My dog keeps cutting his paws when I walk him in the icy snow.

[Carrotsandcelery]

I have no idea what to do.

When I took my dog out this morning he cut 3 of his paws on the frozen snow.

I had a good look at them when I got home and it didn't look too bad and they had stopped bleeding so I kept an eye on him. He didn't lick at them or seem worried about them in any way and they had stopped bleeding so I left it.

However when I took him out again this afternoon he did it again.

How do I treat the cuts?

How do I stop them opening again when I walk him?

How do I exercise him if the weather stays the same?

Should I get them checked out at the vet?

There is some balm available from vets - my dog had a cut pad back in December. We washed his paws and put almond oil on them, I think the salt was a problem. Then we discovered his limp wasn't due to his paw, he has damaged his knee from sliding round like Wayne Rooney.

Thanks stleger - I will phone my vets and ask.
The snow has melted a bit today so is slushy which means he won't cut himself but that the cuts are more likely to get dirty.
Balm makes sense, all the salt and grit must take its toll on those poor paws.

I put vaseline on my two's paws when it is snowy and icy, lab doesn't seem bothered by it but spaniel gets very sore paws and tends to gather big snowballs underneath and in between her toes.
It has seemed to help tis a bit messy though!

I took him to the vet yesterday and he is in a sorry state. It is between the pads which is worst. He has had a steroid injection and is now on antibiotic. I was advised to bathe his paws after he had been outside but he won't let me touch them.
Would it be ridiculous to buy him dog boots?

I was coming to suggest boots when I read your thread title

If that's what he needs, that's what you do. He sounds very uncomfortable so hopefully he'll be grateful and not try to rip them off.

There's loads of different types, hopefully someone will come along to give a recommendation.

Get some dog boots and protect his feet.

We have dog boots for putting on when they damage their feet to keep the dressings protected. The ones we bought are expensive, but imo worth the extra money. They have a proper sole - and are used by search and rescue people so are pretty robust.

We bought these and they fit all three of our dogs and have lasted a good few years with no obvious signs of damage - they're breathable too which will help his feet heal.

I bought a boxing glove style boot before these, but they were absolutely useless - they weren't waterproof and had no real sole on them, so the toughened fabric they used wore out very, very quickly.

My search and rescue dog has to wear boots on some surfaces and they are very protective. Do get your dog used to them very carefully and slowly. Grit is a killer for dogs paws.

Dont pass out at the price we use these!

Our dogs have to be protected from dangerous chemicals, burning ground from forest fires etc so are worth it to us you can obviously get cheaper ones!

Thank you everyone - you have been really helpful. The boots are pricey but considering the vets bill and my dogs comfort it seems a small price to pay. I just have to wait for dh to come home from work with the credit card.
The dog is a bit happier this afternoon so the money at the vet was at least well spent. He has finally managed 2 long walks so has crashed out for the night in my son's room.
He is happy for me to inspect his feet again today so is clearly not as tender.
Hopefully these boots will prevent future misery.
Thank you again