How to protect your dog’s paws from snow, ice, and salt?

by Anja S. on December 09, 2019

Winter is knocking on our doors. For most of us, it means enjoying endless games with our four-legged friends in the snow. However, it’s also the time when you need to pay special attention on how to protect your dog’s paws from snow, ice, and salt.

Regardless of what breed you own, every pooch requires to get proper paw care. Since winter conditions can be brutal to our canine’s paw pads, here are the tips on how to keep their tiny body parts safe and healthy.

How to protect your dog’s paws in winter

  1. There are many ways to take care of a dog’s paws in harsh weather conditions, and one of the best is buying waterproof dog booties. However, it’s nothing odd to see if a dog shows discomfort while wearing them. Since it can be challenging to teach your furry friend to wear boots, we recommend you to start preparing it from an early age. In that way, your pup will easier get used to wearing them. 

    On the other hand, things can go pretty different with adult pooches. They often show disallowance, so that’s why it’s essential to be persistent. By gradually increasing the time spent in wearing dog booties and rewarding him/her with treats, you’ll be closer to success. Besides you’ll keep your dog’s paws safe from harmful chemicals such as road salt, you’ll also improve the traction and prevent him/her from slipping. Older pooches that suffer from painful joints can feel lots of benefits by wearing dog footwear.

  2. Keep your walks short. Being outside in harsh weather conditions for a long time can not only lead to frostbites but also to hypothermia. Note that some breeds (especially brachycephalic ones) are on a higher tendency to catch a cold. They can’t sustain walking in cold weather because of their short snouts and coats.

  3. Regular application of paw balms and other products will make your dog’s paws resistible to getting injuries.

  4. Make sure you wash or clean your furry friend’s paws every time you get back from a walk.

Is winter salt bad for dog paws?

Winter salt might keep your booties safe on the ground, but for your doggie, it presents a real nightmare. The road salt contains different chemicals such as sodium chloride and calcium chloride. It can cause not only severe damages such as burns and blisters, but it’s also very poisonous. Since dogs like to lick their paws, we need to be especially careful not to allow them to do that when there’s salt on their paws.

Dog paw with hair between toes

That’s why wearing protecting footwear is more than required. In case your pooch has long hair and doesn’t want to wear booties, it’s recommended to trim the excess hair between his/her toes and to moisturize with a paw balm deeply.

How should I heal cracked paws on my dog?

Cracked paws may occur not only because of the road salt but also because of frostbites caused by walking on icy ground. They can be very painful if left untreated and even transmit into an infection. As one of the best prevention for a dog’s cracked paws, we recommend you to check the following paw balm.

Regular application of natural paw protection balm will make your dog’s paws resistible to getting injuries.


It helps in treating rashes, burns, wounds, dry, and cracked dog paws. It’s rich in healing herbs such as marigold and chamomile. Another good news is that it quickly absorbs, so your furry friend will not leave oily pawprints through the house.

How does Vaseline help your dog’s paws?

Vaseline presents one more option to prevent your canine’s paws from harmful effects. It serves as a protective layer, and it’s recommended to use it before you take it out for a walk. On the other hand, using Vaseline inside the house is not advisable because of potential slipping and falling.

Make sure you wash your dog’s paws every time you get back home from outside to remove all the harmful elements. The water should not be too warm, and it’s best to use a hypoallergenic dog shampoo for washing. After you’ve finished with the process of cleaning, make sure you dry your four-legged friend’s paws thoroughly. They are like a sponge, so don’t be surprised to see a lot of water coming out when you push the pads. As a final step, make sure you put a Natural dog protection balm.

When is it too cold for a dog?

We all have to admit that walking barefoot both in winter or summer seems impossible and painful for humans. That’s why we don’t even have to mention that the same thing happens to dogs. It’s true that they are animals and that nature made them capable of walking barefoot but only to certain limits.

Dog winter time walk

Not every dog can sustain living in cold weather conditions, and brachycephalic dog breeds are one of them. When a dog feels cold, it shows unusual behavior such as hooping, leg lifting, shaking, and trembling.

How to prevent your dog’s paws from getting dry?

Regular checking on your furry friend’s paws presents the key for having healthy paws. Increased licking behavior should also be noticed on time because it’s often the sign of an underlying issue. Regardless of the trigger, dog paws act sensitively to many effects.

How to prevent dry dog paws

Whether it’s a plant stuck between the toes, hot sand, icy pavement, sharp terrain, or a chemical, these tiny body parts require daily care. The owners of long-haired breeds should also be on task to remove ice balls from their paws in winter.

What kitchen ingredients you can use for your dog’s paw care?

Coconut oil is one of the best natural ingredients that is known for its antibacterial and hydrating effects. Coconut not only smells great, but it also heals the cracked and dry skin. It is also suitable to use on dogs that are prone to allergies because Coconut eases the symptoms of itchiness.

Another beneficial ingredient most of us have in our homes is Olive oil. It’s excellent for treating burns and blister as well as sunburns in summer. Besides you can use it externally, you can also add a teaspoon of olive oil into your dog’s meal to support a shiny and silky coat.

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