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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Hannah Dodd & Nia Dalton

Woman leaves people 'disgusted' at consequence of not cleaning your dog's paws

A woman has left people in shock after revealing why you should always check your pet's paws for calluses and ingrown hairs.

Sabrina Giardina, 46, from New York US, shared a video online urging fellow dog owners to look under their pup's paws, and it quickly went viral.

The Instagram post has racked up more than 130,000 views and is captioned: "Have you seen this on your dog's feet?", with footage showing unusual-looking fur.

Sabrina can be seen taking a pair of scissors to trim the crusty substance from her five-year-old Great Dane Margot's paw.

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Hyperkeratosis can form on dogs' paws and noses (Jam Press Vid/@lovemargot.co)
Sabrina urged owners to check their pets (Jam Press/@lovemargot.co)

The growth, which looks like moss, is actually hyperkeratosis, another term for excessive dry skin which can form on dog's paws and noses.

If left alone, it can cause cracking, bleeding and infections, so it's important to look out for and treat.

"Margot has it on all of her feet," Sabrina says in the video.

"It's easy to trim after a bath and trimming it causes zero pain, as a matter of fact it makes her feel better. It's similar to a human callus."

The revelation garnered mixed reactions online, with some users stunned, having never seen it before.

She shocked pet parents online with her handy trick (Jam Press/@lovemargot.co)

"Wow! I have never seen anything like it! Glad it was shared in case I ever see it on a dog," one person said.

Another user added: "Oh wow never knew. Now [you'll have] me check all my pups' paws."

Many people deemed it "gross" yet "deeply satisfying".

"This was more fun than watching pimples pop. At first I was worried, then disgusted, then satisfied," someone said.

"I've never seen it before you guys shared about it!!! Sooooo satisfying to watch..... Now only if she had some spots you could pop," a second agreed.

Parker, Viola and Margot have more than one million followers (Jam Press/@lovemargot.co)

Even a pro dog groomer joined the debate, adding: "I'm a dog groomer. Use a clipper with a #10 blade and shave them. They come off very easy and don't risk cutting their pads on accident."

In another video, Sabrina demonstrated how to remove impacted hair follicles from your dog's paws with tweezers, and once again, left people in awe.

Sabrina is the proud owner of Margot and three-year-old puppies Parker and Viola.

The pack have become social media sensations with over one million followers across TikTok and Instagram ( @lovemargot.co ) loving their naughty antics.

Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.

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