Grooming and top of paws bleeding

Question
QUESTION: We just had our 2 year old Standard poodle groomed.  Once home she went outside and played with my children for about 45 minutes.  We live in NW Ohio and the temps right now are in the high teens.  Our dog seemed happy and really didn't want to come back in when I called her...even though it was quite cold.  When she did come in the tops of all 4 paws were bleeding.  We went to a new groomer because we just moved to Ohio.  I told her I wanted the dog cut short, which included poodle cut on her paws.  Do you think we made the wrong decision?  Should she not be shaved so close in the winter months?  Our other Standard, that was also groomed, did not bleed on her paws, but she also did not want to stay out in the cold at all.  Thanks so much!  Carol

ANSWER: Hello Carol,
You didn't say if you got snow or not, but I assume since you didn't say anything about snow, there probably isn't any.  If your dog runs and plays alot in snow, the ice can make micro-cuts on the pads, which may bleed.  If the temp is very cold, it can cause a chapping affect on newly trimmed feet.  The skin drys out quickly on the feet because the skin is thin, they get dry and then crack.  The groomer could also have razor burned the feet if she trimmed them close.  
If they are getting cracked because she is staying outside for along time, you can put Vaseline on her feet to prevent them from drying out.  If they are bleeding because of razor burn, you can put Neo-Sporin on them with the pain reliever, and that will help keep it from getting infected and will also moisturize.  

If she will keep socks on, you can use infant socks and tie them on using wide strips of velcro sewed on them, or you can tie them with thick pieces of material.  Some dogs keep them on and like them, others run and they fall off as soon as they are out the door and some dogs won't move if they have them on, but I would try it anyway.  

Let me know if you have other questions about this or other Poodle questions in general.  Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes, there is definitely snow on the ground.  I guess I was shocked at how fast the snow/cold affected her paws.  She had only been out once since her grooming and came in bleeding.

After I e-mailed you, we walked in the room where both our standards were and there was a ton of blood all over the floor.  We freaked out!  After much investigation we determined the bleeding was not coming from the paws, but coming from our other standard's nose.  In the shorter time she was out, she must have cut her nose on the ice outside.  This happened to her last year.  It is a bear to stop bleeding.  We have her one nostril wrapped up in cotton and tape.  Last time this happened, the Vet put super glue on her nose since we couldn't get the wound to close up...and it was right inside her nostril.  Never a dull moment.
 Let me know if the snow changes your suggestions.
Thanks, Carol

Answer
Hello again,
The snow being on the ground just confirms that the bleeding would be caused by shards of ice that the dog runs over and cuts her feet on.  The injury to the nose could be caused by the same thing.  The fact was that the snow probably melted some during the day, and in the evening had a chance to refreeze with sharp edges.  
In this case, do try using the baby socks with velcro straps, or you can even buy Doggie Booties for snow or wet weather, to keep the feet protected when the dog is going to be out for a longer period of time.

Again, I hope this helps some and if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks again,
Kim