Well-groomed dog paws in winter – Protection & care with CBD and hemp oil

It is freezing cold and eerily quiet. Only the crunching of your steps in the fresh snow can be heard: Hhhhrt. Hhhhrt. Hhhhrt. As always, close by your side: Your loyal companion. With its nose to the ground – and with thick clumps of snow on its paws. Walks with dogs in winter have their challenges: Deeply snow-covered landscapes are indeed idyllic, but they can cause the dog to struggle to put one paw in front of the other due to the clumped snow. On cleared paths, snow is not a problem, but here, gravel, road salt, or black ice can make life difficult for dog paws. Therefore, especially in the cold season, dog paws need special protection.

Dog Paws in Winter: Why They Need Special Protection

Dog paws essentially consist of five toes, a large pad, and a small pad. Four of the five toes are located directly in front of the large sole pad, which carries the main weight of the animal. The fifth toe, the thumb, is only present on the front paws, just like the small carpal pad. The pads have a thick layer of skin that protects and insulates, but is still very sensitive. Paws are not only used for movement; they are also very sensitive sensors that allow dogs to gather information about their surroundings, such as vibrations or the temperature and texture of the ground. Additionally, dogs have a few sweat glands in their paws, which they use to leave an informative scent trail for their fellow canines.

The Right Care for Dog Paws in Winter

Healthy paw pads feel smooth and appear undamaged. If the pad structure is dry or shows cracks, it is particularly important to give paws and pads an extra dose of care in winter.

Washing Paws

Road salt not only eliminates ice and snow but can also dry out the skin on the paws. Therefore, one should try to avoid salted paths while walking. However, especially in the city, this is often easier said than done. If "salted" walks cannot be avoided, the paws should be briefly cleaned with lukewarm water afterward and then thoroughly dried. This way, the salt cannot attack the skin on the pads and in between the toes, nor can it be licked off by the dog.

Cleaning, Checking, and Properly Caring for Paws

Dog paws should be regularly checked throughout the year. This allows for quick identification and treatment of changes, injuries, foreign bodies, or redness on the pads, between the toes, or on the claws. Especially if the dog frequently licks a particular paw, it may indicate that something is wrong. If it licks several paws noticeably often, an allergy could be at play. A visit to the veterinarian is essential in this case.

Trimming Claws & Fur Between the Pads

If the dog does not wear down its claws evenly, some assistance may be needed. The thumb claw also needs to be trimmed regularly. However, caution is advised, especially with dark claws, to avoid injuring the blood and nerve vessels inside the claw. This can be very painful for the dog and can lead to significant bleeding. Those who are unsure should ask their veterinarian or dog groomer to show them how it’s done. The spaces between the pads are hairy, which is a clever solution of nature to protect the sensitive skin in this area. However, like the claws, the fur between the paw pads can also become too long and thus problematic. On icy, smooth surfaces, overgrown pads lack grip. Additionally, small stones or snow clumps can easily get caught in too much undergrowth between the toes, irritating the sensitive skin in the toe spaces.

Hemp Seed Oil & CBD: Regeneration & Skin Protection

The surface of the paw pads should be smooth, and the pad itself should be soft and elastic. To maintain this, paws should be regularly moisturized in winter after cleaning. However, only with products specifically developed for animals and therefore safe, such as the new HANAFSAN Organic Paw Care Balm for dogs and cats.

What’s Inside the HANAFSAN Organic Paw Care Balm?

As a dog owner, Dr. Feurstein knows: When it comes to pet care products, less is more. Therefore, the new HANAFSAN Organic Paw Care Balm consists of only six ingredients: organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter, lanolin, organic hemp seed oil, cannabidiol (CBD), and a hint of organic lavender oil. Thanks to the balanced formula, the HANAFSAN Organic Paw Care Balm is moisturizing, nourishing, and water-repellent. Moreover, for smaller, already closed skin injuries, the balm can support wound healing. Of course, the organic paw care balm is also suitable for puppies. Since it is a care product for external use, ingestion is not intended. However, anyone who has dogs or cats knows how quickly that can happen. Accidental ingestion, such as by licking, is completely harmless.

• Organic Shea Butter: Shea butter is derived from the fruits of the shea tree. Particularly dry to very dry skin benefits from its nourishing and moisturizing properties. Shea butter absorbs well and softens the skin, making it receptive to other substances. The unsaturated fatty acids contained are a boon for dry and brittle fur. Additionally, shea butter contains vitamin E and allantoin, the latter of which can accelerate cell formation and skin regeneration.
• Organic Cocoa Butter: Similar to shea butter, cocoa butter also has nourishing and protective properties. At room temperature, the fat derived from cocoa beans is solid. However, when applied to warm skin, cocoa butter "melts" and develops its nourishing and protective effect on dog paws. For those who are alarmed by cocoa, rest assured: Unlike cocoa powder or chocolate, cocoa butter contains only minimal traces of theobromine and is completely safe for both dogs and cats.
• Lanolin: Lanolin (wool wax) is obtained from sheep wool. In its original function, it protects sheep from weather influences by forming a film around each wool hair. Thanks to its protective and nourishing properties, lanolin is often used to care for dry and rough skin. It also makes the fur and hair on the paws supple and easier to comb.
• Organic Hemp Seed Oil: Hemp seed oil is obtained by gently cold-pressing hemp seeds. The greenish oil has a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids, such as gamma-linolenic acid, help the skin protect against infections and improve the elasticity of dry skin or brittle hair.
• Cannabidiol (CBD): Cannabidiol is one of the numerous active substances from the hemp plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD is not psychoactive – which makes CBD an interesting additive in pet care products. CBD has antioxidant, skin-nourishing, skin-protecting, and sebum-regulating effects.
• Organic Lavender Oil: The essential oil from the lavender plant can have antiseptic, wound-healing, pain-relieving, and circulation-boosting effects in care products. Its scent can be perceived as balancing and relaxing. However, since dog noses are many times more sensitive than humans, only small amounts of lavender oil from organic farming are contained in the HANAFSAN Organic Paw Care Balm.

Paw on Heart: How Good is the New HANAFSAN Paw Balm?

We asked experienced dog owners to test the HANAFSAN Organic Paw Care Balm and report their experiences to us: “I find the paw balm very pleasant and use it gladly. Balina had to get used to the scent a bit, but now she accepts the application well. Her pads have remained nice and soft, and fewer snow clumps stick to her paws.” Angelika, Lustenau.
“I use the paw balm regularly, and Cleo is really happy when I come with the jar. I like that the balm becomes liquid immediately in my warm hand. This allows for a very economical application, and it absorbs quickly. Cleo’s pads and paws have no cracks, redness, or itching despite frequent contact with road salt. Since she works as a therapy dog, it’s doubly important to me that she feels comfortable in her skin and that there’s nothing bothering her.” Renate, Klaus.
“Sole has very short, smooth fur. Snow hardly sticks to her paws or between the pads. However, her pads are often rough and cracked, especially at the edges. Since Sole is very sensitive on her paws, I only rub in the affected areas. Since then, it has improved significantly. I also like the balm because the scent is very subtle.” Daniela, Feldkirch.
“I like to use the paw balm on Blume as care after bathing or when her paws are rough after a walk. The balm spreads very well and absorbs quickly. The pads are nice and smooth and soft again afterward. Blume tolerates the balm very well. She has also licked it off, and nothing happened at all.” Melanie, Feldkirch.

Image sources: (c) Canva, Melanie Schuster, Daniela Baratto-Biberle, Luka Kevric / HANAFSAN