Post, LoobaniIt’s such a good option that you go hiking when you have two days off in a busy week, especially when you have some plans, like swimming or hiking for your rest days. If you are keeping a dog, it could be much more fun because you can go swimming or hiking with your adorable furry friend. And my dog and I prefer hiking, that’s the reason why I want to talk about how to protect the dog’s paws when hiking in this article. If you are looking for an answer, just keep reading and we’ll see what happens.
Why should a dog’s paws be protected when hiking?
That’s obvious hiking with your friend is an awesome way to bond also get exercise for both of you guys. But do you know that your dog’s paws may be injured or worse by the external sharp objects on the terrain when hiking, such as glasses, thorns, jagged rocks, and other hazards?
Most of the time, your dog’s pads are made up of some very thick skin, connective tissue, and fat. And your dog’s paws are super tough and would get tougher if your dog walk on them more. Just imagine that if someone often walks or hikes around barefoot I bet you may have noticed that the bottoms of his feet may be tougher than other people’s feet. Or maybe there’s someone that ran around barefoot everywhere with ease when he was still a child. And the reason why for that just because his feet grew accustomed to it you know? Likewise, your dog’s paws are working similarly.
Additionally, your dog’s paws are going to be fine naturally without any types of added dog paw protection like dog paw pad covers or dog paw gloves when hiking. I am pretty sure that you know your dog’s paws are built to endure some extreme conditions if needed. Sometimes some dogs do not go outside as much as some others. If you and your dog were living in an apartment in the city then your dog may pends most of his or her time indoors and walks less outdoor somehow. That could be a main fatal reason why your dog’s paws are getting softer.
At the same time, you may know different breeds of dog could be better suited for hiking and also have tougher dog paw pads. You may assume that your German Shepherd is going to have the tougher dog paws than your neighbor’s Chihuahua will have.
How to protect dogs’ paws when hiking
1. Go hiking with your dog when it’s not too hot or too cold outside! Hiking with your furry friend could be somehow dangerous if the weather is too hot or too cold outside. When the weather is scorching heat when you hiking out there, your dog could be at a higher risk of overheating, or worse may get heatstroke. On the other side, that could cause hypothermia and frostbite if you let your dog exposing to freezing temperatures for extended periods you know? It’s important to make sure the temperature is just perfect before go hiking in the cool outdoors with your dog.
2. Let your dog’s paw nails stay short all the time. If you and your dog prefer hiking on concrete or the other hard surfaces frequently, then mostly you do not need to trim his or her nails as they may stay trimmed naturally so to speak. But if your dog is an inside dog generally, only like walking around the yard in the grass then his or her nails may need to be trimmed from time to time. Your dog’s nails always keep growing, otherwise, your dog’s nails would like to split and even break that may cause him or her pain. Sometimes your dog may curl all the way around embed his or her nails in the paws, then more serious problems will be caused. The worse thing is your dog’s nails also may get hurt when hiking if too long.
3. You can consider bringing a first aid kit if needed. Bringing a first aid kit with you on your hiking adventure with your dog if necessary. This would come in handy just in case your furry friend gets injured or hurt when hiking. That can help you to treat bumps, bruises, scrapes, cuts, or other minor injuries on the spot to prevent any infections or complications. We know that a basic dog-specific first aid kit should including an antiseptic wipe, bandages, and sprays, antihistamines, scissors, eyewash solution, a pair of tweezers, etc…
4. You can let your dog wear some dog foot protection. I think to let your dog wear some dog foot cover, like dog foot protection boots or protective dog shoes because that should be the easiest method to protect your dog’s paws when hiking. There are so many kinds of dog footcovers available on the market today. So you can find one that fits your dog’s paws easily. If you want some dog foot protection boots like hiking boots for your beloved dog, which consist of a thick layer of protection between your dog’s paws and the rough terrain of mountains, that could be helpful for your dog to walk without any slippery or cuts on his or her paws when hiking.
And not only those protective dog shoes are helpful with protecting your dog’s paws on hot days, but also for your dog’s hikes in winter. Usually, snow gets packed between your dog’s paw pads easily if you do not do some dog paw protection for snow. Some dog paw protection pads like loobani dog paw pad protection with grips can be very useful as well.
5. You can consider using some dog paw wax on your dog’s paws if your dog prefers dog paw protectants to dog shoes.If your dog does not like wearing dog shoes, you can use dog pad wax as an alternative way to shield your dog’s paws when hiking. Although these paw protection balm or paw protection balm may not offer the same level of protection as dog paw protection boots. But somehow they can still be helpful to protect your dog’s paws from some elements, such as heat, snow, cold, and keep your dog’s paw pads from getting cut or scraped by sharp objects they may come across when hiking.
You can do dog paw protecyion was DIY by following the dog paw protection wax recipe. Normally balms and waxes contain natural waxy ingredients, like beeswax, that could provide a protective barrier between those dangerous elements and your dog’s paws. Usually, those kinds of stuff are including hemp oil, Vitamin E, and so on, which are rich in antioxidants that can help your dog’s paws become more soother. The easiest way is to try coconut oil to protect dog paws at the very beginning and I am sure you can make the best dog paw protection wax for your dog!
6. An additional tip is to check your dog’s paws after hiking. It is a good idea to give your dog’s paws a quick check after every single hike. If your dog always loves to go hiking with you, you may need to know that every single after-hiking check would be fine but it never hurts to just check. In case you discover some early cuts or cracking you can give your dog more attention before the next hiking journey. You need to be careful when you want to take your dog out for a hike although your dog has naturally tough paws in most cases. Don’t you think investing a few dollars in some dog paw protection for your hiking-lover dog is worth it?
