Is It Necessary to Remove the Hair Between a Dog's Toe Pads?

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

Shaving the hair between the toes/footpads has always been an automatic part of a grooming appointment. Last September, when my dog came home from the groomer, that night we noticed him licking in his foot a lot, which wasn't like him. We told him "no" and he stopped. We didn't think any more about it. A few weeks later, I was checking out his feet and saw a sore and inflammation in the area so I brought him to the vet. She put him on an antibiotic and told me what to do to treat it. At that appointment I also asked the vet to trim his nails and he was very reluctant about the whole thing. The sore has been healed for a long time, but he needed another nail trim recently. I brought him to a new groomer and he still didn't want to cooperate. Maybe this sounds a little nuts, but I think he's got some kind of anxiety or fear about having strangers touch his feet because he remembers being injured.

All that said, aside from mud and snow collecting on the fur (we clean it out when he comes inside), is there a medical or safety reason to keep that hair on the underside of the paw trimmed down or is it OK to let it grow and I just trim it with a scissors as needed?

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

Jean Louise-Finch, it's not really necessary to trim under the paws. I know a lot of people do, but I never have. It really isn't important. If your dog is resistant to it now I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think I'd take him back to that first groomer though.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

On 1/8/2015 NickNack said:
Jean Louise-Finch, it's not really necessary to trim under the paws. I know a lot of people do, but I never have. It really isn't important. If your dog is resistant to it now I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think I'd take him back to that first groomer though.

That's a definite! I found one closer to my home, less expensive, and a nice place over all - pretty much a no brainer for me.

Thanks for your post. He's not a show dog and I'm fine with him having furry foot bottoms. Smile

jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

I worried about snow and ice catching in the hair but decided not to trim the fur that grows out under the pads of their feet. My long haired cat has the same thing, but he never goes outside. I do shape the hair around my long haired chihuahuas toe nails but that's just for looks.

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval

lilypadfrog · ‎03-25-2010

My dog no longer has this foot fur trimmed. She would chew her feet til the fur grew back. I also have a cat with a lot of fur between her pads. I almost want to trim that because she has absolutely no traction or ""stoping"" when she runs. She has slid off end tables trying to stop from running.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/8/2015 jaxs mom said:
I worried about snow and ice catching in the hair but decided not to trim the fur that grows out under the pads of their feet. My long haired cat has the same thing, but he never goes outside. I do shape the hair around my long haired chihuahuas toe nails but that's just for looks.

You just have to check them right when they come in from the snow and make sure there isn't any snow or ice in their paws.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

Fressa · ‎03-20-2012

We had a long coat GSD and we trimmed her paw hair. It grew so long that it was causing her difficulty with her footing on the hardwood floors. I just used cuticle scissors to clean it up a bit around her pads. She tolerated that but we had to have the tech trim her nails.

I had asked our vet about should we or shouldn't we and she said that it was a matter of preference unless it interfered with the dog's stability. She also said that some of them will lick at it because they want to clean the pad. Greta had started doing that and, of course, this gave her the upset tummy. We did this about once a month for her because her fur grew fast. My advice is not to trim it too short just enough to clear the pad area for traction.

NYwoman · ‎03-09-2010

I think this really depends on the breed of dog. My Lhasa Apso needed the hair under her feet clipped. It can get matts, hide and collect ticks. She was more comfortable that way.