My Staffy has soft paw pads. How can I protect them for walks?

I have not had good success with applying anything to the pads to protect them. If Nova won't walk in dog boots you can try applying Vaseline to her pads to soften them and keep them from cracking. You are doing a good job keeping her walking on the grass or soft dirt. As she grows her pads should thicken and give her more protection. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Nova.

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.

Poor Saha! I would gently clean her pads with warm water and antiseptic soap. Then I would place a bandage over the paws to keep her from licking at them. You may need to put an Ecollar on her to keep her from doing this. You can get one at a pet store or you can make one at home. Change the bandage daily and look for signs of infection include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. If you see any of those signs, take her into the vet as she will need antibiotics. I know it's summer in Australia and very hot there, and hot asphalt can cause a dog's paws to split. Test the pavement with the back of your hand, and if it's too hot for you to put your hand on it, it's too hot to take her for a walk. During these hot periods, it's fine to restrict her walks to protect her pads and keep her from overheating. Just allow her in the backyard grass to potty, then bring her back in when she's done. Good luck, I hope this helps!

It appears as though the pads are just soft and the first couple layers are rubbing off. Nothing to worry about too much. I suggest you use a product to toughen up the pads. In the meantime, you can try using some booties when you hike to protect the pads. ( https://www.vetrxdirect.com/product/view/pad-tough-for-dogs-otc ) ( https://ruffwear.com/collections/dog-boots ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The main things to keep in mind our that hot pavement will cause significant injury to paw pads. The pavement can heat up very quickly in the afternoon sun and it doesn’t necessarily need to be very hot temperature wise. You must always check the pavement to make sure it is not too hot or take him out first thing in the morning before the sun has had a chance to warm the pavement. Hard stopping or hard turning also increase the risk of tearing the pads. Running on gravel or things like glass can also increase paw pad injuries. There are protective booties which will help to protect the pads. Also, start slow and short and gradually build up. Choose your route wisely. Use a harness for this activity to prevent injury to his neck. I hope this helps.

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!

Poor guy. If the areas are relatively superficial, then you can clean them with Betadine/Iodine diluted 50:50 with warm water OR Chlorhexidine solution (2-4% diluted until a robin's egg blue consistency). This will remove any bacteria on the surface. However, since this part of the pet is always touching the ground and getting debris in them, you should consider placing booties (purchased at the local Petco or on Amazon) on Lincoln for 4-7 days until the skin starts to heal back. You may not need to keep these on Lincoln while he is inside the house, but definitely when he goes outside to potty. Alternatively, you can try placing socks or some kind of stocking material on his paws and then wiping them down with the solution when he comes back in. I would not recommend placing anything else over the counter on these areas. The paw pads are normally very forgiving when they just have abrasions on them and not an actual laceration (cut) of the pad, and heal up well in many cases. If the paws are wore down to the point of bleeding or show any signs of infection, then it is best to take him to your veterinarian for additional medication and treatment. I hope that this helps. Best of luck with Lincoln and I hope that his paws heal up well soon! Take care.