Dog Paw Injury

The skin on a dogs pad is the thickest and toughest of his entire body but that still doesn’t prevent dog paw injury.  If you think about it, not only do his paws have to support his weight and absorb shock, but they perform as a kind of super sneaker that lets him race, stop on a dime,  make cuts and turns like a Heisman trophy winner and do all this over a variety of surfaces.  With that kind of wear and tear it’s not surprising that occasionally there are paw problems.

The good news is that many common paw injuries can be treated effectively at home.  The bad news is your dog will be his own worse enemy in the healing process as they rarely know how to “take it easy” and give the injured pad a rest. 

While you can treat many injuries at home do not hesitate to take your pal to the veterinarian if the injury is serious or you simply don’t feel comfortable treating him yourself.  Deep cuts, bad burns, puncture wounds, swollen toes or pads or changes in your dog’s behavior are all going to require a trip to the vet for professional help. 

If you can treat the problem at home, keep in mind that your dog is probably in pain and despite how much he loves you he is apt to snap at you when you touch the injured paw.  A muzzle is a good idea anytime you have to treat an area on your pet that is causing pain. 

Cuts

There are a goodly number of blood vessels located directly under the skin on a dog’s pad so any cut, deep or superficial, is likely to bleed profusely.  Your first step is to clean the wound with an antiseptic solution if you have it or with soapy water if you don’t. 

Assess the site of the wound and if it does not appear to be too deep, apply an antibiotic like Neosporin which will protect from infection and also ease the pain a bit.  Take a gauze pad and place it over the cut and then loosely wrap with a self adhesive  tape.  Do not wrap the bandage tightly as you will cut off the blood supply. 

The bleeding should stop shortly after you apply the bandage.  Be sure to inspect the toes and if they appear to be swollen, then the bandage wrap is too tight.  

Dogs sweat from their pads and the bandage will become moist and that can promote infection.  Change the bandage every two days or so.

Torn Skin 

Another common problem is when the skin on the pad tears and leaves a flap.  This typically is the result of a blister on the pad.  When this occurs you really shouldn’t try to treat the paw until the flap comes off naturally.  If you don’t want to wait for that to happen then take the dog to the vet and he or she can trim it off and treat the wound. 

If the flap is off then there will be a patch of red inflamed skin visible.  Treat the same way you would a cut.  Apply Neosporin and bandage loosely.  

Anytime you put a bandage on your dog, he’s going to want to get rid of it by chewing it off.  One way to prevent this from happening is to place an Elizabethan collar on him which will deny him access to the bandage.  He’ll look pretty goofy but it’s only for a few days.

Dry or Cracked Skin 

The skin on the pad is naturally rough as this is what gives the dog the traction they need for all the antics they perform.  If the skin dries out and becomes cracked it can collect dirt and other debris which can lead to an infection.  

The solution is to use a moisturizer but try to use one specifically designed for dogs.  Human skin moisturizers tend to make the skin too soft and encourage tearing.

Debris Between a Dog's Toes 

This one is pretty common and the number one culprit is usually a burr.  Although depending where you’re dog has been, the problem could be a pebble, concrete, glass, wood splinter, rose thorn or even his own matted hair getting lodged between his toes. 

Most of these can be removed successfully with a pair of tweezers and a pair of fine nosed scissors to trim away any hair that is holding the object in place.

Prevention of Dog Paw Injury 

It’s rather amazing that prior to 9/11 most rescue dogs worked without the benefit of paw protection.  However when those brave canines climbed over glass and concrete and sliced up their paws searching for survivors, somebody came up with the bright idea to provide them boots. 

While it’s unlikely that your dog’s environment will require that kind of protection it’s important that you pay attention to where he walks and plays.  Hot pavement or asphalt can make a walk a torture trip for your dog.  If your dog spends most of the time in the back yard make sure it is free of debris that can cause paw problems for your buddy.

There's a relatively new product out that provides the same protection as a boot but is actually a cream that you apply about once a week.  Invisible Boots is sold on Amazon.com and has a 4 1/2 star rating from consumers.  If you live in a particularly hot area, or only walk on concrete or asphalt, you might want to try it out.

Winter time can present its own source of  paw care issues as well particularly if you live in a part of the country that uses road salt or chemicals as a deicer.  Make sure to clean your dog's paws if they are exposed to these substances and do it before he's had a chance to chew on his feet and ingest the substance. 

In general, look at the surface that your dog will be crossing and ask yourself if you would walk across it barefoot.  If the answer is no, then don’t let your dog do it and prevent dog paw pad injuries.

Here's A Great Dog Paw Injury Video