Hot Paws! How to Protect Your Pooch’s Feet

With an air temperature of 85 degrees, the pavement can easily reach 135 degrees in the sun. For perspective, an egg can fry at 131 degrees in 5 seconds. Don’t expose your dog's bare foot pads to that pain!

Bare paws being on the hot pavement can cause burns and blisters.  Not only are these painful for your dog, but they can become infected leading to an expensive trip to the veterinarian.  ​

Luckily, with just a few easy changes, you can keep your pup from experiencing this pain.  Below are 6 tips to help keep your dog’s paws from burning on hot summer walks.

1. Check the temperature of the pavement by holding your hand against it for 30 seconds.  If you find it too hot, so will your dog.

2. Avoid taking your dog on walks during the hottest parts of the day when the sun is at its strongest position.  At this time,  the chances of burning paws is higher.  Instead, choose to walk in the morning or evening when the temperatures are lower. 
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​3. ​If walking in the midday heat, choose shady locations where there is lots of tree cover.  The shade will keep the ground from heating up as much.

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4. Allow your dog to walk on the grass. The grass will be significantly cooler than the sidewalk or path.
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5. Get your dog booties or protective salves to keep their bare feet from touching the sidewalk. While it might take your dog a bit of time to get used to them, once they figure out they get to go for a walk once they have their booties on, they’ll quickly learn to associate the boots with a positive experience.  Try and start this at a cool time of day so if they throw a giant fit, they can still walk home on cool pavement. Make sure to do some research into any salves you’re thinking of purchasing to make sure they are truly safe for your pet and do what they advertise.  Many of these products are unregulated and sellers can make false claims.

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It is important to also be aware of other dangers to your pet that come with the increased temperatures of summer, check out some of our other summer dog safety blogs:

-For information on helping your dog beat the heat and stay hydrated check out “Hydration and Heat Protection” https://www.animalcarefoundation.org/blog/hydration-and-heat-protection-for-dogs

-For signs to watch for that could mean your dog is dehydrated or in danger of having heatstroke check out “Heatstroke and Dehydration”   https://www.animalcarefoundation.org/blog/heatstroke-and-dehydration ​

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Keeping these tips in mind will help keep your dog healthy this summer. You can always ask your dog's vet specific questions regarding your pets needs in the heat because every dog is different. ​

For more information on hot paws check out:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dog-paws-hot-pavement/

Written By: Helen North