Although some dogs are born with flat feet, this condition is not extremely serious and may be managed by providing the dog with regular nail trims and finding ways to relieve strain. Without nail trimming, the dog could suffer from sore feet from broken or split nails. Due to the positioning of the toes, dogs with flat feet have more exposed nails. The dog may suffer numerous painful injuries as a result of this exposure.
Now the question of the hour is how to tighten a dog’s feet? Or how to fix flat feet in dogs?
How to fix flat feet in dogs?
Making your dog feel at ease by calling him over to you in a pleasant or calm voice is the first thing you need to do. While you are trimming the dog’s nails, encourage them to cooperate with you by rewarding them with treats. Kneel and hold your dog tight so that the two of you are side by side. As you restrain your dog from clipping, make sure it is at ease.
Although some dogs are born with flat feet, this condition is not extremely serious and may be managed by giving the dog regular nail trims and finding ways to relieve strain.
To trim your dog’s nails, you must hold the paw firmly and insert the nail tip into the nail trimmer. To close the nail trimmer down on the nail, squeeze the handles. Keeping the trimmer handle pressed, slice the nail until it is completely sliced. You should repeat the trimming procedure for each nail. Make sure that freshly cut nails are filed down with a nail file after trimming.
Now find a nearby beach or park with a great sandy area so you may take your dog for a walk. When the dog walks, the sand removes pressure from their nails.
For as long as your dog desires, roam in the sand. Pay close attention to how your dog behaves when walking on soft dirt as opposed to paved surfaces.
After a lengthy walk, try to keep your dog off its feet for about an hour to allow the nails to cool and relax.
Now the next question that comes to mind is, why do dogs have splayed feet?
Why do dogs have splayed feet?
The American Kennel Club describes dogs with splayed feet as having flat feet with spread-out toes. This kind of paw, often known as open-foot or open-toed, is typically viewed as a defect. Flat, spread feet are prohibited in the whippet standard, and many other breeds also follow this rule.
There is a valid explanation for this. This sort of foot is ineffective since it can put the dog at risk for future health issues and provides poor weight support. Splayed feet might have inherited or acquired reasons. The causes of splayed feet can be genetic or acquired.
According to the American Kennel Club, having long nails can cause a good foot to become splayed, reducing traction and damaging the tendons over time. Weak pasterns, keeping puppies on wire surfaces, and poor nutrition are potential additional causes. In contrast to the English Bulldog breed standard, which calls for well-spread toes, splayed toes are penalized.
Now as we have discussed how to fix flat feet in dogs and the reasons for splayed feet, let us dig in deeper and see how one can strengthen their dogs’ paws.
How can I strengthen my dog’s paws?
A dog’s well-being heavily depends on having healthy paws. The paws on your dog support their weight and are necessary for their daily activity. Skin, bones, tendons, connective tissue, and blood vessels constitute a dog’s paws.
The fat- and elastic-fiber-based pads protect the tissues in your dog’s paw, cushion their joints and bones from stress, and let them move about freely.
Dogs can use pads to control their body temperature and determine the type of surface they are walking on.
Whether your dog enjoys climbing, or simply walks a lot, you probably worry about keeping their paw pads safe from tearing, cutting, or other injuries.
The ability of your dog’s paw pads to be toughened up and made flexible while being resilient is one of the most important factors in preventing damage.
There are, however, a few key methods for strengthening your dog’s paws.
Regularly walking your dog on hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete is the simplest and most natural technique to toughen their foot pads.
Regularly walking your dog on hard, uneven surfaces will encourage the development of scuffs on their paws, thickening the skin and assisting in preventing injuries and ruptures.
It’s like nature’s booties for dogs because a dog’s foot pads are incredibly strong and tough.
Given that you probably already take your dog on daily walks, this approach is the most natural and uncomplicated (or at least most days).
Making sure that a significant amount of the walks are on sidewalks, city streets, or paved pathways is all that is necessary to harden their foot pads.
The second method that you can use is a dog paw pad strengthener to help your dog’s foot pads become tougher. There are products in the market designed especially for dogs whose paw pads must be tough and long-lasting.
I’m not referring to regular paw balms because those are made to soften and moisturize, which may be harmful to you.
While you do not want to soften your dog’s paw pads, you do want to keep them moist enough to prevent cracking and keep them flexible.
To strengthen the paw pads on your dog, you should use a substance that is specially made for that purpose.
Conclusion:
Dogs’ robust paw pads are designed to keep them safe as they go barefoot.
Extreme weather conditions, hard terrain, poor nail care, and other dog paw issues like parasitic or bacterial infections, on the other hand, can injure their paws and cause a lot of pain.
To avoid any more issues, keep your dog’s nails cut and his paws clean and well-groomed.
Always use protective dog booties to protect your dog’s paws when taking him for a walk in extreme heat or cold, especially in the winter when there are chemicals and salt on the roads. You’ll end up with one of the issues we mentioned, such as dry and cracked dog paws if you ignore this.