My dog's back paws are injured after a long gravel hike. What to do?

I'm so sorry to hear that Reaves and Marilyn are having such a hard time after their hike. Paw pads can take a while to heal and can be very painful. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine them to determine if they need any treatment other than what you are currently doing, to determine which pain medication will help them feel better, and also to determine the best way to protect their feet. Sometimes I will recommend commercial booties while paw pads heal, but sometimes I will teach owners to bandage feet at home if they are severely affected. Good luck! I hope they feel better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear about Sugar. This could be a number of things including snake bite, bee sting, broken toe/foot, or abscess. I’d recommend seeing your vet as soon as possible for a better diagnosis and the proper treatment. Tonight is ideal. If the swelling continues up the leg or Sugar becomes lethargic, has tremors, or any other worrisome signs, please see an emergency vet immediately. Otherwise, I recommend the following until you can get in tomorrow. Ice- apply an ice pack or frozen veggie bag wrappped in a paper towel or thin cloth. Apply for 5-10 mins every 2-4 hours. This does wonders for both pain and swelling. Epsom salt soak- mix 4 tbsp Epsom salts in 1 cup warm water. Soak his paw in this tonight. This helps with pain, swelling, and if there is something stuck (stinger, thorn, etc). I absolutely do NOT recommend any human pain medications as they are neither safe, nor very effective in animals. They may also interfere with the pain medications that your vet will want to prescribe. Best of luck to you and Sugar!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry about Chaparra's paws! It is a common injury in the summer. Soaking the feet in Epsom salts twice daily and bandaging with neosporin should work. If you can't keep bandages on then just keep him on soft surfaces, like the grass. If he is painful then take him to your Vet monday for pain medications. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Skye. Its hard to make the area out on the photo, but I don't think you need to rush to an emergency hospital. I'd call your vet and set up an appointment when you are able to get her in. They can shave and clean the area and dispense antibiotics, topical medications and pain meds. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This sounds serious and warrants a veterinary evaluation as soon as possible. There is usually even more trauma than what you can appreciate in cases of dog fights. There may be cuts that need suturing, wounds that need antibiotics and the need for pain control medications as it sounds like he is very sore. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to evaluate him to look at the extent of his injuries so therapy can be recommended accordingly. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This wound appears to be superficial so your initial decontamination with the warm water and soaking it in epsom salt should be enough. I would recommend keeping a close eye on this and making sure the foot does not become swollen and that there is no pus coming from the wound. You can soak the foot in epsom salt solution twice daily until this is healed. If Duke is going to be going outside in the dirt I would recommend putting a booty over his foot or a sock to prevent dirt from getting inside the wound. If there are any changes that indicate infection, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Duke so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Try soaking it in some warm water with Epsom salt if he will allow it-- this is easiest to do by putting the water and epsom salt in a plastic bag and putting his paw into the plastic bag. If you can do this for about 10 minutes or so, that may help if he has any debris , sticker, grass seed, etc that is embedded in the skin. If he is licking at it, be sure to put an Ecollar (cone of shame) on him. Dry it with a towel then allow to air dry, then you can use this product on it: If it is not improving within a couple of days, take him in to your vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!