03/09/2026
🐾 THURSDAY TIPS & TRICKS 🐾 ITCHY PAWS? DON'T JUST WIPE — SOAK!
Does your dog spend their days licking, chewing or nibbling at their paws? 🌿🐾
Allergies aren't always the whole story.
Every walk can expose those little feet to pollen, mould spores, dust, fertilisers, pesticides and other environmental irritants. And because paws are in constant contact with the ground, those irritants can collect between the toes, around the nail beds and deep within the paw pads.
Simply wiping the surface may not remove everything.
✅️One simple trick worth adding to your routine is doing a regular paw soak.
A gentle soak can help physically wash away environmental allergens and irritants that have accumulated on the paws, while giving those hardworking feet a little TLC.
🛁 HOW TO DO IT
🐾 Medium & large dogs: Use a bucket, tub or basin and soak one paw at a time.
🐾 Small dogs: A shallow basin or sink can work beautifully.
🐾 After soaking: Rinse with clean water and dry thoroughly, paying particular attention to the spaces between the toes.
🌿 The recipe featured in the reference at end of the post includes green tea, apple cider vinegar and Epsom salts, with an optional antimicrobial addition.
And remember... itchy paws aren't automatically allergies.
If paws are persistently red, swollen, painful, smelly or irritated, or your dog is licking and chewing them obsessively, there can be other causes including yeast, bacterial infections, parasites, foreign bodies or other underlying problems.
In those cases, it's important not to simply keep treating the symptom at home - a veterinary assessment is warranted. 🩺🐾
Sometimes the simplest place to start is looking at what our dogs' feet are picking up every day.
💚 Healthy paws start with healthy habits.
🐾 Save this post for your next itchy-paw flare-up!
Originally posted on Just Healthier Bulldogs Australia & New Zealand Facebook group
Reference and recipe: https://www.proactivepaws.com/blogs/pet-health/itchy-paws-why-foot-soaks-are-a-great-idea
