The best dog paw cream

One of the most overlooked aspects of dog care is protecting your pet's feet. Dogs walk on hot surfaces, through snow and ice and over rough terrain. It's important to use a good dog paw cream in such instances to keep the dog's paw pads moisturized, healthy and void of cracks, and especially in extremely hot or cold temperatures.

There are many different kinds of paw creams for dogs, but most will moisturize and protect paw pads. If you don't currently use a pet paw cream, it's possible that the pads of your dog's feet are already dry and cracked so in investigate them right now.

In this article, we'll talk a little more about the use of dog paw creams and waxes, how to each different brand, when you should consider them and rank some of the best dog paw cream products we've liked for our pups in the past.

Without paw cream, the terrain that your dog walks on will wreak havoc on his paws. Whether and chemicals (like ice melting products) will dry out the pads. This is why you need to moisturize the pads and use a product that will protect your dog's feet from further damage.

Note that paw waxes and paw creams are two very different things and serve different purposes. Paw waxes are a coating used to protect the dog's paws from very rough terrain, cold or heat. Dog paw creams are products made to moisturize the pads and protect from further damage, preventing crack skin and more. Both are very beneficial to use: apply wax before going out, wash it off later at home, and then apply the cream.

The Best Dog Paw Cream Brands

1. Musher's Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax for Dogs

Musher’s Secret Wax is made of food-grade waxes formulated to protect pet paws from the abrasive and drying effect of harsh weather conditions. It shields your dog’s paw pads from hot asphalts, hard pavements, icy surfaces and chemicals applied on icy roads.

Musher's Secret Dog Paw Wax 60 g (2.1 oz) -...
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This special blend is safe and non-toxic. The wax forms a shield on the paws, moisturizing the pads as wax is absorbed. Rubbed between the toe pads, it helps to prevent accumulation of snow or sand grits in those parts which can be very painful to the dog.

Ingredients: 100% pure natural waxes (including White and Yellow Beeswax, Carnauba, and Candelilla Wax) and White & vegetable oils with vitamin E. Does not contain Soy or Flax Oil.

You’d see a huge difference before and after using Musher’s Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax on your dog’s paws. You won’t find salt and sand grits on his paws after a long walk, and there’d be no more issues of sand burns, cracking, or chafing. Walks are a lot more fun with a dog that is not constantly bothered by snow salt or hot sand, and this dog paw pad cream specifically is one of the more essential supplies in winter.

Tears on the skin take shorter time to heal, too. This best dog paw cream is obviously a salve to parched skin. Though a wax, Musher’s Secret is not greasy and it gets absorbed within seconds. Naturally, if you let your dog walk on the floor right after application, expect to see a few paw prints trailing your dog behind. Currently, it's the most popular paw cream for dogs among pet owners.

PROS:

  • Made of food-grade waxes formulated to protect pet paws
  • Safe and non-toxic
  • Contains Vitamin E to moisturize and heal wounds
CONS:

  • A bit too oily and greasy

 

2. Bodhi Dog Certified Organic Paw Balm

Here’s another dog paw pad cream for your pet’s beat-up pads and paws, and it's from Bodhi Dog. It carries the USDA Organic seal, which certifies that this salve is indeed safe and made of all-organic ingredients, such as beeswax, hemp seed oil, calendula extract, jojoba oil, and shea butter.

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Ingredients: Beeswax, Jojoba Oil, Hemp seed oil, Calendula Extract, Shea Butter

Bodhi Dog moisturizes, relieves, protects, and heals skin problems caused by dry and crusty skin. This second-best paw cream for dogs is the winner of the 2020 Family Choice Awards, a coveted consumer award program recognizing outstanding pet products while enriching the lives of our fur friends.

Dogs that usually react to creams rubbed on their noses often have no problem with Bodhi Dog Certified Organic Paw Balm, and one apparent reason for that would be that it doesn’t have any strong smell. Because of this high tolerance, application becomes easier and consistent. Your dog’s severely cracked nose would look so much better than it has for a long time.

If you’ve used other dog paw creams before, you’d find this oilier than usual, so it would be good to wait a little while for full absorption or wipe off excess oiliness before you let loose your dogs. They’d surely leave oily marks on the floor and carpet, and they could slip.

PROS:

  • Certified USDA Organic
  • Made in the USA
  • Winner of the 2020 Family Choice Awards
  • Non-toxic
  • Hypoallergenic
CONS:

  • Some reviewers claimed their products melted due to extreme heat. Be sure to store at the prescribed temperature.

 

3. Top Performance Paw Defense Paw Protection Wax

This third best dog paw cream from Top Performance Professional Pet Care Products is another formula for moisturizing back to health your pets’ damaged paws.

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This is non-toxic and non-allergenic, and made from natural ingredients like coconut oil, soybean oil, eucalyptus leaf oil, beeswax, and vitamin E. If your pets’ paws look like they need a break, then this balm would do just that. It will help soothe and shield paw skin from the damaging effects of extreme temperatures and harsh surfaces.

Ingredients: Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, glycine soja (soybean) oil, isopropyl palmitate, cetearyl behenate, beeswax, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, tocopheryl acetate, ascorbyl palmitate, tocopherol, eucalyptus globulus leaf oil

Top Performance paw cream for dogs has the same non-greasy quality of Musher’s Secret, but sort of thin consistency. Top Performance Paw Defense Paw Protection Wax is easily absorbed by the paw skin, unlike the above mentioned Ruff Relief dog paw pad cream, is great for especially extremely dried-out skin, and there’s barely a trace of the wax after a few seconds. So you’d have less to worry about greasy stains on the floor.

Hopefully, your dog is not very sensitive to scent because this has a smell. If it’s any consolation, it’s mild and nice, but scented nevertheless. The dog paw wax works as expected by soothing and helping damaged skin to heal. It prevents debris and snow from getting stuck between the toes. It’s also slightly cheaper than both Musher’s Secret and Ruff Relief, so for the price, it's one of the best paw cream for dogs and their owners who are on a budget.

PROS:

  • Non-toxic
  • Non-allergenic
  • Made from natural ingredients
  • Contains Vitamin E to moisturize and heal wounds
CONS:

  • It's more like a lotion than a wax, so it doesn't coat the paw pads as well as we expected
  • Some dogs seem to dislike having this cream put on, possibly because they dislike the smell

 

4. Warren London Top Paw Defense Dog Wax

Warren London pet paw wax has ingredients similar to the Top Performance wax, such as soybean oil, beeswax, coconut oil, and other natural components.

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You need not worry about your pets licking their paws after you’ve applied this wax because it’s non-toxic. It provides the same protective and hydrating benefits to the skin. These two wax brands have the same price bracket for the same net content weight as well.

Ingredients: Cocos nucifera oil, glycine sojo oil, isopropyl palmitate, cetaryl behenate, beeswax, tocopheryl acetate, ascorbyl palmitate, tocopherol, eucalyptus globulus leaf oil

Your faithful pet needs some loving care and soothing relief, and this wax helps a lot to show that. The moisturizing effect of Warren London – Top Paw Defense Wax is often evident after just a couple of days – crusty paws start turning softer than they’ve been for years. This fourth best dog paw cream is on the rise in popularity among pet owners due to its consistency and the long-lasting effect, but it's also not without its drawbacks.

For example, Warren London dog paw pad cream is a bit on the greasy side, so it’s best for you to apply it on your dog right before bedtime. The long sleeping hours would give the wax time to soak and do its job. Cracked and calloused paws should look so much better and softer the morning after. This can also be used before taking a walk; the wax makes the skin slick and helps repel gravel, sand, and other grainy pieces from getting stuck in between toes.

PROS:

  • Non-toxic
  • Contains Vitamin E to moisturize and heal wounds
  •  The company offers a 30 day money back guarantee
CONS:

  • This dog paw cream is a bit more greasy than other brands
  • We needed to apply it multiple times per day in order for it to work properly

 

5. Four Paws Healing Remedies Paw Guard

Four Paws Paw Guard wax contains lanolin, which is a moisturizer. It treats and prevents dryness and scaling in pets’ paws.

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Using Paw Guard is very important because excessively dry skin is not only unsightly; it often leads to cracking and other worse skin problems, such as infections. This is especially true if your dog deals with rough terrain regularly or is constantly exposed to the elements.

When used before romping in the snow, a film of Four Paws Healing Remedies Paw Guard effectively covers the paws and provides a barrier from salt-treated snow. That’s something you don’t want to deprive your dog of. Paw Guard can be a bit heavy and sticky, though, and may cause sand and tiny particles to form balls instead of repel them. You may just wipe the sand off and reapply as needed.

When it comes to application of this dog paw pad cream, there’s actually a very easy way to do it. There’s no need to get all your fingers messy with wax unlike with some other best paw cream for dogs options mentioned above. Due to the size of the container, just open the can, dab your pet’s paw one at a time, and you’re done. Four Paws makes this wax available at an amazingly low price, and it's been an Amazon best selling dog paw cream for a while now. Another good choice for pet owners on a budget.

PROS:

  • Made with lanolin to moisturize the pads of your dog's paws
  • Protects and moisturizes the pads of the paws
  • The can is large enough for owners to place the paw directly into this best dog paw cream, so they don't need to get their fingers greasy
CONS:

  • This cream is a bit too greasy
  • Can be too slippery for a pet to walk with

 

6. Paw Nectar 100% Organic and Natural Paw Wax

Quality Pet’s Paw Nectar is a 100% organic and natural dog paw butter, which is formulated for dry and chafed paws. It acts by deeply moisturizing and softening the skin.

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This hastens healing and, if used regularly, prevents this condition from occurring again. Paw Nectar is made of organic avocado oil, aloe, beeswax, cocoa butter, coconut oil, lavender oil, rosemary seed extract, shea butter, soy, and vitamin E.

Ingredients: Certified organic oils of coconut, avocado, soy, beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, and aloe; vitamin E, rosemary seed extract, and lavender oil.

One thing that you’d immediately notice in Paw Nectar paw cream for dogs is its great natural smell – the distinct blend of soothing lavender and the rich smell of cocoa. Your sensitive dog may not like the smell the way we do, however, so we recommend that you use Paw Nectar 100% Organic and Natural Paw Wax strictly for the paws only, and not on the nose.

This is a harder kind of wax than, for example, Musher’s is. It’s less greasy, very smooth, and we find that it being firmer makes it stay on the dog’s paws longer. That makes applying this dog paw pad cream a little more difficult, in a way. Don’t rush applying it; in fact, we suggest that you take your time with it and give your pet a leisurely paw massage, which is how it works best with his dog paw cream. What’s more, you’d see visible results right after the first use.

PROS:

  • 100% natural and organic
  • Soothes, heals and protects damaged paws
  • Made in the USA
  • The company offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
CONS:

  • The smell of this paw wax is off-putting to some pets
  • This cream is very hard, even at room temperature, making it difficult to apply

 

7. Tomlyn’s Deep Moisturizing Pad Cream for Dogs

Our 7th best dog paw cream is from Tomlyn Veterinary Science, and it tells us that paw-pampering doesn’t have to be expensive. Protecta-Pad Deep Moisturizing Pad Cream for Dogs is twice the weight of more expensive brands and half their price.

TOMLYN Protecta-Pad Deep Moisturizing Pad Cream...
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Its ingredients include hydrolyzed collagen, isopropyl palmitate, lanolin, steryl alcohol, and propylene glycol to name a few. Not organic or all-natural, though, but it nevertheless works at deeply moisturizing dry and rough skin.

Ingredients: Water, Hydrolized Collagen, Isopropyl Palmitate, Steryl Alcohol, Peg-8 Sterate, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Sterate Se, Peg-4 Sterate, Lanolin, Dimethicone, Methyl Salicylate, Urea, Dmdm Hydantoin, Methylchlorothiazolione, Methylisothzolinone, Potassium Sorbate.

Protecta-Pad is not only good for protecting paw pads; it is also effective in softening brittle nails and thickened elbows. Tomlyn's Deep Moisturizing Pad Cream for Dogs is specially made for highly-active dogs, such as working or hunting dogs that spend most of their time running and walking on hard surfaces and rough terrain.

This final best dog paw cream smells like wintergreen, definitely stronger than the rich-smelling Paw Nectar. Peppermint or wintergreen scent is a great smell, but again, some dogs just can’t stand it. For dogs and humans used to minty stuffs, though, the minty smell is very nice and soothing. This moisturizing balm is now sold at a very affordable price, and there’s absolutely no reason why your dogs’ paws should remain dry and damaged.

PROS:

  • Specifically formulated for active dogs
  • Smells like wintergreen and provides a cooling effect to the pads of your dog's feet
  • Works well to soften brittle nails and dry elbows as well as the pads of feet
CONS:

  • Not organic or all-natural
  • Minty smell was off-putting to some dogs

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Top Rated Dog Paw Creams of 2020

Diana currently lives and works in London, UK and she's been an animal lover and dog owner since she was a child. After graduating high school, she focused on getting her degree in English to become a writer with a focus on animals, pets and dogs.