I'm interested to know what's the norm: smooth or rough paw pads? Snowie has got smoother back paw pads than front paw pads and the vet puts that down to his "easty-westy" toes (they point out) -- when he walks, he swivels his front feet which I assume is what makes them rougher. He also has cracks in his pads where the pad meets the nails, although they seem to have improved now that I don't cut his nails as short as I used to cut them; in fact, I've not cut his nails in about six months because of this. I used to cut his nails inline with the pads (as the vet showed me to do), but a little longer seems to be protecting the paw pads. Two Malamutes who live up the road have smooth smooth paw pads. But they hardly get out of their garden, so I'm wondering if Snowie's many walks on the pavement and various other surfaces out and about contribute to his rough paw pads? The vet sold me Udder Cream (for cows udders!) which is basically a lanolin cream with a disinfectant of sorts in the ingredients. It makes fantastic hand cream!! The vet said to use it if his paw pads get badly cracked. But I'm yet to put it on his paws because it is very oily and Snowie already is hot, and I'm thinking adding oil to his paw pads might just make him hotter. And the cracks aren't bad, but his paw pads are rough enough to make a loud noise when they brush against his canvas bed (wakes me up in the night hearing this loud scraping noise).
Re: Smooth or rough paw pads? Smooth as a pup. Then I feel rough following our first winter/cold snap. May have just been coincidence. Lilly's first winter was that long snowy one 4 years ago. I know you get paw wax but I would worry it would be a pain on the floor - greasy marks?
Re: Smooth or rough paw pads? Snowie's are like Obi's -- smooth in the middle, rough at the nail-end edge but not the other edge. Although only rough on the digital pads. The metacarpal/metatarsal pad is smooth. (I've just looked up the parts of the pad so I could explain where -- learn something new all the time!) I suppose much like my own feet in summer which are very rough on the heels because I mostly wear slipslops. I suppose I was worrying for nothing! I was thinking that all that roughness on the pads was unusual. Thank you both for replying!
Re: Smooth or rough paw pads? [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=8977.msg127971#msg127971 date=1417591823] Smooth as a pup. Then I feel rough following our first winter/cold snap. May have just been coincidence. Lilly's first winter was that long snowy one 4 years ago. I know you get paw wax but I would worry it would be a pain on the floor - greasy marks? [/quote] We use paw wax on Betty her paws are really soft and never had a problem, used to use it on the late Mollie retriever cross and again no greasy marks. Elsie's paws are pretty soft with little rough edges.
Re: Smooth or rough paw pads? It's nothing to worry about Obi's pads are really very rough and scratchy on the edges.
Re: Smooth or rough paw pads? My two had smooth, jet black shiny pads when I first brought them home. A few weeks running around a farm and they were as rough as sandpaper. :
