How to Give a Dog a Foot Massage
Easy
5 - 7 Minutes
1 Day
Need regular grooming services?
Introduction
Your dog's tender toes take a lot of punishment on a daily basis, walking on everything from hard pavement, to prickly grass with weeds and underbrush with sticks and stones. Your dog's paw pads and furry feet protect his paws, giving them cushioning and protection from rough conditions and heat and cold, and provide support to foot and leg tissues. Sometimes they could use a little tender loving care. A paw massage relaxes muscles and ligaments in the paws and toes and stimulates blood flow to the area. Another bonus, a paw massage gives you an opportunity to closely inspect your dog's feet, toes and nails and provide paw and nail care if necessary. Tangled hair between toes can cause hot spots, broken nails can snag on brush or carpet, dry cracked paw pads need addressing, and broken skin on the paw is susceptible to infections. A foot massage allows you to identify these concerns and get them taken care of before they cause problems for Fido's feet.
Dog's Perspective
Not all dogs like having their feet touched and manipulated. Toes can be ticklish or tender! If you start handling and massaging your dog's paws when he is young, or start working slowly and gently with an adult dog to massage his feet, your dog will learn to relax when having toes and feet manipulated. The bonus is, it will make nail trimming easier if your dog is relaxed having his feet handled. Who doesn't like a nice foot rub once in a while?
The Massage and Foot Care Method
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Step
1
Hold paw
Gentle hold your dog's front paw. Stretch out the paw and manipulate it gently.
Step
2
Stretch toes
Stretch his toes out by holding each toe between your thumb and forefinger and gently extending each toe. Do not forget the dewclaw area.
Step
3
Separate pads
Carefully insert your forefinger between the pads of the paw with your thumb wrapped around the foot. Gently manipulate your finger between toes.
Step
4
Check for issues
Examine paws. Check paw pads and toes for injury, snagged nails, matted hair or any other health concerns. If paw pads look dry or cracked, massage in coconut oil or a dog friendly moisturizer. Moisturizer should be non toxic to dogs as they may lick off. If nails need clipping, now is a good time to do this, especially if you notice broken nails.
Step
5
Release paws
When done, gently hold each paw for about 5 seconds, then release.
The Gentle Foot Rub Method
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Step
1
Lay your dog down
Lay your dog on his side, in a comfortable position on some padding so he can relax. Or, if you have a small dog, lay him on your lap on his side.
Step
2
Rub underside of paw
Take a front paw and start to rub the surface of the paw pads gently then carefully start to rub between the pads on the bottom of the paw.
Step
3
Rub top of paw
Massage the top of your dog's foot with your thumb in a circular motion for 30 seconds.
Step
4
Squeeze gently
Finish by holding your dogs paw and squeezing very gently for about 5 seconds.
Step
5
Repeat
Complete the same routine with all 4 paws.
Caution & Considerations
- Paws can have cracks or cuts that should be addressed with antibacterial ointments or moisturizers.
- Snagged nails should be trimmed.
- If hair is matted between toes, carefully tease it out with a comb or your fingers or trim with scissors held parallel to your dog with the tips pointing away from your dog.
- Do not squeeze paws or pull on toes too aggressively, they are sensitive and this hurts
- Remember dewclaws are part of your dog's feet too.
Conclusion
Your dog gets tired tootsies, just like you do. Foot care is especially important for your dog, after all, he has 4 of them--that’s twice as many as you!
Some dogs are a little reticent about having their feet handled, but if you are gentle and introduce your dog slowly to foot massages, he will most likely come to appreciate them and it will make handling his feet to address nail trimming and other concerns much easier. Gently handling toes and manipulating paw pads and feet using a circular motion to rub the paws, stimulates circulation, relaxes muscles, and gives you a great opportunity to inspect the paw, pads, and nails for issues that need addressing.
