You stroke your dog's paw and you feel it straight away: it is like sandpaper. Where there used to be a supple pad, there are now hard ridges and maybe a small crack. Cracked paw pads in a dog rarely appear overnight. Usually it has been building for months and you only notice once something splits open.

This guide covers spotting it, treating it and preventing it. Also one thing that is explained wrongly almost everywhere: when not to use paw balm.

What a healthy paw pad feels like

A healthy pad is not soft. It should feel leathery, slightly rough. It should spring back when you squeeze it. A baby-soft pad is not a good sign, because it tears more easily.

What should not be there: hard ridges standing proud of the pad, white flakes, deep grooves or pieces you can lift with a fingernail. Feel free to compare with another paw. A difference between left and right often tells you more than the pad itself.

Why dry paw pads develop in a dog

Six causes account for most cases. In older dogs two or three usually run at the same time.

• Road salt and grit. The biggest culprit in winter. Salt draws out moisture and irritates the skin between the toes even harder than the pad itself.
• Hot pavement. Summer tarmac burns the pad. The rule of thumb: rest the back of your hand on the surface for five seconds. If you cannot hold it, neither can your dog.
• Abrasion. Gravel, sand, rough concrete. A dog who normally walks on grass and suddenly spends a week at the coast wears his pads down in two days.
• Licking. Saliva softens the horny layer, which then splits open. If your dog is constantly at his paws, read why your dog licks his paws first, because then the pad is the result and not the cause.
• Hyperkeratosis. Some older dogs produce too much horn. You see hard outgrowths on the rim of the pad, sometimes on the nose too. That does not resolve on its own.
• Too little variety. A dog who only walks indoors and on grass keeps thin, vulnerable pads. Those split on the first serious walk.

When it needs a vet

Most of this you can handle at home. Still call if you see any of these:

• A pad that is split and keeps bleeding. Or a loose flap you can lift.
• Your dog will not put weight on that leg.
• The paw is swollen, warm or it smells.
• Fluid or pus is coming from between the toes.
• All four pads and the nose thicken at the same time. That can point to a condition needing medication.

If there is an actual wound, carry on with protecting a dog paw wound. That calls for a different approach than dryness.

The care routine in four steps

Do this in the evening. Allow two to three weeks before you feel a clear difference, because a pad carries weight and therefore heals slower than ordinary skin.

Step 1: rinse

Lukewarm water, nothing more. No alcohol, no hydrogen peroxide, no iodine on a dry pad. Those only dry it out further. If there is sand or salt in there, rinse with your fingers between the toes.

Step 2: pat dry

The space between the toes matters more than the pad. Leave moisture sitting there and within days you get red, irritated skin. Pat, do not rub.

Step 3: a thin layer

A paw balm or plain petroleum jelly works. Spread it thinly and massage it in lightly, no thick blob. More product does not speed up healing, it only adds more marks on the sofa.

Step 4: a sock over it

This is the step most people skip and the one that does the most. A sock keeps the product on the pad instead of on your floor. It also keeps the tongue away. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough. If your dog sleeps through calmly, it can stay on overnight.

Why you do not apply balm during the day

This is where a lot of brands get it wrong. Balm makes the pad softer and greasier. A greasy pad has less grip. On parquet or tiles that means your dog slides more after the treatment than before it. There are Dutch reviews online from owners reporting exactly that on a balm labelled "non-slip".

We sell grip, so let us be blunt: paw balm is not an anti-slip product. It is night care. Apply, sock over it, let it soak in while your dog is lying down. In the morning you wipe off the rest before he steps onto the smooth floor.

Prevention is easier here than repair

• Rinse the paws after a winter walk. Only when the roads have been gritted. Lukewarm water and dry well between the toes.
• Keep the nails short. Overlong nails tip the toe upward, so the pad is loaded unevenly and wears in one spot. How to check that is in dog nails that are too long.
• Trim the fur between the pads. Ice balls, salt and sand get caught in there.
• Build up rough surfaces. Heading to the beach or the mountains? Walk on gravel or concrete in the weeks before.
• Avoid midday in summer. Walking early or late costs you nothing and saves a burnt pad.

What a sock does here and what it does not

Being honest helps more here than selling. Our non-slip dog socks are built for grip on smooth floors indoors. With dry pads they do three things well: they keep the balm in place, they form a barrier against licking and they protect a healing pad from the floor.

What they do not do: heal a pad. They are also not made for wet paws or for a long walk outdoors. For outdoors you need dog boots. The right size is based on the width of the spread paw print, which the size calculator works out for you.

The short version

Work out where the dryness comes from first, because salt, heat, abrasion and licking each call for something different. Treat in the evening in four steps and keep the product on the pad with a sock. Never apply just before your dog walks into the smooth hallway. If the pad is unchanged after three weeks or another crack appears, it becomes a job for the vet.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ordinary petroleum jelly on my dog's paws?

Yes, applied thinly it is fine as a temporary barrier. Two caveats: petroleum jelly does not really absorb, so it nourishes the pad less than a balm with butters and oils. A dog who licks a lot of it off can get loose stools. So put a sock over it.

Can I use my own foot cream?

Better not. Human foot creams often contain high-dose urea, salicylic acid, menthol or camphor. That is too aggressive for a dog pad and your dog licks it off. Take a product made for dogs. Or plain petroleum jelly.

How long does a split paw pad take to heal?

A surface crack usually closes in one to two weeks, provided you protect it and remove the cause. Deeper cracks take longer because your dog stands on them with every step. If it is still open after two weeks or it keeps coming back, get it looked at.