How to Remove Stickers From a Dog's Foot

Any dog, from a short-haired family pet to a long-haired working retriever, becomes susceptible to bringing home burs and stickers in its fur when running through fields and forested areas. To prevent mats from forming around the stickers in your dog's fur, you need to systematically examine your pet for any plant debris as soon as you return home. Removing stickers from the sensitive areas of your dog's feet takes gentle patience, so you don't cause your dog any pain.

Things You'll Need

  • Stainless steel, wide-toothed comb
  • Pet clippers or nail scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Sit your dog in front of you, or have an assistant hold it so that you can reach its feet.

    • 2

      Pick up your dog's foot and run your fingers around the pads and between the webbing of the toes to locate the stickers.

    • 3

      Grab one of the burs between the fingers of one hand, and with the other hand gently pull the hair away from the bur a strand at a time, recommends Margaret Bonham in "Dog Grooming for Dummies." This ensures that you don't pull your dog's skin and cause pain.

    • 4

      Remove the stickers one at a time, going from foot to foot, until they are all eliminated.

    • 5

      Use a stainless steel comb with wide teeth to pull stickers out of the fur on the top of the foot. If the burs are matted close to the skin, you may need to shave the area using pet clippers or cut them out with a pair of nail scissors.

    • 6

      Crush particularly large burs with a pair of pliers, keeping your fingers between your dog's skin and the pliers as a barrier; then pull the hair away from the sticker strand by strand.