How do I look after a dog's paws?

The weekly check that finds problems early, the seasonal hazards in summer and winter, and what licking a paw usually means.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 15 min
Read: 5 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Check paws weekly — pads, between the toes, nails and dewclaws — and after every walk in summer for grass seeds and in winter for grit and salt. Rinse and dry between the toes rather than moisturising, and treat persistent licking of one foot as a reason to see a vet.

Paws take everything the ground has to offer and they are checked less often than any other part of a dog. The useful habit is a thirty-second look after walks and a proper weekly check, because most of what goes wrong with feet is far easier to deal with early — a grass seed on the skin is nothing, and the same seed a week later has migrated and needs surgery.

Safety

Persistent licking or chewing of one paw, limping, a hot or swollen foot, a smell, redness between the toes or a discharging lump between the toes all need a vet — they are not things to treat at home. Grass seeds are a specific summer emergency: they penetrate the skin between the toes and migrate under it, and they need veterinary removal, often quickly. Never cut a swelling or lump between the pads yourself, and never apply human antiseptics or creams to a dog's foot without veterinary advice.

What you'll need

A towel by the door
Blunt-ended scissors for trimming hair between the pads (optional)
A shallow bowl for rinsing (optional)

Step by step

Do a proper check weekly.Look at each pad for cuts, cracks and embedded objects, spread the toes and look at the skin between them, check the nails and the dewclaws, and look at the hair between the pads. Doing it as a routine also keeps the dog comfortable having its feet handled, which matters at the vet.
Check for grass seeds after every summer walk.From roughly May to September, run your fingers between every toe after a walk in long grass. The seeds are arrow-shaped, work in one direction only, and penetrate the skin between the toes. Once under the skin they migrate and require veterinary removal, so this thirty-second check is genuinely worth doing.
Rinse and dry after winter walks.Rock salt and grit irritate the skin and are harmful if licked off, and compacted ice between the toes is painful. Lukewarm water — not hot on cold paws — and dry properly between the toes, because damp skin there is where infections start.
Use the pavement test in summer.Press the back of your hand to the surface for seven seconds. If you cannot hold it there, it is too hot for paws. Tarmac and paving hold heat long after the air feels comfortable, which is why evening walks catch people out.
Trim the hair between the pads if it is long.Long tufts collect ice balls, mud and grit, and make dogs slip on wooden and tiled floors. Trim it level with the pads using blunt-ended scissors, never below the level of the pad, and stop if the dog objects — a groomer does this routinely.
Keep the nails short.Overlong nails change how a dog stands and puts pressure on the toes. Check the dewclaws in particular, since they wear on nothing and curl round into the leg.
Do not moisturise healthy pads.Pads are meant to be tough. Softening them makes them more prone to damage. Balms are useful on genuinely cracked pads or as a barrier before winter walks, not as routine maintenance.
Treat licking as information.A dog licking one paw persistently has something wrong with it — a seed, a cut, an interdigital cyst, an allergy or pain higher up the leg referred to the foot. Licking all four is more often an allergy or a skin condition. Either way it is a vet question and not a habit to break.
Build up gradually to new surfaces.A dog that walks mainly on grass has softer pads than one that walks on pavement. A sudden long walk on stone, sand or a hot beach causes pad abrasion, which is painful and takes a while to heal. Increase gradually before a holiday.
Introduce boots properly if you use them.Some dogs need them — for very hot surfaces, deep salt, or a healing injury. They have to fit and they have to be introduced over several short indoor sessions with food, or the dog will simply refuse to walk.

Tips

Keep a towel by the door and dry feet after every wet walk. Persistently damp skin between the toes is behind a large share of foot infections.
Pink or brown staining on the hair around the feet is saliva from licking. If you can see it, the dog is licking more than you have noticed.
A limp that comes and goes is still a limp. Dogs mask pain well, and intermittent lameness is worth a vet appointment rather than a wait-and-see fortnight.

Common mistakes

Only checking paws when the dog limps — Grass seeds, small cuts and early infections are all easy to deal with when found and much harder a week later. A weekly check finds them in time.
Moisturising healthy pads — Pads are tough on purpose. Softening them makes abrasion and splitting more likely rather than less.
Cutting the hair between the pads below pad level — The skin between the pads is thin and easily nicked. Trim level with the pads only, and stop if the dog moves.
Treating persistent paw licking as a habit — It is nearly always a symptom — a foreign body, an allergy, an infection or pain. Trying to stop the licking without finding the cause misses the problem.

If it doesn't work

Dog is licking one paw constantly

Cause: A foreign body, a cut, a cyst or referred pain — Fix: Look between the toes in good light, then see the vet. One paw, persistently, almost always means something specific.

Swelling between two toes

Cause: Often an interdigital cyst or a migrating grass seed — Fix: Vet. Do not squeeze, lance or apply anything to it. Grass seeds in particular need finding before they travel further.

Cracked, dry pads

Cause: Rough surfaces, salt, or a nutritional or skin condition — Fix: A pad balm and avoiding rough ground while they heal. Cracks that keep recurring warrant a vet check rather than more balm.

Dog slips on wooden and tiled floors

Cause: Long hair between the pads, and long nails — Fix: Trim the hair level with the pads, keep nails short, and add rugs and runners. It matters most for older and arthritic dogs.

Questions people ask

Why does my dog keep licking its paw?

Persistent licking of one paw almost always means something specific — a grass seed, a cut, an interdigital cyst, or pain. Licking all four suggests an allergy or skin condition. Both are veterinary questions.

Do I need paw balm?

Not routinely. Healthy pads are meant to be tough, and softening them makes damage more likely. Balm is useful on genuinely cracked pads or as a barrier before walks on salted pavement.

How do I know if the pavement is too hot?

Press the back of your hand to it for seven seconds. If you cannot keep it there, it is too hot for paws. Surfaces hold heat well into the evening, so the air temperature is not a reliable guide.