Worn Pads
Conker's pads have begun to wear off. This has never been a problem before, and I am trying to figure out what could have caused it. About five days ago I first noticed it when I saw Conker limping on the way home from the hardware store. We've only taken a few very short walks since then 'cause Conker drives me bonkers if he doesn't get out of the house. But today, his pads began to wear off again. He only walked about 1/4 mile and got carried the rest of the way.
I am not going to walk him for a few weeks and one of my friends is sending me some boots I can have him wear if I have to take him on pavement. I've been putting vitamin E on his feet and will get some bag balm or similar item to apply as well.
This is the damage on his pads which is mostly on his toes. The whitishgray areas are where it's worn off slightly. It's pinkish underneath. I saw this a lot at the sleddog kennel, but those dogs were running for 18+ miles on ice and snow every day.
The right hind foot has the least amount of wear. Conker only takes about 3/4 stride on that leg due to his Luxating Patella (vet told me to watch it). I am wondering if that could possibly contribute to this pad wear.
Other things I suspect are:
Cold damage from Alaska. Conker's pads got a bit cracked while we were up there, but they never bled.
Zinc deficiency. Conker had slight hyperkeratosis (a tiny bit is still visible) but I figured that was due to his feet not getting normal use while in Alaska. Hyperkeratosis is a sign of a zinc deficiency. Conker eats a homemade diet, but I take extra steps to ensure he gets correct levels of zinc. There very well could be less zinc than I think in his diet, and this might be the cause. Zinc deficiencies (caused by absorption issues) are common in some Nordic breeds, but I have never heard of it in a Japanese one.
Overuse on pavement. We've been taking more walks than hikes lately, but the dirt we hike on is not very soft (full of rocks and harsh sand), so I am unsure if this could be a cause or not. But some of the pavement in my neighborhood is downright nasty, though I try to avoid it.
Does anyone else know what might contribute to this? I am not as concerned about treating it as much as finding the cause.
I am not going to walk him for a few weeks and one of my friends is sending me some boots I can have him wear if I have to take him on pavement. I've been putting vitamin E on his feet and will get some bag balm or similar item to apply as well.
This is the damage on his pads which is mostly on his toes. The whitishgray areas are where it's worn off slightly. It's pinkish underneath. I saw this a lot at the sleddog kennel, but those dogs were running for 18+ miles on ice and snow every day.
The right hind foot has the least amount of wear. Conker only takes about 3/4 stride on that leg due to his Luxating Patella (vet told me to watch it). I am wondering if that could possibly contribute to this pad wear.
Other things I suspect are:
Cold damage from Alaska. Conker's pads got a bit cracked while we were up there, but they never bled.
Zinc deficiency. Conker had slight hyperkeratosis (a tiny bit is still visible) but I figured that was due to his feet not getting normal use while in Alaska. Hyperkeratosis is a sign of a zinc deficiency. Conker eats a homemade diet, but I take extra steps to ensure he gets correct levels of zinc. There very well could be less zinc than I think in his diet, and this might be the cause. Zinc deficiencies (caused by absorption issues) are common in some Nordic breeds, but I have never heard of it in a Japanese one.
Overuse on pavement. We've been taking more walks than hikes lately, but the dirt we hike on is not very soft (full of rocks and harsh sand), so I am unsure if this could be a cause or not. But some of the pavement in my neighborhood is downright nasty, though I try to avoid it.
Does anyone else know what might contribute to this? I am not as concerned about treating it as much as finding the cause.
Comments
It took about a week for Taki's pads to heal up, but they would re-injure as we spent A LOT of time outdoors on rough surfaces, and TX summers can be pretty brutal. I will have to see if the same thing happens to the girls this year when things start to heat up again. Hope Conker's issue is nothing more serious