As most of you know, I run my own business where I am a Consultant for Paparazzi $5 Jewelry. In my endeavors, I do events where I set up and watch people walk by my booth all day. Many of these are either in dirt or grass but recently I was set up in the middle of a parking lot on a day that was 90F outside. If you were a vendor, it was all you could do to try to stay cool and with the pavement so hot people were scrambling to find cool shade. Things were fine for the most part (lack of business) until I noticed the dogs walking about. No booties, no shade, no protection from the sun or the pavement. At one point, I was taking care of 4 dogs at once. I realized that the owners had no clue as to what the ground was doing to their dogs and though, at first, they were annoyed at me for mentioning their poor pups paws the quickly realized their error and allowed me to help them and then apologized to their dogs and me profusely. This event caused me to do some thinking and here you go.
Most people don't think about dogs paws because they don't feel the heat though their own foot protection. With shoes so accessible now a days, we don't have to worry about our feet getting burned, cut by glass, stabbed by sharp rocks, sticker weeds, or tickled by pokey grass. Our dogs don't have the ability to complain. Most of them tough it out because to give into it would be to show weakness and as a pack animal, that isn't acceptable. This is why we forget sometimes how hot, rough, and painful walking around in certain areas can get.
Imagine that you suddenly lost your shoes and you have to get to your car. Only problem is, you have to cross the pavement parking lot that lies between you and your car. It is 80F, 3pm, and it has been baking under the sun since it rose this morning. Now, you don't have any choice to but walk around on it and you keep getting stopped and have to sit or stand in wait. What do you think your feet are going to look like by the time you actually get into your car? Blistered? Swollen? Cracked?
The picture to the right is an extreme case but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
If your dog does get burnt paws there are several things you can do. Mind you I am not a Veterinarian nor a vet assistant so you must ALWAYS contact your Vet for any and all injuries.
Things you can do for sever cases:
1. First clean the paws with an anti-bacterial soap. Dirt, grit, bacteria, and germs can all infect dogs just like they do with humans. So gently make sure you have the affected area clean.
2. Gently dry the area. We don't want the area to be moist. This will cause other issues in the future.
3. Next we want to make sure that the area's that we couldn't get with the soap and water. Pour an antiseptic like betadine or hydrogen peroxide (make sure it is diluted 50/50 with water. Hydrogen peroxide can cause skin damage that would make things even worse for your pup) over the affected area and allow to air dry.
4. Apply Anti-biotic cream to the affected areas and keep the pup from licking it away by wrapping the paws, putting socks on, and then using a gentle tape around them so the dogs can't get to them.
5. After that, Take them to the Vet. Most of the time antibiotics are prescribed to help stay off infection.
If the burn is not sever then wash the feet and gently massage in the anti- biotic cream to sooth the feet.
There are many ways to protect your dogs paws. The best way (if you must walk them on pavement or anything that will damage them) is Booties! There are all sorts of types and styles. The above is just one suggestion of many. Look around and find what is right for your family and lifestyle.
Happy Summer days!!!
