My English bulldog's paw pads are flaky. What causes this and what can I do?

Depigmentation can be normal, but if the skin is also thick or crusty or there are other skin lesions it might also be a sign of an autoimmune skin disease. If Iker has scabs or crusts on his paw pads that aren't obvious in the picture, if he seems itchy or if he has other skin problems I'd recommend having your vet take a look.

Crusting and scabs like this on the paw pads can sometimes be a sign of autoimmune disease. I'd recommend having your vet take a look - if they are concerned about a dermatologic disease they might recommend taking a biopsy sample. If Rope licks his paws it could also be a bacterial infection. The location isn't classic for trauma or heat injury.

You may just be seeing hyperkeratosis of the pads which is very common in a lot of dogs. It's essentially just an overgrowth of the skin in this area and commonly occurs to the nasal planum and paw pads, especially as dogs age. As long as your pet is comfortable and walking well for most dogs it is just cosmetic. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It would be helpful if you could attach pictures to help us assess what might be going on. Dry skin from dietary issues or sensitivities, contact irritation and some skin disorders can be associated with similar signs. If he is lame or uncomfortable, or dislikes you looking at them, a full vet check as soon as possible is advised

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures, it appears that Freya has hyperkeratosis of the paw pads. This condition does not cause any major problems and is more of a cosmetic problem. You can try and file the overgrown pad by using a dremmel (I recommend having a veterinarian or veterinary technician do this) and then try to help prevent this from occurring by using dog booties and BioBalm by Dermoscent (can be found online). I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

There are many possible causes of scaling skin and crusts, including skin infections from allergies (flea, food or environmental) and even some endocrine/metabolic conditions (hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease). If Xara is licking her paws excessively, this is a sign of itchiness. Since none of the lesions appear irritated, consider bathing her with a gentle dog oatmeal based shampoo and closely examine her for signs of fleas or flea dirt, which resembles a fleck of pepper. Make sure she is on a high quality flea preventative once a month (Nexgard, Bravecto, Advantix, Comfortis/Trifexis). Consider changing her diet to one with a different protein source, but do so gradually over 5-7 days. Diet changes can take 2-3 months to achieve efficacy. Obviously if her skin begins to look worse or does not improve with these measures, take her to her vet for an exam.

Hello, they do appear fairly normal on that picture. Like us, dogs can develop calluses and thick paw pads depending on the substrate they walk on. Cement and gravel contributes to thicker pads, and Chloe being a Husky I assume she lives outdoors a great deal of time. Im not surprised that her paw pads are tougher than other dogs. You can get her boots to protect her feet and this may make her pads less tough over time. The boots may also help to protect you from her pads as well. You can also put socks on her as protection to you, but make sure she does not chew them off or swallow them. Hope this helps and best of luck.