The outside temperature is soaring. Sweat is running down your face and the underarm portions of your sleeves are drenched. Your deodorant is being tested to the limit, but Fido manages to sit there dressed in a fur coat without melting into the ground.
The dog is ridding him or herself of heat too. Instead of drenched armpits, Fido pants to help cool the body and the sweat glands found in the feet are hard at work. You just don’t notice it because you don’t normally stare at a dog’s feet.
Take a look at the composition of a dog’s paw. The footpad, which protects the puppy’s paws, is made up of very thick skin. This outermost layer of skin that is exposed to all of the elements is called the epidermis. The dermis is located underneath the epidermis and contains glands that produce sweat.
After the sweat is made in the gland, it travels via a duct through the dermis and epidermis until it emerges on the skin’s surface. Surprisingly, the thickness of the footpads does not stop the sweat from making its way to the surface of the skin.
The sweat glands found on a dog’s feet (and nose) are eccrine or merocrine glands. When the glands are active, they produce moisture that helps maintain the functional properties of the skin.
Dogs that are nervous secrete sweat through their footpads. If you don’t believe this, check your dog’s feet the next time you take him or her to the veterinarian. If your dog is nervous about seeing the doctor, you will be able to see and feel the moisture.
Research has shown us that animals that have sweat glands in their paws tend to sweat when they are running. It is thought that the purpose of the sweat is to provide traction on a variety of surfaces, allowing the dog to run faster. This may be why dogs tend to activate their paw sweat glands when they are at the vet’s office. They want out of the building and they’re ready to run through any open exit to get there. The sweating paws are the dog’s body’s way of preparing for an escape.
Foot injuries can affect the function of the merocrine glands. A dog’s pads can be scraped raw from running on rough surfaces or burned by hot asphalt pavement. Some dogs suffer from chronic dryness of the footpads. Thus, it is important to maintain Fido’s paws in a healthy manner. Treat wounds before they become infected so that your dog can quickly return to his or her normal routine. Keep in mind that the puppy can’t change shoes like you can if a shoe makes your feet sore. Fido is stuck with his footpads, so keep them in good shape!
Some dogs are very skittish about having their feet touched. Dog owners should get their puppies used to having their feet touched, poked and prodded. If the puppy learns to accept this at an early age, there will be far less stress for you and the canine when you have to handle the dog’s feet as an adult.
Related posts:
- Why Do Dogs Lick People?
- Getting Ice Off A Puppys Paws
- Dog Paws Do Double Duty
- Why do Dogs Pant?
- Why Does my Dog Chew It’s Paws?
