Good Paws or a Long Pause in Training
Author: Jennifer Carter | Certified Canine Nutritionist
Paw injury is common in athletic dogs participating in any sport. No matter if your dog is a dock diving phenom or racing down a flyball lane, speeding along a trail in Canicross, with a skier in tow, or climbing a peak in the backcountry. A well-trained dog doing something they love to do is a beautiful thing to watch. It's just one reason why seeing a dog sidelined because of an injury is so upsetting. Like human athletes, some injury in athletic dogs is to be expected. And thanks to advances in science and medicine, we can better understand how to treat and prevent injuries in canine and human athletes.
A healthy dog starts with a healthy diet. This comes into play for dog paws just as much as for any other part of its body and mental health. A good source of high-quality protein and a good balance of omega fatty acids are needed to keep those paws in great shape.
The first step in good paw maintenance is the long walk. Not only do dogs enjoy walks, it's good for them. In many sports, dogs are put through focused exercise programs that keep them fit, lean, and in top performance for their chosen sports. Their bodies are conditioned into finely tuned machines capable of performing extraordinary tasks without regular walks. However, don't underestimate the power of a walk to help condition a dog's feet. Walking your dog, not running or carrying weight over various surfaces regularly, will condition the paws. Dog paws are designed to travel. If you ensure that your dog's route includes a variety of surfaces, their feet will naturally become conditioned to handle them. This helps toughen them up for the more extreme demands of your chosen sport.
Solid and hard-driven dogs often work so hard they'll blow a paw pad. Blowing a paw pad means that layers of skin will be ripped right off of the dog's pads as they run across a surface. Some surfaces are worse for this than others. Rough rocks, rugged rubber mats, pavement, and sand right after rain are all hard on a dog's feet, often resulting in cuts or blown paw pads. Other factors that come into play are the speed that the dog is traveling, the hardness of the surface, the amount of resistance (if the dog is pulling against a harness, under the load of a heavy pack, or being held back at the start line) and the condition of the dog's foot.
At a time when the pet obesity crisis is at an all-time high, it's lovely to see dogs involved in a variety of activities. Often, these dogs are trim, with barely an ounce of fat on their bodies. But a little bit of body fat does have its benefits. Besides being a reserve source of energy for a hard-working dog, a small amount of fat is stored in the foot pads of dogs. It insulates their sensitive paws from the extremes of hot or cold surfaces and gives them some added padding as they run. Feeding your athletic dog a little more fat in their diet will not mitigate the damage of running on a hard surface, but it will have a cushioning effect.
Canine chiropractic care can help improve mobility by addressing underlying issues that cause a decreased range of motion and pain, as well as restricted movement. Canine Chiropractors use manual techniques to adjust the joints of the ankle, foot, and other joints to restore proper alignment and mobility. Chiropractic care focuses on correcting any abnormalities in the alignment of your dog’s musculoskeletal system. In doing so, the process releases any pressure and tension so that trapped nerves can be freed and your dog’s nervous system can function properly again.
The benefits of dietary zinc are well-known in the mushing world. Dietary zinc toughens a dog's paws and nails and improves their coat. Good sources of zinc in the dog's diet are commonly found in meat such as turkey, lamb, live, and canned tuna. Some vegetables, such as apples, raw carrots, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peanuts, also have it. If your dog is experiencing blown pads, consider adding a commercial zinc supplement to his diet. There is toxicity associated with zinc even though it is not stored in the dog's organs. That means toxic zinc levels must come from one time, large doses, not from an appropriate supplement. And it's always good advice to keep any dietary supplement containers far out of your dog's reach.
Consider a paw wax like Musher's Secret. Paw waxes work to condition your dog’s feet and prevent cracks. Most people are familiar with the benefits of paw wax in the wintertime, as it helps keep hairballs from forming between a dog’s toes. However, applying wax, similar to how humans use hand cream, will help keep feet supple and resistant to cracking and damage. A well-waxed paw can move and adapt to runs on different surfaces without splitting and cracking. I compare a dog’s paw pad to a pair of leather boots. If the leather is dried and in poor condition, it will crack under stress. But if you polish the boots and keep them in good shape, they are much better suited to daily wear and tear rigors. When choosing a paw wax, avoid using any product with alcohol, which will dry out the feet instead of leaving them supple.
Inspect your dog’s feet regularly. By regularly, I mean make it part of your training routine. Check your dog’s paws after every activity. This gives you a healthy paw baseline, and you can be on top of any potential problems before they become more significant injuries. To do so, gently spread their toes apart and inspect. Look at the sides of their paw pads and between their toes to make sure no Rockies decided to travel along (rocks, peoples, foxtails, or thorns). See if your dog’s paws are swollen or have any discoloration that may be a sign of injury or infection. Many dogs will not necessarily love that you’re looking at their toes, but if they seem to have tenderness or pain when you’re looking, that’s a sign of a possible problem, too. The more you look and inspect, the sooner you’ll catch the issues that may be there.
Here are some quick tips for keeping your dog's feet healthy:
Clean and dry: Rinse and dry your dog's feet after walks, especially if they've been in dirt, weeds, or water. You can also clip extra hair between their toes.
Protect from hot surfaces: Exercise your dog before sunrise or after sunset in the summer to prevent heat-related conditions like blistered pads. You can also protect their pads with sturdy booties with velcro and a rubber lining. However, don't always leave the booties on, as this can create a moist environment that's good for microorganisms. Note: If you have a dog tackling longer distances, boots can inevitably start to rub; this is why you’ll notice that the first thing that all mushers do at any break in training or checkpoint in racing is immediately remove boots to let the dogs paws relax (you throw your shoes off straight after a long day at work right?) it’s no different for the dogs! Or is it? You should inspect your dog's feet as soon as the dog's boots are taken off. Do a close inspection for any soreness, cuts, or lacerations.
Trim nails: Keep your dog's nails trimmed. The consequence of leaving nails to grow too long can be pretty bad. Long nails can have a negative impact on the shoulders and wrists, causing injury. Nails can also break, split, or even tear off if too long. On the other hand (or paw), if you leave the nails for too long between clippings, the quick can become too long inside the nail, which creates the impossible chance of cutting the nail back without causing unnecessary pain. If you are running with a dog, dew claws should always be left on your dog- do not have them removed.
Moisturize pads: Moisturize your dog's paw pads.
Check for allergens and irritants: Look for grass awns like foxtails and ask your vet if you should use antifungal wipes regularly.
Remember — a dog’s paw pads are not indestructible. Follow my simple steps of regular foot maintenance, along with walking, wax, fat, zinc, and maybe a nice chiro adjustment. Do not forget a whole food, fresh natural diet rich in protein. This way, you and your dog will spend more time playing and less time worrying about blown pad pads and injuries. See a vet if you are even concerned about the health of your dog’s paws. The sooner you do, the better.