Dry, cracked paw pads are often treated as a cosmetic annoyance rather than what they actually are — a crack in the skin's own barrier — which is why a cream aimed at paws, nose and skin generally is worth having rather than something bought only after a pad splits.

The cream is built around colloidal oatmeal alongside Oat Lipid E (which carries antioxidants and vitamin E), glycerine and grape seed oil. Bugalugs' own instructions are to make sure the area is clean and dry, then apply a small pea-sized amount to paws, nose or skin and massage it in gently. It's sold in a 75g tub and is for dogs over 12 weeks old.

• Colloidal oatmeal, Oat Lipid E, glycerine and grape seed oil
• For paws, nose or general skin
• Pea-sized amount, massaged in
• For dogs over 12 weeks old
• 75g tub

What we don't know. Bugalugs don't publish how often to apply it or how long a 75g tub should last, so there's no schedule to follow beyond using it on dry patches as needed. If cracking is severe, bleeding or not improving, that's a job for a vet rather than a cream.

Who it's for: owners of a dog with dry or cracked paws, nose or skin who want a small, targeted cream rather than a full-coat product.