Paw Pad Peeling + Raw

Kaja

Hey guys! So after some time at daycare recently, Kaja has gotten a paw pad injury. I suspect perhaps the pavement she was on was a bit too warm and it dried her paw pads out + created cracks which have now peeled. She gets overly active at daycare so I can see her pivoting on some harsh warm pavement and making this happen. When I first got her back i noticed the connecting tissue between her toes was a bit inflamed, so I put cream on them. They've since scabbed and healed over. But now it's the paw pad. the back of it is pink and raw, and then there is a large half inch piece detached and looking like it wants to flake off.

I know some people think paw pad injuries like this are like getting a skinned knee on the playground -- you wouldn't take your dog to the vet just like you wouldnt take your kid to the hospital. Other people err on the side of caution and bring their dogs in. Me, I'm not sure what to do because my dogs have never had this problem before. I've cleaned it up, put some polysporin on, and put a doggy sock over top. My partner says we ought to take her in tomorrow just in case. So it looks like we might do so, but I have a feeling they will just give us a collar and tell us to put polysporin on it/keep it clean. We are leaving on a trip in a few days and my parents will be watching her on their own, so I don't want them to be concerned either.

So it made me wonder. Have you guys ever had your dogs paw pads injured like this -- how did you resolve it?

Have you had good experience with something like Musher's Secret?

TheWalrus

Since I hunt with my dogs I do end up with worn or knicked paws. It sucks because it's painful and does take a while to heal.
There's really not much to be done for it other than keeping it clean and disinfected. Because it's a paw it usually gets a lot of licking, so it becomes next to impossible to keep anything on it.

I really don't do much other than clean it and put on some antibiotic cream at the beginning. After that I just keep an eye on it, and if it looks like it's not healing properly I guess a vet visit would be in order, but I've never had it come to that.

Crispy

Russell (a mixed-breed) used to skin his pads all the time chasing rabbits and other things. He'd turn too hard and go down hard on his pads and skin them in some way. Every time he did it, it was really crappy because I knew it hurt, but like @TheWalrus, I usually just cleaned it up with chlorahex and did warm water soaks if I could before I put an antibiotic ointment on it. If I saw they were really fussing, sometimes I bothered with an e-collar, but it was really just a matter of time + cleaning, in my house, unless something got infected.

omgtain

Last year when I moved into my apartment, we had the university baseball team live on top of us (it was like a weird duplex where theres a top and bottom part), they would have parties all the time and threw their beer bottles off their deck and out their windows.. so whenever i took the dogs out they would cut their paws (then they got a $500 fine when i called our property manager , hehe).

Tavi only cut her paw once, and she never bothered it. I put an antibiotic spray and then dabbed quikstop to try and dry it out.. She healed fine. Nare however, cut his at least 4 times, and would constantly lick. I opted for the e-cone because I wanted his wound to breathe. putting a sock or bootie over it for extended periods of time can lock moisture in there.. and moisture = bacteria. If I put a sock on his foot (to go outside) I also put some gauze or paper towels to help absorb moisture. Putting neosporin and whatnot is good to prevent infection at the beginning, but then your next priority is to keep it dry.

So it depends.. Not something I ever took them to the vet over (and I'm one of those panic-ers that run them to the vet over the tiniest thing). Maybe taking a pet first aid class will make you more comfortable handling little things ? accidents happen.

Kaja

@TheWalrus @Crispy Thanks, guys! And yeah, I can definitely see your dogs getting their paws cut up while hunting boar. Thank you for the reassurance!

@omgtain Wow, what a bunch of jerks. :O
As for the moisture/sock thing, I totally agree -- I stick the sock on for a little bit in hopes the polysporin might absorb a bit before she licks it all off, but I've been removing it after a half hour or so. I've always been a fan of doing what you can do for your dogs without needing a vet, so a first aid course wouldn't be amiss! I think this particular instance caught me clueless because it looks so terribly painful. Poor girl.

Decided to not take her to the vet and just keep it clean/keep an eye on it. I think if you've all had success with that, then we will too.

Calia

If paw pad injuries become a reoccurring issue, look into applying salves that contain zinc. Zinc will help thicken and strengthen the pads, making them tougher and harder to tear.

Kaja

Thanks @Calia! Right now we're getting through a tub of Musher's Secret but I will try to find a salve with zinc (I don't think Musher's has any zinc...).

Bootz

The same thing happened to my Shiba ONCE, she's 5 years old. I think it's because of the dry weather. I left the pad alone and just added mushers secret when I walked her. It eventually healed on its on.