I spoke to a local veterinary office this week that passed along this sad story. I wanted to pass it on to my readers in the hopes of avoiding the same thing happening to other dogs.
They had a dog brought into the clinic because the pads on all four paws had been burned off from the metal deck around a swimming pool. The family found him laying on his side and whimpering. With the heat index outside over 110 degrees surfaces like concrete, sand, and metal are very dangerous to both humans and animals. Dogs that are confined in concrete pens with no shade suffer tremendously, and are sometimes crippled for life. It is torturous and so unnecessary. If it hurts for you to walk on it, your pet shouldn’t walk on it!
The clinic staff cleaned and treated the wounds and put the dog on pain medication, but they said they see many cases like this every summer.
Imagine going through life with bare feet all the time. Rocks, chemicals, asphalt, broken glass are just some of the hazards that can severely injure a pet’s paws. There are ointments on the market that help take care of their pads, and protect them from damage. Most pet specialty stores carry a variety of these. At the first sign of distress, examine the paw for cuts, abrasions, insect bites or imbedded objects. Get your pet use to you handling his feet so that it isn’t a stressful experience for them.
NEVER put your dog in harm’s way by not providing a safe environment. Hot weather demands shade and plenty of water. Avoid contact with hot surfaces that can seriously burn their paws.
Thanks for reading!
keepsake16@yahoo.com
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