Why are my dog's paw pads getting hard and rough but he's not in pain?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. The spots you are seeing on the bottom of the feet could be secondary to callus formation or previous blister formation from friction or heat when running or coming in contact with hot surfaces. If she goes hiking a lot and walks through gravel, sometimes callus formation can cause these spots to show up. There are pad diseases that will cause discoloration of the pad, however this does not look concerning to me at this point in time. If the feet become swollen or you notice any wounds in between the toes that I would bring this to the attention of a veterinarian and have it examined. Further testing can be performed on this such as obtaining a biopsy of the paw pad. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I'm also available via consultation if needed

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.

I suspect that Nahla has developed these hard callouses (also called corns) from being in a kennel at the quarantine. They may go away with time - you can speed up the process by softening her pads - applying something like Vaseline or Aquafor to the areas daily and covering with dog boots (which you can buy from larger pet stores). If she is showing signs of lameness, you should take her to the vet for further care and pain relief medicine. Please do not use human pain relief medicine on her as they are often not safe, and can be toxic.

This looks like hyperkeratinosis of the paw pad. It is basically a callous. There isn't much you can do about it. If you have it cut off, they usually grow back. I would try some pad balm to help keep it smoothe and to prevent it from cracking and causing any discomfort. Most dogs are never bothered by it. If it ever causes him to limp, start to crack, or is growing rapidly, I would have your vet take a look at it to ensure he doesn't need any additional therapy. I hope this helps!

I recommend to leave his paws as they are since he has no signs of pathology. The paws will roughen in response to his environment. Softening the paws may make them more prone to injury. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It's normal that as Boo grows, his paws will not be as soft and become rough and hard. They should be rough to give him traction when he runs, and protect his feet from the ground. You can protect them from the snow, salt, and ice when you walk him outdoors by using Musher's Secret on them.

Dogs can get corns on their pads. This is common in greyhounds but can happen in any breed. They can cause discomfort when walking or running but not painful when touched. These can be cut back by your veterinarian so they don’t touch the ground. I recommend a veterinary exam to get a diagnosis and treatment plan. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.