My dog has rough, dry paws. Is it normal? Should I moisturize?

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.

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.

Phoenix's paw pads may benefit from a change in diet. Royal Canin diets are fortified with Omega 3 fatty acids which are good for the coat and skin. They make a diet for sensitive skin (you may need to look online for the product) and this one would be a good option. It will take about 4 weeks to see if they improve with a new diet. You could also try a product such as Baely's Paw Shield. This balm may help to heal the cracked skin. Lastly, avoid rough surfaces and dry the paws well when they get wet. If the skin starts looking red, bleeding, scabbing or if he seems bothered, have hime seen by his vet. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It may be something about the way that he walks or stands on that paw. Dogs do develope calluses in the paws (just like we do on our feet) and they are protective in nature so you don’t want to soften or remove them. The best way to know if it is a callus is to have the paw examined by the veterinarian. The doctor will palpate it and will likely be able to know if it is pathologic or normal. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Those look like very normal changes to a more adult paw pad. If there is any redness, swelling, or crusting then I would encourage you to have him evaluated by a veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Arnold's paws look irritated. This irritation could be due to allergies or walking over rough surfaces (like dry grass or gravel). If he is licking the paws, this could be a sign of discomfort. I recommend to have Arnold checked by the veterinarian to make sure this is not infection. You can also add in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.