How to protect your dog's paws in winter

• Trim the fur between the pads. Long fur collects snow that freezes into hard ice balls. Trim it level with the pads using blunt-tipped scissors or a small trimmer. Our grooming by coat type guide covers the rest of the coat.
• Keep nails short. Long nails splay the toes, letting more salt and snow in, and make icy footing worse. See trimming nails safely.
• Add a barrier. Rub a thin layer of paw wax into clean, dry pads, or put on boots if your routes are heavily salted.
• Dress the dogs who need it. Small, short-coated, young, and senior dogs often walk longer and happier in a coat. Thick double coats usually do not need one.

• Choose your path. Snow-covered grass and quiet streets usually carry less salt than busy sidewalks and the area around store entrances.
• Watch the feet. Lifting a paw, limping, or stopping suddenly often means a salt crystal or ice is stuck between the pads. Check and clear it.
• Shorter on cold days. Two short walks beat one long one. Head home if your dog shivers, hunches, or keeps trying to turn back.
• Mind the ice. A dog who pulls on icy sidewalks can bring you both down. Practice the steps in our leash pulling guide before the ice arrives.

• Rinse or wipe every paw with lukewarm water or a damp cloth, including between the toes. This removes salt and de-icer before your dog licks it off.
• Dry thoroughly, especially between the pads. Damp fur in a warm house can irritate the skin.
• Check the pads. Look for cracks, redness, or small cuts. A thin layer of dog paw balm on dry, cracked pads helps them recover.
• Wipe the belly and legs too on slushy days. Salty spray splashes up there as well.

• Rock salt (sodium chloride) and calcium chloride are the harshest on paws. Look for melters labeled salt-free and chloride-free for your own steps and driveway, and use sand or grit for traction where melting is not needed.

• Cracked pads that bleed or do not heal within a few days, limping that continues after the walk, or skin on the paws, ears, or tail tip that looks pale, gray, hard, or very painful. Those need a vet, not a balm.

Is road salt toxic to dogs?

Rock salt and most de-icers irritate and dry paw pads, and swallowing a lot can upset the stomach. The main risk is licking it off their feet, which is why rinsing or wiping paws after salted walks matters.

How cold is too cold to walk my dog?

It depends on the dog. Small, short-coated, young, and senior dogs feel the cold first. Below freezing, keep walks shorter for them; well below freezing, keep walks short for most dogs and watch for shivering, lifting paws, or wanting to turn back.

How do I stop ice balls forming between my dog's toes?

Keep the fur between the pads trimmed level with the pads, and rub paw wax in before the walk so snow slides off. Boots stop it completely.

Can I use human moisturizer on my dog's paws?

Better not. Dogs lick their paws, and many human lotions contain ingredients you don't want them swallowing. Use a balm or wax made for dogs.