Many dog owners don't pay much attention to the condition of their pet's paw pads. Which is not surprising, because they do not require special care. And they pay attention to them only when the dog begins to behave unusually, for example, limping or constantly licking its paw. From this article you will learn what to do if your four-legged pet’s paw pads dry out, cracks appear on them, and how to treat a cut?
It must be remembered that ornamental breeds Dogs' paw pads are more sensitive and require more careful attention.
Paw pads can dry out and crack various reasons: reagents on the roads, weather quirks (snow, slush or hot asphalt), dehydration, vitamin deficiency.
How to help your dog's tender paws?
Make it a habit to wash your animal’s paws under running water after each walk and wipe them dry.
Deep cracks can be treated with any rich cream and then bandaged. Zorka cream, sold in pet stores, works well for these purposes. Don’t be surprised, it’s for cows, but even people use it! Or you can purchase a special one at a pet store medicinal ointment for dogs based beeswax, preventing damage to the paw pads by chemicals, salt, snow, and so on. In winter, “Ay Yes Walk” wax is a good remedy for cracked paws. It is also sold in pet stores.
Pets “predisposed” to problems with paw pads are well saved by shoes for dogs; as a rule, boots often have to be worn in winter time years when reagents are scattered everywhere on the roads.
Monitor how often your pet drinks and the quality of the water. Lack of fluid is detrimental to any living organism.
Also, dogs' paw pads can dry out due to a lack of vitamins in the diet - zinc and selenium. You can try adding them to your animal's food along with vitamin E after consulting your veterinarian.
What to do if your dog cuts his paw pad?
A similar situation happens with four-legged charges quite often. And since the pads contain many blood vessels, severe bleeding may occur. In this case, quickly and carefully treat the wound with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate. Then apply a sterile bandage with antibacterial ointment(most often in home medicine cabinets you can see levomekol or Vishnevsky ointment) and bandage it. Dressing must be done 1-2 times a day, depending on the condition of the cut.
How to apply a strong bandage so that the dog cannot remove it?
Cunning pets manage to remove even the most professionally bandaged bandage from their paw in a matter of minutes. To prevent this from happening, do the following:
First, apply a bandage soaked in medicinal ointment to the crack or wound.
Then, put a regular baby sock on your paw over the bandage.
And secure it from the top along the toe with a plaster or tape; it is best to carry out this “winding” on the narrowest part of the paw. When you need to change the compress, simply cut the tape.
Recently, Alice and I had to go to the vet about this problem. Her paw pads are tender and like pricks between her toes. And all this bleeds from time to time. We were afraid that it was some kind of infection. But the veterinarian looked and found neither fungus nor infection. It's all Grass's fault! I don’t know what it’s called correctly, I’ll call it spikelets. So in summer time The stings from these spikelets dig into the dog's paw pads, causing irritation like this. They advised me to thoroughly wash and inspect my paws after every walk, and if there are pricks, fill them with chlorhexidine!
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Even experienced dog breeders do not always imagine the stress that the pads on their pets' paws experience. Meanwhile, they are very significant. There are known cases when apartment dogs, unaccustomed to stress, literally wore the pads on their paws to the pulp after just a couple of hours of walking on the asphalt. No less Cracked paws in dogs are unpleasant and dangerous.
- They are natural shock absorbers, reducing the load on the animal’s skeleton. This is especially important for service dogs, who sometimes walk or run dozens of kilometers in a day.
- Dogs can only sweat (!) through the pads on their paws. In other parts of their body there are no sweat glands at all.
- There are cases when some dogs' pads are so tender that they simply physically need to wear special shoes for walks.
- Doggystyle paws are extremely sensitive to all types of “chemistry”. Remember that if you regularly treat the enclosure with disinfectants, or wash the floor in the apartment using chlorine bleaches, the treated surfaces must be thoroughly washed clean water. Otherwise there may be problems.
- Oddly enough, but any deviation in feeding primarily affects the condition of the paws. The pads sense pH changes in the body so subtly that they can compete with litmus tests in this matter.
- Besides, the condition of the paw pads correlates well with a lack of zinc in the diet. If it is missing, cracks on the paw pads of dogs become constant “companions” of the animals.
Read also: Rhinotracheitis in dogs: causes and prevention of the disease
Why do dogs get cracked paws?
We have already talked about some of the reasons, but one should not think that these are all existing predisposing factors. Many dog owners prefer to play with their pets by throwing them a ball or a stick. Unfortunately, for this purpose they often choose hard surface areas. When a dog, accelerating in a rapid rush, tries to stop abruptly, it skids. The paw pads are severely injured.
The same applies to morning jogging in the company of your pet. Alas, there are very few forested areas in our cities, and most often dogs run along the same paved roads. The worst thing is when owners decide to “involve their dogs in sports” most living in “greenhouse” conditions. Their paws become cracked especially quickly after jogging.
The worst thing is for dogs living in regions with a simply cold or sharply continental climate. Winters are especially difficult modern dogs who have to walk on roads covered with a frozen crust consisting of ice, snow and chemical reagents. Snow and ice crystals hurt your paws, chemicals penetrate into the wounds, the skin on the pads begins to dry out and quickly crack. It’s also difficult for dogs whose owners take their pets on a hiking trip in the mountains. Mountain boots are not provided for dogs.
Most often, cracks occur due to a combination of three factors: climate, hard road surfaces and lack of even basic care on the part of the breeder. If these reasons are eliminated, the paws can quickly become overgrown, but this does not always happen.
Read also: Peritonitis in dogs - causes and signs of the disease
How to deal with cracked paws of your dog?
If you notice the first cracks in time, just limit the animal's activity, don't waste it, and everything will be fine. Paw pads overgrow quickly, so no medical care may not be required. It's only important Make sure your dog doesn't constantly lick its paws, since in conditions of constant humidity the process may worsen.
In more severe cases The following treatment is used:
- If your paws are bleeding, it won’t hurt to stop this disgrace with the help of cotton-gauze swabs and adhesive tape.
- Blood and dirt from paw pads need to be removed using a cotton swab and hydrogen peroxide solution.
- When, when the paw pads dry out, you can lubricate them with any cosmetic cream with a moisturizing effect. However, we should not forget about the likelihood of allergic reactions.
- In difficult situations, you can put socks or shoe covers on the animal’s paws. They will protect the delicate paw pads from additional damage.
- Check and change your pet's leg bandages daily. The more often you do this, the greater the chances of a quick and painless recovery.
- If you have any doubts appearance wounds (swelling, redness), it is better to immediately call a veterinarian.
- Under no circumstances prescribe or Do not use antibiotics or other strong drugs on your own.
How else can you treat cracked paws in dogs? Baby creams (like Chanterelle) are excellent for dogs with delicate pads. In addition, various creams such as “Zorki” have proven themselves well, in “ wildlife» used to lubricate the cow's udder before milking. But there is something to remember...
The pads on a dog's paws are one of the few places where there is virtually no hair. Therefore it is very important in general hygiene animal. Moreover, these are the places where the dog constantly comes into contact with various surfaces that may be unsafe. In addition, our pets are walking all year round in any weather and at any temperature.
The main symptoms for which it is necessary to take Urgent measures for four-legged pets are:
- the appearance of rough and tough skin;
- the appearance of cracks and swelling;
- the dog limping on one of its paws or on several paws at once;
- The dog begins to lick its paw pads frequently.
Why are the paw pads without fur?
There are two main reasons why your pets' paw pads lack protective fur. Firstly, this occurs due to constant contact with surfaces. And secondly, elastic pads help you better feel the characteristics of the soil or other surface. However, this causes them to wear out and require maintenance.
How to care for your dog's paws?
To care for dog paw pads, you will need the following components:
- nail clipper;
- creams (protective and moisturizing);
- antibacterial spray or cream;
- regular baby soap.
During care, it is necessary to inspect the pads to identify possible cuts, splinters and cracks. After this, the paws are carefully washed warm water, dried and lubricated with antibacterial cream or ointment.
It is also necessary to regularly check and lubricate the paw pads with moisturizing creams. Avoid rough areas and cracks. Before a walk, it is best to rub your pads with a special protective wax. If the dog still continues to lick the pads, this may not be the result of walks, but of an allergy. In this case, it is better to consult a specialist.
Preventing paw pad damage
To keep your dog's paw pads healthy and elastic, try to follow certain recommendations:
- choose routes with soft soil for walking, preferably without asphalt or gravel;
- if there are cracks, do not walk your pet in cold or hot weather, through mud, sand and mown grass;
- trim the claws in time so that they do not dig into the paw and break, and the pads lie tightly on the soil;
- try to wash your four-legged pet’s paws in water after each walk;
- if you travel on asphalt or other surfaces containing reagents or salt, as often happens in winter, your paws must be washed and then lubricated with an emollient cream;
- do not use chemically active products to clean home floors detergents. This is especially true when a dog licks its paws due to allergies, otherwise it risks receiving a portion of harmful substances;
- In the city in winter, if possible, use special boots for dogs that will protect their paws from the effects of reagents used during snowfalls. The best place to start accustoming your dog to such shoes is at home.
Interdigital dermatitis in dogs leads to damage to the spaces between the toes, as well as the surface of the paw pads. This disease is secondary and does not occur on its own. Veterinarians have noticed that certain breeds are most susceptible to the disease: Pekingese, bulldogs, dachshunds, Great Danes, Shar-Peis, shepherd dogs, bull terriers, mastiffs, Labradors.
Symptoms of interdigital dermatitis in dogs
One of the symptoms of pododermatitis in dogs is interdigital dermatitis.
Interdigital dermatitis is characterized by redness of the skin.
Clinical signs , which may indicate a problem:
- reddened skin between the toes and on the toes themselves, paw pads;
- thinning hair in affected areas;
- swelling of the limb and itching, which the dog tries to stop by licking;
- weeping wounds, fistulas and boils may appear between the fingers;
- Pain in the limbs when walking can result in limping.
Causes
Paw injury can cause dermatitis.
There can be many causes of skin problems on the paws of dogs. The most common of them:
Diagnostics will help to find out the cause of the problem of interdigital dermatitis. To contact a veterinarian, it will take 3 days without treating with anything. problem areas on the skin.
To diagnose the disease, a blood test is prescribed.
The veterinarian will first order the following tests:
- x-ray or computed tomography;
- if the paws are positioned incorrectly, consult an orthopedist;
- if you suspect cancer, consult an oncologist.
Treatment of interdigital dermatitis in dogs
Only after finding out the root cause of the problem with skin, you can begin treatment. All prescriptions will depend on the type of interdigital dermatitis.
Treatment should begin after determining the cause.
Bacterial form of dermatitis
If the test results revealed bacterial dermatitis, the treatment will be complex.
- Active and passive specific immunotherapy . Staphylococcal polyvalent toxoid is prescribed for active immunotherapy. On early stages diseases, when the damage is insignificant, a passive method of immunotherapy is used. Antistaphylococcal serums and immunoglobulins are prescribed.
- Nonspecific immunotherapy is aimed at restoring immune responses . Immunostimulants of the cellular component of immunity (T-cells and phagocytes) have proven themselves well in this regard. Staphylococcal infection develops against the background reduced immunity, so strengthening it is a top priority.
- Antibiotic therapy gives good results if you use drugs to which staphylococcus is sensitive. For example, experts recommend Baytril, which contains enrofloxacin, which belongs to the group of fluoroquinolones. This product has wide range actions and is used to treat both salmonella and staphylococci. In some cases, the veterinarian prescribes a course consisting of 2-3 types of antibiotics at the same time.
- Application of bacteriophages , virus-like living components that can eliminate certain bacteria.
- For local use prescribe: cauterizing and drying agents (for example, alum solution), enzymatic - chemotrypsin, lysozyme. Local treatment with staphylococcus cannot replace the above, because is of secondary importance. Itchy wounds are treated with dimexide solution or novocaine is used in the form of applications.
- To strengthen the immune system, probiotics and vitamin preparations are prescribed.
Baytril is a drug for the treatment of dermatitis in dogs.
Pododemodicosis
For the treatment of interdigital dermatitis caused by subcutaneous mites, Ivermectin is prescribed. The drug is quite toxic, so it is prescribed in extremely severe cases.
The drug is contraindicated in dogs during pregnancy.
Incorrect placement
In some cases, incorrect paw placement may require surgical treatment.
Dogs with overweight a diet is prescribed.
If the problem is caused by excess weight, a corrective diet for the animal is prescribed. Some dogs benefit from wearing special corrective shoes. In any case, self-medication is unacceptable; consultation with a veterinarian is necessary.
Paw injuries
In case of traumatic dermatitis, it is necessary to monitor the wound healing process. Used for lubrication zinc ointment. Avoid getting water on the injured limb.
Zinc ointment is used to lubricate the wound.
Shampoo with birch tar is prescribed for allergies.
It is very important to identify the allergen and try to eliminate it from the animal’s life. If there is a food allergy, a special hypoallergenic diet. For local application Chlorhexidine or a special tar shampoo for animals is suitable.
Psychogenic form
The disease can appear in a dog due to stress.
If the disease occurs after, the veterinarian will suggest a course of treatment sedatives . After recovery nervous system, signs of dermatitis will disappear on their own.
conclusions
You cannot treat a dog with medications without a veterinarian's prescription.
Interdigital dermatitis in dogs should only be treated once identified. the real reason diseases. In this case, treatment will bring relief to the animal. But the use of all kinds of ointments and lotions without a doctor’s prescription will only aggravate the course of the disease.
Video about interdigital dermatitis in dogs
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