Dog Health Insurance

Your dog’s paws are more sensitive than you may give them credit for and you should bare this in mind when taking them outside. If the weather is particularly hot or cold, consider walking your dog on grassier areas, where the ground won’t be as prone to extremes of heat. Certainly avoid tarmac in hot weather and, if possible, steer clear or paths that have been de-iced, salted or gritted in cold weather. These surfaces will chafe your dog’s paws, making them very sore and drying out the pads, causing them to crack. In snowy weather, do try to reduce the amount of time your dog spends with his feet buried! It should also go without saying that you should ensure all ice and snow are removed from your dog’s feet when you get home, especially if there have long hair, which can trap snow and ice.

The same caution should be taken when exercising your dog. Just as joggers suffer knee and ankle injuries from frequent running on concrete, it doesn’t do your dog any good to go racing around on these solid surfaces all the time. Use parks and fields instead, as a far safer and nicer area to play with your pet. There’s also much less of a chance for him to slice his paw on some broken glass or sharp piece of concrete when you’re in a field.

With a bit of care and attention, you can drastically reduce the number of injuries and discomforts your dog suffers due to his poor paws.

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