If your pet’s white feet have turned brown from excessive licking, rinsing paws with hydrogen peroxide with help remove the unsightly stains. You can add tea bags or cooled tea to the foot soak water. I also use green tea, which provides healthy antioxidants to his skin.

Half a cup of vinegar per gallon of water is another great topical disinfectant. If your pet’s paws are just irritated, consider adding chamomile tea bags to the soak water, which has natural soothing properties. If your dog has cuts or wounds, or yeast (if your pet’s feet smell like corn chips), Betadine® is the very best solution. There are also other gentle but effective solutions you can make depending on how irritated your dog’s paws are. Choosing a Foot Soak Solution Depends on the Condition of Your Pet’s Paws Research shows that soaking the paws is more effective than “dunking,” so either technique will be more effective than simply using a washcloth to remove contaminants. Keep them on for about two minutes, then remove and pat the paws dry. Then pat the paws dry with a towel.Īnother option is to just cover his paws with pads soaked in the water and iodine solution. You can either have your dog simply walk through the tub a few times, or stand him in it for about 30 seconds. It’s a very effective disinfectant for your pet’s paws. I recommend povidone iodine or Betadine® solution because it’s naturally antifungal, antiviral, safe, non-stinging, non-toxic, and non-abrasive. Some of my clients with giant breed dogs use a kid’s plastic swimming pool for foot baths, and some clients simply dunk their pets’ feet in a bowl….whatever works! Fill up the tub with water, then add iodine (found at most local pharmacies) until the water solution turns the color of iced tea. Other possibilities include putting a large plastic tub in your mud room or attached garage. For small-breed dogs, you can set up a foot soaking station in your kitchen sink or laundry room drop sink.Īt my house, I have a walk-in shower, so I just hose them off in there. To remedy this obsessive licking, set up a foot soak.

If you don’t remove these contaminants from their paws, they will usually start to lick them incessantly. All of these environments can expose your dog’s paws to microscopic allergens, as well as pesticides, herbicides, and other landscaping chemicals. So, in essence, your dog’s feet are like wet Swiffers – they’re bare, they’re moist, and your dog is running through grasses, mud, streams, and leaves. They’re not wearing shoes and socks, and the only place your dog sweats (besides the nose), is from the bottom of his feet. In the summer, on the other hand, it’s important to consider foot soaks because dogs are, of course, naked. Rinsing his paws off regularly is a great way to keep your pet’s feet decontaminated. In the winter, a major contaminant is salt, which can be very irritating for dogs’ paws. I recommend them not just for dogs that have itchy, inflamed, irritated paws, but also for dogs that are exposed to certain contaminants. Becker’s Comments:įoot soaks are a great way to disinfect the paws of your dog.

Following these simple guidelines can help protect your dog’s tender paws. Frequent licking of the paws can be a sign of contamination.

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