Protect your dog’s paws this winter from ice melt, salt burns, and snow clumps. Learn about the best paw care routine with the My Pet Command Paw Grooming Clippers and the My Pet Command Low Noise Nail Grinder.
Who doesn't enjoy winter walks with their pups? Dog paws need extra care during the winter, and protecting your pup's paws from ice melt, salt, and de-icing chemicals is key.
Snow, extreme cold weather, and ice can increase your pup's chances of frostbite, paw burns, and dryness, leaving your dog's paws in need of plenty of TLC.
If you need some help with dog paw care in winter, read on for how to protect dog paws from ice and salt. Here's your winter paw guide to protecting, grooming, and maintaining dog paw health during those freezing winter months.
Why Winter Is Tough on Dog Paws (Ice, Salt & Dryness)
Although a dog's paws are well-suited to certain weather conditions, ice-cold temperatures can cause cracking, drying, and painful paws. Heaters reduce air humidity, which can dry out paw pads over time.
If your dog’s pads look rough even after short outdoor walks, indoor air may be a culprit. Try using a humidifier to help and moisturize pads regularly.
Best Paw Balms and Natural Healing Products for Winter Walks
A quality paw balm helps create a protective layer between your dog’s pads and harsh winter conditions. It can reduce dryness, soothe irritation, and make it harder for snow and salt to stick between the toes.
Choose natural ingredients that hydrate and protect, while remaining safe if your dog licks their paws.
- Paw balms help with paw inflammation: with shea butter, vitamin E, beeswax, essential oils, and shea butter.
- Salves and butters that repel snow and moisturize, with natural botanical ingredients to help with inflammation and infection.
Ice Melt and Road Salt Can Burn Dog Paws
It's not only ice and snow that damage paws; chemicals in ice-melting products are the main culprit. If you have pets, use a more pet-friendly de-icer in your driveway and sidewalks near your home.
Many de-icers can cause stinging, burning, or redness between the toes. Opt for a de-icer designed for pet-friendly homes, made with natural ingredients, and featuring round pellets. This means that there are no sharp edges that can damage his paws.
Why Rock Salt Can Cause Painful Paw Burns
Rock salt can dry out paw pads and sting any tiny cracks, while harsher ice melts (like calcium chloride) can cause burn-like irritation when they dissolve on wet paws. Tiny salt crystals can also wedge between toes, leading to redness, stinging, and cracking.
The longer your dog walks on treated sidewalks, the higher the chance of discomfort or injury. Salt-based de-icer uses rock salt with calcium chloride, which melts at 175°F. Pets can get second-degree burns from this.
Safer Pet-Friendly De-Icer Options
Pet-safe de-icers are typically less harsh on paws and reduce the risk of burns between the toes. They’re often made with gentler ingredients and rounded pellets that don’t cut paw pads.
If your neighborhood uses heavy sidewalk salt, this small switch can make a big difference. Use salt-free ice melters, which contain inhibitors that prevent ice from forming and water from freezing.
Signs of Paw Injury
There are many reasons to use paw boots and paw balm during the winter months. Paw boots come in numerous sizes and styles and help protect your pet from cracks, redness, and blisters.
Year-round, check your dog's paws for blisters, redness, dryness, swelling, and injuries. Cuts and salt burns hurt, and the best way to protect your dog's paws is with boots.
Some dogs won't show signs of paw injuries. Here are some common signs that your dog has a paw injury.
Common Winter Paw Injury Symptoms
- Limping or favoring one paw
- Excessive licking or chewing of paws
- Redness and dryness between toes
- Cracked, flaky, or rough paw pads
- Specks of blood or scabbing
- Reluctance to walk on cold ground
- Frequent pausing mid-walk
Winter Paw Care Tips to Protect Your Dog’s Paws
Winter paw care is all about prevention and avoiding paw injuries. A few small habits, like trimming paw hair, using paw balm or boots, and wiping paws after walks, can help prevent cracking, irritation, and painful burns. The goal is to keep paws clean, moisturized, and protected before problems start.
How to Trim Dog Paw Hair Safely
Paw fur grows fast in the winter months, but it can also trap snow, ice, and salt. Keeping the hair around paw pads tidy helps reduce snowball buildup and makes paws easier to clean after walks. A quick trim also improves traction indoors, especially on hardwood or tile.
Lots of fur around the paw acts like a snow magnet. Trimming hair around the paws and applying paw balm or Vaseline before walks creates a barrier that prevents ice, snow, and salt from getting between your pup's toes.
Why Trimming Paw Hair Helps in Winter
A quick trim around the pads can:
- Prevent painful ice clumps
- Improve traction indoors
- Reduce mud/snow buildup
- Keep paws cleaner overall
Pro tip: Focus on the fur between the pads and around the edges of the paw. You don’t have to shave down to skin; tidy it.
Best Tool for Winter Paw Grooming (Cordless Clippers)
To make at-home trimming safer and smoother, a cordless grooming clipper is a game-changer. Something like the Cordless Professional Dog Grooming Clippers Kit from MyPetCommand makes it easier to handle tricky paw areas because you can move freely without a cord tugging or getting tangled.
Should Dogs Wear Boots in Winter
Winter booties for dogs are the best way to protect your dog's paws. Minimize contact with chemicals, cold snow, and ice while keeping those paws warm.
Boots can be sporty or casual, and some dogs may take a while to get used to wearing them. You can also find fleece-lined winter boots for added warmth.
How to Help Your Dog Get Used to Winter Booties
Start by having your pup wear his boots at home for a few minutes each day, then reward him with treats.
How to Choose the Right Fit for Dog Boots
When shopping for winter dog boots, make sure they fit well so they stay in place when your dog runs. They should never be too tight as to change his stride. Always check the fit after 15 minutes of outdoor wear so you can adjust it.
How to Stop Snow Clumps on Dog Paws
Snow clumps, or snowballs, can form quickly when fur traps moisture and freezes into hard ice balls. These clumps pull at the skin between the toes and can cause dogs to stop mid-walk or limp.
The best fix is a combo of paw fur trimming, barrier protection (balm), and post-walk drying to stop buildup before it starts.
Wipe Your Dog’s Paws After Walks (Remove Salt and Ice Melt)
Wiping your dog's paws when they're muddy and wet outside helps remove ice melt and chemicals. You can use a warm towel to wipe your dog's paws.
Easy Ways to Clean Paws After Winter Walks
Easy options:
- Warm damp washcloth
- Pet-safe plant-based wipes
- A quick rinse in lukewarm water
Make sure to dry the paws well afterward, especially between the toes. Moisture trapped there can lead to irritation.
What to Check After Every Walk
At the same time, check for the following.
- Between toes (ice balls, redness, debris)
- Paw pads (cracks or dryness)
- Toenails (chips or splits)
- Any signs of salt irritation
Keep Nails Trimmed for Better Traction
Keeping your dog's nails trimmed is a crucial part of winter paw care. Long nails significantly reduce traction on ice and slick surfaces, increasing the risk of slips and falls.
More painfully, long nails are prone to splitting or breaking on frozen ground, leading to bleeding and an urgent vet visit you'll want to avoid.
Also, if your dog has long nails, they can splay their toes farther apart when they walk, which creates more sensitive spaces between the toes and, in turn, makes them more prone to snow particles and ice buildup.
Tips to Make Nail Trimming Easier
- Pick a time when your dog is already relaxed (after a walk or a meal)
- Use treats like a “payment plan.” Peanut butter works best for this during nail trims.
- Touch paws gently for a few seconds daily to build tolerance
- Keep sessions under 5 minutes
- Use the My Pet Command Low Noise Pet Nail Grinder
Winter Grooming Reminder
When trimming paw fur, you want a tool that is steady, gentle, and easy to control, especially around sensitive areas. That’s why a cordless clipper kit is such a useful winter tool.
The MyPetCommand Cordless Professional Dog Grooming Clippers Kit helps you keep paws tidy at home, reduce snow clumps, and avoid frequent trips to the groomer during cold months.
Quick Winter Paw Care Checklist
Having a regular paw-care schedule for your pup helps you stay on top of it.
Before the walk:
- Trim paw hair regularly
- Consider paw balm or boots for protection
After the walk:
- Wipe/rinse paws (mainly if salt is used outside
- Check between toes and pads
- Dry thoroughly
Weekly maintenance:
- Moisturize pads 2–4x per week
- Trim nails as needed
- Quick paw fur tidy-up
Shovel a Pet-Friendly Path Outside Your Home
"One easy way to help protect paws is to shovel a path in your yard and cover it with straw. The straw helps keep snow off those precious paws and keeps waste within reach for quick clean-ups," explains the Animal Humane Society.
Final Thoughts
Even when the weather's extreme and temperatures plummet, your pup will still need his walks and daily exercise. Keep walking short if the temperature is below 2-25 degrees C or if you have a strong wind chill.
Sub-zero days mean dog boots and paw care for your pup, as well as sweater- or jacket-weather so you can both enjoy the snow zoomies together.
Remember to trust your instincts—if a paw injury seems severe, consulting your veterinarian is always the safest choice.
And if you want a practical grooming tool to make winter paw maintenance easier at home, check out MyPetCommand’s Cordless Professional Dog Grooming Clippers Kit. It’s a solid add-on for winter care, especially for tidying up paw fur and keeping snow clumps from forming in the first place.
FAQ's: Winter Paw Safety
Q: How to trim a dog's paw hair safely?
A: The MyPetCommand professional grooming clippers feature a durable #10 1.5mm nano-titanium steel blade and four guide blades: 3mm, 6mm, 10mm & 13mm for safe, efficient trimming, suitable for dogs and cats of all sizes.
Q: Are these clippers quiet and suitable for anxious pets?
A: Yes. Our clipper is specifically designed with a low-noise, low-vibration brushless motor (8000 SPM) to help keep dogs and cats calm during grooming, making the experience less stressful for both pet and owner.
Q: Can I use these clippers to trim the hair around my dog's paws safely?
A: Yes, absolutely. This clipper is ideal for delicate paw grooming. Its low-noise, low-vibration motor keeps pets calm, while the ergonomic design and included guide combs (especially the 3mm or 6mm) allow for precise, safe trimming around pads and between toes. Trimming this hair and keeping the coat dry is essential in winter to prevent ice balls from forming.
