Dog paw care: protecting paw pads from heat, cold, and injury

Your dog’s paw pads take a beating: blistering pavement in July, rock salt in January, gravel, broken glass, and mile after mile of walks. They’re tough, but they aren’t indestructible. When they get hurt, your dog limps, licks constantly, and the injury is slow to heal, because there’s no way to keep weight off a paw.

This guide covers how to check your dog’s paws after a walk, how to protect dog paw pads from heat and cold, what to do about cracks and cuts, and when and how to trim the hair between the toes.

What paw pads are made of and what they do

Each paw has four small digital pads under the toes and one large pad in the middle. The front legs also have a carpal pad higher up, which your dog uses as a brake when heading downhill or stopping short.

Paw pads are made of the thickest skin on your dog’s body, sitting on a cushion of fat and connective tissue. That structure lets them:

• Absorb shock and protect bones and joints.
• Insulate somewhat against hot and cold ground.
• Provide traction on uneven surfaces.
• Sweat: that’s why a nervous or overheated dog leaves damp paw prints, although dogs cool off mainly by panting.

A healthy pad is firm, slightly rough, and flexible, with no deep cracks. Color (black, pink, or spotted) doesn’t matter. Pads also adapt to use: a dog who walks on hard surfaces every day has tougher pads than one who mostly walks on grass. If you’re planning a long hike, build up the distance gradually over the preceding weeks.

How to check your dog’s paws after every walk

A one-minute check when you get home, followed by a treat, prevents most problems:

1. Watch how your dog walks. A slight limp tells you where to start.
2. Lift each paw and look at the pads for cuts, cracks, blisters, red areas, or peeling skin.
3. Gently spread the toes and look for foxtails, pebbles, glass, splinters, ticks, gum, or tree sap.
4. Sniff. A faint smell is normal; a strong, rancid odor with red or damp skin may mean infection.
5. Check the nails and dewclaws for breaks or excess length. If it’s time for a trim, our guide on how to trim dog nails walks you through it.
6. Clean and dry. Wipe with a damp cloth, or rinse with lukewarm water if there’s mud, salt, or chemicals, and dry well between the toes: moisture encourages yeast and bacteria.

This table sums up what you might find and how to handle it:

Hot pavement: how to prevent paw pad burns in summer

Ground in direct sun gets much hotter than the air. On a 77–86 °F (25–30 °C) day, asphalt can easily top 120 °F (50 °C), hot enough to burn paw pads quickly. The same goes for dark tile, beach sand, manhole covers, metal ramps, truck beds, and artificial turf.

To prevent burns:

• Walk early in the morning and late in the evening. Pavement holds heat for hours after sunset, so waiting until dusk isn’t always enough.
• Stick to dirt, natural grass, and shade, and cross paved areas quickly.
• During the hottest hours, keep outings to quick potty breaks.
• Use dog boots if you can’t avoid hot surfaces, for example in a city with no nearby green space.

If your dog’s paws are burned, you’ll see limping, refusal to walk, or paw licking, and the pads will look red, darkened, or blistered. Move your dog to a cool surface, cool the paws with cool (not ice-cold) water for about 10 minutes, don’t pop blisters or apply creams, cover with clean gauze, and call your vet: these burns are very painful and get infected easily. For heatstroke and other warm-weather risks, see our summer dog care tips.

Ice melt, ice, and snow: protecting paws in winter

Ice melt (sodium, calcium, or magnesium chloride) dries out and irritates the skin, opens up cracks, and stings in any wound. Dogs also lick it off when they get home: small amounts can cause vomiting or diarrhea, and eating a lot can lead to salt poisoning. Products labeled pet-safe are gentler, but they aren’t harmless.

Ice can cause cuts and slips, and in long-haired dogs, snow packs into ice balls between the toes that pull on the hair and hurt so much some dogs refuse to keep walking.

A simple routine for cold days:

1. Before you head out, apply a thin layer of protective paw wax.
2. On the walk, avoid heavily salted sidewalks and slushy puddles.
3. When you get back, rinse the paws in lukewarm (not hot) water, dry well between the toes, and check them.
4. If there’s a lot of salt or snow, consider boots.

Our winter dog care tips cover the rest of cold-weather care: coats, cold-sensitive breeds, and signs of hypothermia.

Dry or cracked paw pads: causes and what to do

Cracks show up from frequent walking on abrasive surfaces, intense heat or cold, ice melt, dry indoor heat, or constant licking. With age, many pads also thicken and lose flexibility.

For mild dryness:

• Apply a balm made for dog paw pads after walks or at bedtime, massaging it in until absorbed.
• Distract your dog for a few minutes with a toy or treat so they don’t lick it off.
• Skip products made for people. Your dog will lick them, and some contain ingredients dogs shouldn’t swallow, like zinc oxide or essential oils such as tea tree oil, which is toxic to dogs.
• Don’t use rubbing alcohol to “toughen up” pads: it dries them out and makes cracks worse.

Sometimes cracking is a sign of disease. Hyperkeratosis makes the pad thicken and grow hard, bristle-like projections; it’s more common in older dogs and certain breeds. In dogs who have lived in or traveled to the Mediterranean region or parts of Latin America, leishmaniasis is another possibility: it can thicken and crack the pads and nose and cause overgrown nails. Less common causes include autoimmune diseases (with crusting), zinc deficiency (described mainly in Huskies and Malamutes), and distemper in unvaccinated dogs.

See your vet if cracks are deep, bleed, don’t improve within 1–2 weeks, or come with crusting or thickening, if the nose changes too, or if your dog is limping.

Cuts and wounds on paw pads: first aid

Paw pads have a rich blood supply, so a cut can bleed dramatically even when it isn’t serious:

1. Get help holding your dog if you can. A dog in pain may bite, even their own person.
2. Rinse the wound with clean water or sterile saline and remove loose debris. Don’t dig for embedded objects.
3. Apply pressure with clean gauze for 5–10 minutes without lifting it to check.
4. Bandage loosely: gauze over the wound, a layer of cotton padding, and self-adhesive wrap. If the toes swell or feel cold, it’s too tight.
5. Keep your dog from licking or chewing the bandage and get to your vet.

Don’t use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, which damage tissue. Paw pad cuts heal slowly because they reopen with every step; deep ones often need stitches or several days of bandaging and can hide a sliver of glass. Our dog first aid guide explains how to put together a basic kit.

Hair between the toes: when and how to trim it

In long-haired breeds like Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Setters, Shih Tzus, and Yorkies, the hair between the pads eventually sticks out beyond them. It’s worth trimming because:

• Dogs slip on smooth floors, which is especially risky for seniors.
• It collects mud, moisture, and snowballs, contributing to odor and infections.
• It traps foxtails, which can then work their way in between the toes. From late spring through summer, check daily, especially in the western US, and read our guide to grass awns and foxtails in dogs.

How to do it:

1. Use blunt-tip scissors or a small paw trimmer.
2. With your dog lying down and relaxed, comb the hair on the paw upward.
3. Trim only the hair that sticks out below the pads, flush with them. There’s no need to dig between the toes.
4. Reward after each paw.

Repeat every 3–6 weeks, ideally along with nail trims, and always before summer.

Boots, balms, and other paw protectors: do they work?

Each one has its own job:

To get your dog used to boots, put them on indoors for a few seconds, reward, and take them off. Build up the time gradually, and only head outside once your dog walks normally in them.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for my dog’s paw pads to feel rough?

Yes. A slightly rough pad is healthy and provides grip; it isn’t supposed to feel as soft as human skin. What isn’t normal are deep cracks, bleeding spots, crusts, noticeable thickening, or hard projections along the edges. In those cases, have your vet take a look, especially if you also notice changes to your dog’s nose.

Why do my dog’s paws smell like corn chips?

That mild “Frito feet” smell is normal: it comes from the bacteria and yeast that live on the skin of the paws, mixed with sweat from the pads. It becomes a problem when the smell is strong or comes with redness, dampness, discharge, or nonstop licking. If that sounds familiar, our guide on why dogs lick their paws can help you find the cause.

Can I use petroleum jelly or hand lotion on my dog’s paw pads?

It’s better not to. Your dog will lick off whatever you apply, and products made for people may contain fragrances, essential oils, or other ingredients they shouldn’t swallow; petroleum jelly also makes paws slippery and can cause diarrhea if eaten in quantity. A balm formulated for dogs is safer, because it’s made with ingredients chosen with licking in mind.

How long does a paw pad injury take to heal?

It depends on the depth. A superficial cut may close within a few days, but a deep one often takes several weeks, because every step stretches the skin and reopens it. That’s why vets usually recommend bandaging, rest, and short leash walks. Finish the full treatment even if the pad looks healed, because reopening is common.

Sources

• American Kennel Club (AKC): paw care and preventing hot pavement burns.
• ASPCA: winter safety tips and the risks of ice melt and antifreeze.
• Merck Veterinary Manual: paw pad disorders (hyperkeratosis, pemphigus, pododermatitis).
• PDSA: first aid for paw cuts and wounds.