Torn Pads

[Seita]

My girl has some how managed to tear a pad on one of her front feet. How long do these things tend to take to heal and is there anything I can put on it to speed up the process? Also what do people tend to do with dogs who have done this - just keep them quiet and off the foot as much as possible or still give some exercise (obviously limited to what the dog wants to do)? Sorry if these questions seem a bit silly, I've just never experienced this problem before! Thanks in advance for your responses.

[lucknow]

Saline/salt water solution is safe to put on wounds and would be appropriate. Your girl needs to stay off the foot and when she is walking reduce pressure to allow the wound to begin to heal. A bandage with plenty of padding will help but obviously get help if you are not experienced with bandages and make sure it stays dry. Foot wounds can take several weeks to heal partly because of the akwardness of the site.

It would be a good idea to get the foot checked out by a vet especially as you are not sure what caused the injury. Also make sure there is nothing in the wound

[persephone]

If it is just a tear of the tougher outer 'skin' ..and isn't hanging off or bleeding profusely..and if she isn't limping badly... wash it well, put some betadine on, and rest a few days.

If it is seeping blood..looks deep , or seems very sore if you apply pressure, and/or if she is quite wary of using that foot..see your vet

[Seita]

Thanks guys. She's only ripped the outer layer of the pad and it looks pretty clean underneath. There is no blood or any sort of weeping and she's not limping in a big way. I didn't notice it until yesterday afternoon when I took her to the park and saw her running with a limp. She's barely limping at all when she walks.