When I examine a dog or cat with furry paws, I always look closely at the paws. I often find ingrown nails. dense mats of fur and dermatitis hiding under the fur. Pictured below on the left is a mat that I removed from a dog. The firm mat was stuck between the large central pad and the toes where the skin is a dark brown in color. The skin underneath was inflamed and painful. The dog limped on this leg. After clipping the nails and trimming all the fur, the area between the toes was scrubbed, rinsed and dried. The dog walked out of the clinic without a limp!
For dogs and cats with furry paws, it is important to check all four paws at least once a week. Keep the hair trimmed to prevent mats and infection. This will also limit the debris (kitty litter, dirt and leaves) that stick to the fur and subsequently are tracked around the animal’s environment.