My dog's carpal pad peeled. When should I worry and see a vet?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Leeloo and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. I think you are doing a great job, and I don't see a need to take her to the vet. I'd put a cone on her and monitor the area for signs of infection which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. If you do see signs of infection, I'd take her into the vet. I hope this helps!

It's incredibly hard to tell as the photo is a little blurry. If the bleeding has stopped, you can clean the pad and trim away some of the fur to see how bad it is. If the wound is very large (more than half an inch or so) or is causing pain or difficulty walking, a trip to the vet is a good idea for pain meds, antibiotics, and a bandage (depending on the location of the pad) to help the area heal. If the wound is smaller, keeping the foot clean and dry (wrapping it when your pup goes outside to keep dirt and debris from getting in) and using an Elizabethan (e-collar) can help keep it from getting infected while it heals.

Poor girl! That must be very painful for her. Ideally, take her to the vet so that the damage can be assessed, pain medication prescribed, antibiotics if indicated, and professional wound care performed. If you are entirely unable to get her to the vet, and she is eating, drinking, acting ok, etc, you can clean the wounds with dilute Betadine (povidone iodine) available at any pharmacy. Add a little of the betadine to water so that it looks like tea. Clean the wounds with this antiseptic cleanser. Then you could apply a wound care product such as this: apply a nonstick sterile bandage pad, and gently wrap them (NOT TOO TIGHT) with rolled cotton or rolled gauze, and an outside layer of VetWrap or Coban (again NOT TOO TIGHT). CHANGE THE BANDAGES DAILY and do NOT allow the bandages to get wet. If they do get wet, even briefly, the bandages need to be changed. You can cover them ONLY when outside to walk to go potty, with a plastic bag, but don't use rubber bands to secure the plastic bag as it may be too tight. Keep her inside (except to go potty) until the wounds are healed, and ONLY cover in plastic to go outside. If she is chewing on the bandages, put an E collar (cone of shame) on her. Again, ideally, this should be evaluated by a vet. I can't assure you that this isn't a very serious situation without being able to see the wounds in person, and early, appropriate intervention is the best way to ensure that they heal well and with the least amount of complication. Finally, do not give any over the counter pain medication that is made for humans (no ibuprofen, aleve, Tylenol, etc) as these medications have a high likelihood of causing side effects of GI ulceration, liver damage, or kidney damage. Many safer alternatives designed for dogs are available from your vet. Thank you for asking PetCoach!

According to the photos it looks like a mild abrasion in the central pad that is healing. For now I would just monitor unless signs of infection (redness, pus, foul smell, pain) or if any lameness present then I would suggest to contact your vet.

I would wrap it with a bandage to protect it, and just keep an eye on him for now. Keep him for licking the bandage by putting an Ecollar on him. You can make one at home or get one from a pet store. Have him seen by a vet on Monday, as the flap may need to be removed. Change the bandage daily, and if it appears infected or he starts limping, take him into an ER vet. I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Hello. You did an admirable job caring for Lenny's injury. It is difficult to tell if this is granulation tissue, or just how the damaged skin balled up, but if the injury is sound & stable, no pain & no bleeding, then there is probably no need to do very much at this point. The skin has a remarkable ability to remodel, so this might totally go down with time. Just watch things as she could reinjure this & get things bleeding again. Any concerns, do see your veterinarian, but I might just see how this does over the next couple of weeks on its own. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ouch, that's a big enough tear it should be seen by your vet. At the very least they can clip back the hair, thoroughly clean it, and then provide you with pain medications and antibiotics for Ave so it doesn't get infected. Until you can get into your vet, it is best to keep the foot clean and dry and to NOT let him lick it. Licking will introduce bacteria that will cause further inflammation and potential infection. You can use an Elizabethan (cone) collar to keep him from doing so. I would also limit all activity to leashed walks only for potty breaks to prevent him from putting more weight on the injured pad which can lead to more pain.