How Hot Is Too Hot for a Dog's Paws? The 7-Second Test

Press the back of your hand on the pavement for 7 seconds. If you can't hold it there, it's too hot for your dog's paws. That's the test Washington State University's veterinary college gives (some vets count to 10), and it beats any weather app, because the ground can be far hotter than the air. In a classic 1970 study, asphalt in still air and direct sun reached about 125°F on a 77°F day.

Some burn signs show up hours after the walk, so below you'll also find what to look for, what to do right away, and how to plan summer walks so it doesn't happen.

The 7-Second Test

Test the exact surface your dog is about to walk on, in the sun, before you head out:

1. Press the back of your hand flat against the pavement.
2. Hold it there and count to 7.
3. If you can't hold it for 7 seconds, it's too hot for paws. Pick grass or shade, or walk later.

WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine and the UK's Royal Kennel Club both describe it this way. Some vets, including the AKC's chief veterinarian, count to 10 instead. Whichever count you use, the rule is the same: if it's too hot for your skin, it's too hot for your dog's pads.

Why Air Temperature Fools You

Dark pavement soaks up sunlight and holds the heat. A classic 1970 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Berens), cited by WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine, found asphalt reaching 125°F when the air was only 77°F, in still air and direct sun.

In hot climates the numbers climb much higher. Researchers at a Phoenix burn center measured real surfaces in August 2018:

Source: Kowal-Vern et al., Burns & Trauma, 2019. For context, the median noon air temperature on days with pavement burn admissions (2016 to 2018) was 108°F.

Three things in that research matter for dog owners:

• Evening isn't automatically safe. Asphalt was still a median 124.5°F at 6 pm, and the authors note surfaces were still hot enough to burn at that hour. An earlier Phoenix study found asphalt hot enough to burn from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer.
• Shade helps a lot. In that earlier study, shade cut the peak temperature of asphalt from about 154°F to 109°F, and of cement to 102°F.
• Sand, dirt and metal get hot too. Sand peaked as high as asphalt, and dirt, cement and steel reached 136 to 140°F. The Merck Veterinary Manual warns that dogs and cats can get third-degree burns on their paws from hot asphalt or hot sand.

The EPA reports the same pattern outside the lab: in an Arizona pilot study, conventional asphalt reached up to 152°F at midday.

For scale, classic burn research on human skin (not dog pads) found a blistering burn after about 5 seconds on a 140°F surface. We found no comparable data for paw pads, so the hand test is your practical check.

Signs of Burned Paw Pads

Paw pads are tough, but as VCA's veterinarians put it, they can still burn on a scorching summer sidewalk. Burned pads are painful, and some signs only appear after the walk. Watch for:

• Limping, refusing to walk, or holding up a paw
• Licking or chewing at the feet (more on why dogs lick their paws)
• Whimpering or crying out when the foot touches the ground
• Pads that look red or swollen. Black pads can turn red too
• Blisters, or a top layer that looks like it's peeling off
• Raw, ulcerated or bleeding pads, or skin that is already gone

Healthy pads look like the ones above: intact, evenly colored and without blisters or loose skin.

Don't be reassured if your dog seems fine right after the walk. WSU's veterinarians point out that burn lesions take time to develop, and PetMD notes that blisters can burst a few days later, leaving the outer layer of the pad peeling. Check the pads again that evening and the next day. If you're not sure whether you're looking at a burn or something else, our guide to blisters on dog paws covers the look-alikes.

What to Do If Your Dog's Paws Are Burned

1. Get off the hot surface right away. Carry your dog to grass or shade if you can.
2. Cool the paws with cool water, gently running or in a bowl of room-temperature water. Not ice-cold, and no ice.
3. Leave blisters and loose skin for your vet. Don't pop or peel them.
4. Stop the licking. Licking makes paw injuries worse.
5. Call your vet. WSU advises that any pet with a suspected pad burn see a veterinarian as soon as possible.

On the way, keep the paw clean and get to your vet. Leave creams and ointments to them: your vet decides how to clean and protect a burned pad. Treatment may include pain relief, cleaning and dressing the wounds, antibiotics, rest, and a cone (e-collar) to stop the licking. PetMD says mild burns may heal in about 7 to 10 days, while severe burns can take weeks. A stocked pet first aid kit makes the trip to the clinic easier.

When to Call the Vet

Every suspected pad burn deserves a vet visit. Use this to judge how fast:

How to Protect Your Dog's Paws in Summer

• Walk early or late. Avoid the hottest part of the day, usually about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Remember the evening trap: test the ground again before an after-work walk.
• Choose grass, soil or shade. WSU suggests grassy surfaces and letting your dog pick the shady side.
• Test before every walk with the 7-second check, on the surface your dog will actually use.
• Consider booties if you can't avoid hot pavement. The AKC advises a snug, not tight, fit, and giving your dog time to get used to them before a real outing.
• Never leave a dog standing on hot ground. Don't tether a dog on hot pavement, and don't let one ride in a metal truck bed, which can burn the pads.
• Watch for soft, sticky tar on hot days and keep paws off it.
• Think beyond the paws. Hot ground usually means hot air too. Keep walks short in the heat, and know the signs of dehydration in dogs.

Heatstroke is an emergency. Merck lists skin that is hot to the touch, vomiting, drooling, rapid panting, distress, loss of coordination, collapse and unconsciousness as warning signs. Move your dog out of the heat, cool them with cool (not cold) water, and get to a vet as soon as possible.

Winter brings the opposite problems: road salt, ice balls between the toes and frostbite. See frostbite on dog paws and winter paw care.

Quick Answers

Is 80 degrees too hot to walk a dog? It can be, depending on the surface and the sun. In the 1970 study, asphalt reached about 125°F at 77°F air, and the AKC's chief vet warns that pavement may be too hot once the air reaches 85°F with no chance to cool. Do the hand test and favor grass and shade.

Is concrete cooler than asphalt? Usually somewhat. In the Phoenix measurements, sidewalks ran about 10°F cooler than asphalt at noon, but still reached 129°F, which is hot enough to burn.

Do dogs need booties in summer? Not if you can walk on grass, soil or shade at cool times of day. Booties help when hot pavement can't be avoided, as long as they fit well and your dog is used to them.

Originally written by Amber LaRock. Updated by the I Love Veterinary editorial team.

Sources

• Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Protect your pet's feet from heat, burns
• Berens JJ. Thermal contact burns from streets and highways. JAMA, 1970 (PubMed)
• Kowal-Vern A, et al. "Streets of Fire" revisited: contact burns. Burns & Trauma, 2019
• Harrington WZ, et al. Pavement temperature and burns: streets of fire. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 1995 (PubMed)
• US EPA: Using Cool Pavements to Reduce Heat Islands
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Protecting Pets During Hot Summer Months
• Merck Veterinary Manual: What to Do in a Dog or Cat Emergency
• American Kennel Club: How Hot Is Too Hot for a Dog's Paws?
• PetMD: Paw Pad Burns on Dogs: What to Do
• PetMD: 10 Summer Dog Walking Tips
• VCA Animal Hospitals: First Aid for Torn or Injured Foot Pads in Dogs
• VCA Animal Hospitals: Dog paw injuries and how to help
• Royal Kennel Club: Hot pavements
• ASPCA: Hot Weather Safety Tips

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.