need proper dressing. A sudden obsessive lick at one paw means something's in there; look closely.