How do I get black, tar-like gunk off my dog's paw pad safely?

The best way to clean the toes is with Chlorhexidine 3% diluted with water until light blue and soaking the paws or doing a spot clean. This works well because the feet tend to get fungal infections and Chlorhexidine.is an antimicrobial/antiseptic.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. I love all of your questions. I can tell how much you care about him! I recommend bathing his paws with Dawn dish soap. It is great for stripping off undesired products from a dog. I hope this information helps!

I had a client of mine the other day have this same issue. To my surprise, they gave me the advise that using peanut butter worked. After a little research of my own, I found that both peanut butter or vegetable oil both work to remove gum. You will have to put the peanut butter on the area and let it sit there for a while, maybe 20-30 minutes. Obviously you will have to prevent Boo from licking it off, some some type of collar or sock on the foot will be needed. After the time has elapsed, use some soap and water to get as much off as you can. This should do the trick. It's the same thing that people do when they get gum in their hair.

If Jeter does not seem bothered by this, it is likely pad that is starting to grow in this area. Once more pad develops here, this condition can produce long hairlike extensions of the paw pad in a condition called hyperkeratosis of the pads. This is typically not worrisome and does not cause any problems. This may also be dirt trapped so cleaning the paws with a benzoyl peroxide based veterinary shampoo would help. Dermabenz would be the shampoo I would recommend and you can bathe the feet a few times per week. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns and I would be happy to help!

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.

Cats can sometimes get moist litter stuck between the pads. If Sarah goes outside, sap and tar are also possible. Try to clean and wash it off. This will give you a better idea what it is and to make sure the skin underneath is normal. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach your question about Cooper. Massage the area with olive oil. If the sap has hardened, use a hair dryer on the lowest setting to soften it up first. After you have gotten all the sap out with olive oil, wash his paws in a dog shampoo and warm water. If the tree sap is really stubborn, you can use clippers to shave out those bits or make an appointment with a groomer to have it done. I hope this helps!