Zola's paws and the sidewalk situation
Took Zola out at what I thought was a reasonable hour and within ten minutes she was doing this little hop-skip thing, lifting each paw like the ground had turned to coals. It had, basically. Learned my lesson fast, now it's grass or early morning only for her. Feels like one of those things nobody warns you about until your pup is already wincing on the walk.
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That image of her doing the little hop-skip really got me, poor girl. Glad you caught it fast, Zola's lucky to have someone watching that closely
This is exactly why we switched to a natural paw balm (nothing with synthetic waxes, just shea and beeswax) after our own scare last year. If anyone wants an actual professional to check for damage or set up a summer care routine, worth looking here: https://allinpets.com/services/
Same story every summer out here, asphalt gets brutal fast and a guardian breed like an Akita won't always show discomfort until it's already bad, they tend to push through. Good rundown on the breed's overall care needs here: https://allinpets.com/blog/dog-breeds/akita-complete-guide-24/