Thursday, May 24, 2012

Protecting Your Dog’s Paws During the Summer

June 13, 2010 by  
Filed under Safety, Tips

2031098.thbSummer temperatures mean hot pavement–something that’s just as troublesome to your dog’s paws as it is to your own bare feet. Here in Texas (see our video below), the asphalt is literally hot enough to fry an egg on many summer afternoons.

To decide if the pavement is safe for your dog to walk on,  test the temperature with your own bare feet; if it’s too hot for your feet, don’t let your dog risk blisters and burns on his pads by walking on it.

Avoiding the pavement is the best protection but, if you have to walk on pavement, try booties. Some dogs will tolerate dog booties to protect their paws, and you’ll also find some paw waxes that can help protect delicate pads.

Also, if you’ll be on the pavement for just a moment, such as while you’re getting dogs in and out of the car, carry an old towel you can put on the ground for your dog to stand on rather than standing directly on the hot pavement. And if you’ve been swimming, remember that water-soaked pads–just like water-soaked feet–are softer and burn even faster!

DogTipper Video

About Paris Permenter and John Bigley

DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.

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  • Christina Mylonas

    You mentioned a paw wax for protecting paws on hot pavement. Petsmart and Petco don’t have anything called paw wax. What is the brand name and where can I find it? I found a spray liquid bandage at Petco. Is the paw wax like that?

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