Summer activities expose your dog’s paws to a variety of hazards including grass seeds, three corner jacks and various other kinds of burrs. Pads may be cut by razorfish and other shells and if not treated quickly may become infected. Sand between the pads may become abrasive and can lead to nasty sores.
During the spring and summer months, you should increase the frequency of your paw inspections.
Examining the feet of small dogs is fairly easy if you can train them to relax on your lap or on a table. Larger dogs may need a grooming table but a cheap and simple solution is a vinyl picnic blanket on top of a bed.
A fairly new concept in dog training is what we call ‘cooperative care.’ This is a methodology that teaches the dog to consent to care and to cooperate willingly in the knowledge that it
can withdraw consent at any time that it seems scary.
Cooperative care depends on developing a sense of safety and security in your dog as you handle and explore parts of their body. You need to be able to explore all of the nooks and crannies in each paw in order to remove grass seeds and the like before they burrow into the dog’s skin. Removing excess hair with scissors or a clipper will make it easier to spot issues with the feet.
Spend some time building up the duration and intensity of your inspections before progressing to nail care. Consider using a muzzle if your dog is temperamental.
Nail care is very important. If the nails are too long, a dog’s gait and posture may be affected. If you regularly take your dog on long walks on concrete footpaths, the nails may take care of themselves but if your dog mostly exercises on grass or sand, the nails will need more attention. If you can hear your dog’s nails clicking on hard floors, they are probably too long.
Cutting nails can be scary and you may wish to delegate the task to a vet or groomer. If you prefer to do it yourself, invest in a high-quality nail clipper and a battery-operated nail grinder.
Before you start, I would suggest a visit to YouTube for some tips.
Finally, please remember that dogs’ paws can be scorched on hot pavements and roads. Take care out there!
Please remember to visit us on Facebook at Old Dog New Tricks, Australia for further tips and resources.
