My dogs easily get ice stuck inside their paws. Make sure you trim around the paws and keep them clean. Salt may also be the reason why he’s licking at them. I’ve never tried the booties just because I don’t think my dogs will enjoy them. :-) I believe there are products you can buy to protect the paws as well.

Here’s an article that may help.

Paw Care

There may be several reasons why you dog is licking his paws. If this is a occurrence and you are in the Chicago area, it might be because of the salts on the street for deicing from the recent snowfall. The salts used to deice the streets are either sodium chloride or potassium chloride, which can irritate you dogs paws. Not only that, they can be poisonous if your dog consumes it. There are new pet safe salts, however the majority do not used these products, except maybe in the south loop where they are extremely pet conscience.

I suggest you get your dog booties, disposable canine socks (like balloons), or a product called Mushers. They will protect your four legged friends’ paws. Make sure you wash your dog’s paws after a walk after being exposed to salt. The salt can make him very sick if too much is consumed!

If he is licking his paws and has not been exposed to salts, take him to a vet. He might have allergies or an injured paw.

Your dog could be licking for either reason. Some dogs will get ice balls or packed snow in between their paw pads which can be uncomfortable. Some of the snow melting products are dangerous to dogs. They can cause chemical burns on the feet and are harmful if swallowed. It is always a good idea to wash your dog’s paws off after a walk in the snow and salt. This will prevent any ingesting of the salt as well as removing any snow and salt from the paws. Another thing that may help is trimming the hair underneath your dog’s paws. This will help prevent snowballs and ice from attaching.

I know of several products which can help. There is a spray called Paw Pro which you spray on the dog’s paws before going out. It prevents snow and ice from sticking to the paws and also keeps a protective layer between their paws and the salt. There are also several types of dog boots available. A new type is called Pawz and is made of rubber. These are thin rubber and look a bit like balloons. They are disposable and you get a number of them in a pack for a fairly low price. The advantage to these is they may be more readily accepted by dogs because they are so thin that the dog does not feel like his feet are stuck in something the way many do about regular boots (see the video of my dog Pooch in his new boots for the reaction you can get.) I have not personally tried Pawz but I have heard good things about them. If you want ‘regular’ dog boots, I would highly recommend the Ruffwear brand. I’ve looked at many dog boots out there and these are the best quality I have found. Ruffwear’s boots have an actual rubber sole and are contoured to properly fit the shape of a dog’s paw. They are shorter than most dog boots so they don’t restrict movement like boots that go above the ankle. I checked out all the dog boots I could find on the market before I decided on the Ruffwear boots for my dog. I got him the boots last winter because he was limping and holding his feet up a lot when we walked in the snow. We go for very long walks so I needed something to protect his feet. I have attached a video of him walking in the boots for the first time. This is a common reaction but after a few tries most dogs will get comfortable and stop walking abnormally. As you can see in this video, I tossed treats to encourage Pooch to move around in the boots, which helped him to become acclimated to wearing them.

yeah, i’ve seen the ones that look like balloons and was thinking about getting those. the spray sounds good too.

thanks a lot!! =)

I need to try those booties on Bella my beagle. She hates the Winter and tip toes in the snow. At times she will only stand on 3 legs!

i am a bad mom. i don’t know how to take care of my dog. =(

i trimmed the fur around his paws, inspected the pads to see if any were injured, and i didn’t see anything. i went to petsmart and bought some wax to put on his paws. i made sure to layer it on so his paws would be ok. he only licked at his paw once, so i guess it works.