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Furry Paw Pads


Teebs
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Looks as if it could be a fungal infection?

I thought this as well. In fact, I think I remember reading something about this sort of thing when I was surfing the net via google looking for something else. If I can find it, and if it does look/sound like the same, I'll post a link up here. It was a while ago though, so I don't know if I will be able to find it.

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Does this sound like it?

Nasodigital Hyperkeratosis

ETA: I see Rommi n Lewis, thought this a possibility as well.

Here's a link to a picture where the actual pad seems to be affected - it doesn't seem to be as proliffic as your boy's, but the colouration is perhaps on its way to being similar??

Nasodigital Hyperkeratosis picture

Oh - and here's another link with info and pictures. The pictures are clearer and the more I am seeing the more I think this is what your dog might have. And the fact they've referred to it as "Mutant Hairy Dog Feet" also makes me think this is it.

Mutant Hairy Dog Feet

There is a suggestion (that I've read in two links now) that the condition can be related to hypothyroidism or indicate low zinc levels.

Edited by Erny
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wow, thanks Erny! That looks exactly like what he has!!

Will print all this off when i goto the vets!

No probs, Teebs. I'd never seen this on paw pads before and it got me interested enough to fish around. Would be interested to know what the Vet's thoughts are.

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Oh, and Teebs? A bit OT to what the subject heading is, but my avatar girl had what I refer to as "tree trunk nails" - similar to what your boy's looks like, although most of hers were black, so even tougher. I couldn't clip them - the pressure that I would have had to apply would hurt her too much. I did the filing with tough and then fine files (builder type) that I purchased from Bunnings. That helped, but it took me sooooo long to do (minimum 2 hours) and I had to do it so often. I then bought a dremmel and didn't look back. I still had to do them every 2 weeks as her quicks wouldn't shrink back, so I could only ever take a small amount off. But instead of 2 hours, it took me about half an hour to do all four feet.

I do my current boy's nails with the dremmel as well. He was ok with the nail clippers when he was a pup, but they are thicker and stronger now and I don't want to do anything to cause him pain and put him off having his nails done. So I switched to the dremmel.

Would you not be able to do your boy's nails yourself if you used the dremmel method?

Or is it just as convenient and not too costly to have them done at your Vet's?

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He is very aggressive when it comes to his feet - a vet in WA stuffed him up :)

By the time i make him stay and let me dremmel, it is just as easier, and quicker to drive to the vets and get them to cut them, Lisa can do them in less time than it takes me to get organised to dremmel!

I do try to file them between cuttings, but it is just such a PITA - my vet also doesnt charge for cutting his nails, so makes it a better option! :laugh:

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I sent my friend an email last night, this was her reply:

your dog paws have got keratosis - this is just a term for inflammation of the pads/nails/skin in general - thousands of causes and symptoms. in this case it looks as though the pads are kept too moist - probably half from overlicking, but i'd say an underlying fungal condition. it can also cause excessive toenail growth and toenail abnormalities - deformation and curling the wrong way/sideways, etc. if there is any redness or swelling between the toes as well this is pododermatitis - often starts fungal and gets secondary bacterial infections.

best treatment - soak feet in malaseb wash (you can get it from petbarn!!) once daily. dilute down 1 part malaseb to 9 parts warm water and soak for 10 minutes once a day. then dry off feet and apply cannestan cream (like us for tinea) once daily. if licking heaps, use vicks vaporub over the top - tastes disgusting and may deter him, or will have to bandage/use socks taped to leg to stop him getting to feet. try and keep them dry/clean.

you could also add flaxseed oil to diet - liquid 1/2 teaspoon once daily with food, can prob get thru petbarn too.

if can't manage all this, next best thing is betadine ointment smeared over pads twice daily, and try not to let lick off, but won't work as well.

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From what I read, I thought you'd need more than just soaking to remove the 'hairy' stuff. But I have no experience with this. Would you let us know what you end up doing, Teebs, and what works (and what doesn't)?

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Ok, just started treatment tonight, just had the bath in the shampoo.. thought i had a great set up, cat litter tray (unused!) with the stuff to soak him in, the i could stand him in it for 10 mins, then carry to bath.. all good.. till about the 3 min mark when he got sick of standing, and laid down in the whole litter tray!! So we went from a foot soak, to a tummy and foot soak :)

Just waiting for his feet to dry to put the cream on, also getting nails cut this week, so will take some updated photos as we go.

Does anyone know where i get flax seed oil from? I went to the chemist as well as the supermarket and they had none, i did manage to get some in tablet type ones, but i couldnt find the liquid?

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The moogoo scalp cream is great for fungal infections as well :rofl:

As to the dorito smell...i've always assumed that was just healthy cat/dog feet smell - all my cats paws smell of corn chips and have clean healthy paws (between pads etc) and same with the dogs if they haven't been treading in mud...but have clean healthy skin etc between paw pads. Curious...i'll have to keep a closer eye on them...lol...i love the corn chip smell of their feets! :)

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