Pug Dog Paw Care

5) Regularly apply a quality paw wax to offer a layer of protection from all of these outdoor elements. For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment. 

6) If paws are irritated and/or itchy, use products to offer fast relief. For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment.

Some types of yeast are always present on a dog’s body, including the paws. However, under certain circumstances, this yeast can multiple. If they grow in population enough, this is referred to as a yeast infection. 

One thing that can lead to yeast multiplying on the paws is when the areas between the toes (where it is dark and warm) stay damp (after a bath or after walking outside on dew, through puddles, etc.).   

Signs of a yeast infection on the paws includes severe itchy and a strong odor. The odor may be an overpowering smell that reminds you of old wet socks (a musty smell). 

1) If you are not sure of the diagnosis of a yeast infection on the paws, bring your Pug to the vet to have this confirmed.

2) If you are rather sure that yeast is the problem, treating the paws with an anti-fungal spray that contains chlorhexidine and ketoconazole can usually clear this up. For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment.

3) To help avoid this from happening again, dry off the paws, including between the toes, after baths and any time that the paws get wet when your Pug is outside. 

Regularly applying paw protection wax will stop this from happening. For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment.

Your Pug’s paws are incredibly itchy, causing your guy or gal to continually gnaw at, bite at, or lick the paws. But, you can’t figure out what in the world can be causing the problem. 

Chances are, it is one of the elements already covered: Pollen, lawn care products, dry paw skin, minor burns from hot walking surfaces, dry and cold walking surfaces in the winter, or even the beginnings of or a minor yeast infection (not quite severe enough to emit the classic musty smell). 

This said, there are other possible reasons including reaction to cleaning products in the home or laundry detergent that was used to wash bedding or other items the paws come into contact with. The itching may have initially started due to an insect sting, minor cut that went unnoticed, or any number of things. In these cases, the original issue resolved, but, the licking aggravated the area and now it’s become its own problem. 

1) Look to the various issues listed here to see if you can identify the culprit and, if so, follow the tips to resolve the problem.

2) If you are unable to identify the element that started the issue, there are still ways to help your Pug including anti-itch sprays that can offer immediate relief. For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment.

If the paw pads are in bad shape, a dog will have decreased ability to grip as he walks. Alternatively, young pups and adult dogs that stay indoors may have an issue with paw pad skin being too smooth; this is something that toughs as a dog walks on a variety of surfaces. 

Older, senior dogs may have less traction due to the aforementioned issues often coupled with decreased vision that leads to accidents. 

1) Regularly apply a paw protection wax. There are many benefits to this, including better traction. You won’t want to do step #2 (next) without first doing this, since allowing damage to the paws will have your Pug in an even worse situation. 

For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment.

2) Once paws are protected with wax, gradually introduce your Pug to a variety of walking surfaces. This includes grass, sand, pavement, rocky areas, and padded forest trails. 

When a Pug dog has cracked paws, it always began with a less serious issue that may have not been noticed. This may have been a bad case of dry skin, a cut, snowballing, chronic irritation with contact irritants, etc. So, it’s always a good idea to look back and see if you can identify likely culprits in order to avoid them in the future.

1) If the cuts are actively bleeding, puss is oozing out, and/or your Pug appears to be in moderate to severe pain, this warrants a vet visit. The vet can flush out the area, prescribe antibiotics, possibly prescribe anti-inflammatory meds, and professionally wrap the paws.

2) To treat minor to moderate cases at home that do not show the aforementioned signs, a healing cream may resolve the issue. Depending on the severity of the cracks, improvement may be seen within just days and full healing within a week or two. For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment.

Lick dermatitis, also known as lick granuloma, is due (in most cases) to compulsive licking and is a condition in which there are sores, localized inflammation, and possibly hair loss. This can happen on any area of the body that a dog can reach, but is commonly seen on the paws due to these body parts being so easily accessible. 

A wide variety of factors may be to blame for the initial licking, most have been covered here. However, in some cases, emotional issues such as severe stress or boredom can cause a dog to obsessively lick his paws. 

Lick dermatitis is difficult to treat because as long as a dog continues to lick the paws, it is near impossible for sores to heal. 

1) Moderate to severe cases should be treated by the veterinarian. Treatment will involve antibiotics, the use of a safety collar to stop any further licking, and laser surgery (in some cases). Dogs that lick their paws due to stress may be prescribed anti-anxiety medication. 

2) If your Pug has a minor sore and/or compulsive licking that you worry may lead to lick dermatitis, there are some things you can do from home:

Look to all possible itching triggers (listed throughout this article) including pollen, chemicals, etc. to avoid further irritation. 

Use an anti-itch spray to offer soothing relief. For details, look ahead to Recommended Paw Protection and Treatment.

Until the area heals, wrap the area with gauze, slip on a sock or paw bandage, or place a safety collar on your Pug. 

Slivers on the bottom of the paws and pebbles that get stuck between paw pads are not uncommon with dogs. And, small cuts may also occur. 

1) Any limping, favoring a paw, or signs of discomfort should be evaluated asap. 

2) Pebbles can be removed with tweezers. It’s always best to have a helper hold your dog while you carefully remove the stone. 

3) If there is a sliver, you can try to remove it with tweezers; however, if you cannot reach it, this warrants a vet visit. 

4) For minor cuts, wash the paw with water and dish soap, pat dry, apply a dab of antibiotic gel, and cover with a paw bandage. Moderate cuts or those that do not stop bleeding should be treated by the veterinarian.