Hot weather means hot pavement, which can wreak havoc on a dog’s paws. When Olaf’s owner took him for a walk in the Medical Lake, Washington, area, she unknowingly put his dog’s paws at severe risk.
The pooch walked over a mile in an area known as Fish Trap Trail before his owner noticed the severe burns on all four of his paws. Olaf never whimpered or whined to indicate pain.
Source: Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital/Facebook
“A good rule of thumb,” Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital wrote on Facebook, “is if the pavement is too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your dogs’ pads.”
In one of the photos on the Facebook page, poor Olaf’s paws are seen wrapped with gauze.
“There is actually a physical burn when the paw pads are burned when the concrete is too hot,” Dr. M. Duffy Jones, DVM, of Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital, told petMD, ”
Source: Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital/Facebook
Treatment for paw burns depends on how extensive it is. Feet are often bandaged, and the dog may be given antibiotics.
Remember to use caution when taking your dog for walks during high temperatures. Keep walks to a minimum in the summer months and avoid hot surfaces.
Source: Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital/Facebook
We send out healing wishes to Olaf and wish him a speedy recovery.
