6 Natural Paw Balms Your Dog Needs
The best paw balms, based on veterinarian recommendations.

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The latest heat waves haven’t just affected us (and our sanity); it’s also meant scorching hot sand, heat-retaining pavement on the sidewalks, and fewer opportunities for relief from increasingly extreme weather. While it’s essential to be armed with water and a travel water bottle when venturing out with your pup, another summer prerequisite that can just as easily fit in your tote is a proper dog paw balm. If you’re asking yourself, “What’s a paw balm and why does my dog need one?,” read on. In areas facing upwards of 100 degree temperatures, these balms are paramount to your pet’s health.
Is dog paw balm necessary? Yep — The thick ointment in paw balms heal and protect the dry, cracked skin on your pup’s paw pads. Although they may have a thick appearance and a sturdy constitution, dog paws are actually really sensitive and when damaged are subject to infection that could mean an expensive trip to the vet. We’ve always been in the camp that preventative medicine is just as essential as any other type of treatment, which is why we’ve rounded up some of the best natural dog paw balms that will keep your pup protected in this and every season.
Best Dog Paw Balms
Below, veterinarian and The Wildest Collective member, Dr. John Iovino, and rescue vet Dr. Rachel Warnes of the Oregon Humane Society on what to look for in a dog paw balm.
Btw, our editors (and their pets) picked out these products. They’re always in stock at the time we publish, but there’s a chance they’ll sell out. If you do buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (We’ve got a lot of toys to buy over here, you know?)
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Avery Felman
Avery is an editor at The Wildest. She has written for numerous publications, including Refinery29, BuzzFeed, and V Magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her fiancé and cat, Chicken, and has high hopes that one of them will let her adopt a dog.