Eyes, tails, and ears are known for expressiveness in dogs.You may be amazed to know that a dog’s paws are very important for it. We need to take care of a dog’s paws to keep it healthy.Dogs travel the world with you if needed, but they do it on paws. Dogs need paws for all tasks, so caring for them is our duty as pet parents. They are designed with special parts that have different purposes. We may see them as a single paw, but there are five main parts in the dog’s paws. Dogs can be slender, elegant, athletic, floppy, or furry, but they all have paw pads to walk on. Dog paws can be seen in three shapes: hare feet, webbed feet, and cat feet.A dog’s paws play an important role in the indication of a dog’s health. There are symptoms of foot ailment that you can see, such as long overgrown nails between paw pads or smelly paws. You will need to refer to a veterinarian. You must know all about a dog’s care if you want to adopt one. They need proper food, regular exercise, and more. Just playing is not enough. They, too, need vaccines on time to stay fit. Paws are made of keratin, collagen, muscles, adipose tissue, ligaments, tendons, and bone.If you enjoy this article, why not also read about dog pacing or aggressive dog breeds here at Kidadl?What does a dog paw look like?Dog paws are made up of bones. Dog feet include skin, tendons, blood supply, ligaments, and connective tissue.Paw pads generally have many layers of pigmented skin. It is usually pink or black that covers the fatty tissue. If your dog is old and doesn’t like walking much, it will have smoother paw pads, but when they walk on a rough surface there are more chances of tearing. The older, domestic dogs need more care.Dog paws have five basic parts: the claw, digital pad, metacarpal and metatarsal, dewclaw, and carpal pad. Dog paws can be seen in three shapes: hare feet, webbed feet, and cat feet.Proper webbed feet are found in dog breeds known for hunting, retrieving, and swimming, like the Newfoundland and Portuguese water dog. The extra skin between their toes is good for swimming. Dachshunds use it for digging after rodents.Hare feet are paws with two longer central toes. Breeds that can reach a high speed over a short distance, like greyhounds and Samoyeds, have them.Cat feet are the smallest and most compact paw shape. Cat feet are rounded compared to others. They are associated with great balance and agility. This shape enhances endurance and stability. They are seen in dogs like the Akita and Doberman pinscher.The metacarpal, metatarsal, and digital pads work as load-bearing as well as shock-absorbing pads. The carpal pad helps with walking activities such as skid and traction on a sloped surface or while stopping. Even on snow, it helps them avoid slipping.Claws help to create traction and a dog uses its front paws to dig and tear its prey. The purpose of dewclaws cannot be determined fully but it is believed that they had a purpose for historical dog breeds. Not all dogs have dewclaws. They can be seen on a dog’s front legs and very rarely on its hind legs.Parts Of A Dog PawDog paws are amazing parts of the body that protect a pet dog as it walks, stands, runs, and jumps. The cushions absorb shock and pressure. While a dog’s feet have padding to protect bones and joints, the thick skin layer provides protection against injuries due to rough terrain and trauma. You know that dogs go everywhere barefoot, so a dog’s feet must be prepared for every surface, as they do not wear boots. You must try and take good care of your special companion.Dog paws have five main parts: claws, dewclaws, digital pads, carpal pads, and metacarpal pads. Digital pads consist of four small pads found on each toe. Their main aim is to give support to some of the dog’s body weight and provide comfort to their joints.Claws are generally used for digging, tearing their prey, and providing traction to a dog’s feet. Claws are made up of keratin, just like human nails. Though nails and claws are not the same. Some people use these words very randomly for humans and animals.Human nails grow from cuticles, and they are made up of dead keratin, while a dog claw grows right from the bone in its foot. Claws contain nerves and blood vessels; they are alive. So the trimming of a dog claw is tricky. You must get it done by a professional else you may hurt your domestic dogs.Dewclaws are the extra claw found on the lower part of a dog’s leg. Most dog breeds have them on their front paws. Only a few breeds like Great Pyrenees and Briards are known to have them on their hind legs as well. There is no apparent purpose of declaws for domesticated dogs.It is believed that they were something like a vestigial thumb. It has been noticed that some dogs use these for gripping things while grabbing in their paws. Sometimes it may appear that a dog is gripping a bone or a toy with the side of its foot. Maybe this is the purpose of dewclaws.A dog’s carpal pad is a small pad located just above its dewclaw. It is generally found on the forelimb and is found in only a few animals.Metacarpal or metatarsal pads are heart-shaped pads that support most of a dog’s weight. They are located in the center of a dog’s foot. When it is on the front of a dog’s paw, it is called metacarpal or palmar pad, while when it is on the rear paw, it is called metatarsal or plantar pad. Health Problems In Dog PawsKnowing more about a dog’s paws is essential for you as a dog parent to take good care of your pet. It enables you to understand if there are any health issues or not. It is important to check your dog’s paws regularly and get them checked by a vet for dog paw problems.There can be dry or cracked paw pads. Dog paws are generally rough for traction on smooth surfaces or on rough terrain as well. However, some unnatural surfaces like hot pavements, ice, chemical spills, dry air, and excessive licking can cause these. Dry and cracked paws may be painful. They pose a risk for infection. These affect the sweat glands.Burns and blisters can be seen on dog paws sometimes. Sometimes a sidewalk is extremely hot, and you cannot walk outside barefoot. The same applies to your dogs too. Burnt paw pads appear swollen, red, or blistered. Burns to paws are serious medical issues and must be looked at by a veterinarian.Cuts, abrasions, and lacerations are common in dogs who like to run and play on rough terrains. Try to keep sidewalks clear of foreign objects such as small rocks, sticks, burrs, broken glass and debris. These often cause cuts and wounds. These affect the sweat glands on the paws as well.Ticks are notorious parasites that hide in the toes of a dog’s feet. These can lead to pain or infection. Let the vet remove a tick professionally for proper removal. Mostly when we do it at home with a tweezer, the head of the tick may remain and the problem persists.Cysts, growths, and slumps have been seen in-between dogs’ toes. Contact your veterinarian if you spot one on the inner layer, as there may be bones deformation. Medication may solve the problem but at times there may be a need for surgery. You can notice this when a dog is not willing to walk with its rear or hind feet on any type of surface at all.Injuries In Dog PawsThe rear paw anatomy of dogs is similar to the anatomy of the front ones except for an extra claw, which is not present in all breeds.Keep a check for the following symptoms: licking and chewing, lameness or limping, cuts, abrasions, and tears, lesions and discharge, hair loss, ulcers with scabbing and blisters, red and inflamed paws due to hot contact, cracked and torn nails, dry/cracked pads, loose flaps of skin on paw pads, refusal to walk or bear weight on the paw, bones could be affected, cysts and growths, bleeding, foul-smelling sweat coming from the paw.Your dogs could suffer from a variety of injuries.Your pet could suffer from a deep cut or tear in the top layer of skin. These can be deeper than they appear. Your canine friend may have foreign particles in these cuts.There could be an area of the skin that is scraped or worn away. Dogs suffer abrasions from walking, running, and playing on rough ground.Burns could be caused by hot things or by chemical reactions.The toes of your pet could be damaged due to frostbite in snow and ice-cold weather.Allergic reactions can occur on your pup’s feet. The skin on the toes can be swollen and itchy. Dogs will chew and lick these areas.Infection or infestation can cause damage to the feet and shall need medication to cure.There can be a fracture of bones if you notice that your dog is limping or reluctant to walk.A few notable nail problems are as follows.Long nails make it difficult for a dog to walk. When a dog’s nails contact the hard ground, it pushes the nail back up. This creates pain for the dog and puts pressure on the toes. Long nails may lead to your dog suffering from a fractured nail.Ingrown Nails, when not trimmed properly, can become painful.Torn or fractured nails occur when your dog gets its toenail stuck on something. The dog may start limping or bleeding. It is painful, and you should get it treated by a canine vet.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Dog paw anatomy’, then why not take a look at ‘How to make a dog throw up’ or ‘Rottweiler facts’?
Eyes, tails, and ears are known for expressiveness in dogs.
