My dog cut her paw pad. What should I do for a dog paw injury?

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.

Hello, and thanks for your question. It's difficult to tell in the picture where the injury is. I'm possibly seeing a small area with minor irritation on the edge of the metacarpal pad (the larger pad behind the toe pads), almost like a rug-burn type injury... If that's the case, it will be a bit sore until the tissue starts to heal, but there isn't much to do other than monitor for infection and protect it from further injury. You can apply a topical ointment such as neosporin, and sometimes they're more comfortable if you apply a sock or bootie when Blitz goes outside. Avoid long walks and running off leash for a week or so, especially on abrasive surfaces such as concrete or gravel. Monitor for redness, swelling, or discharge that might indicate infection. If you see any of these, or if Blitz seems uncomfortable enough to need pain medication, then it's best to bring her in to the vet. Of course, if there's further injury besides the suspected "rugburn" or scrape I described above, don't hesitate to question again with a description of the injury you're seeing, and maybe a close-up with an arrow to the injury in question... Hope this helps!

Charlie is adorable! Thank you for posting a picture of her. If the cut is not open or bleeding and is padded with a bandage, Charlie may not be painful. Many over the counter human pain medications are not safe for dogs and some interact with pain medications that your vet may give you, so I would not recommend giving her any over the counter medication until you talk to your vet. As far as the wound, it sounds like you have done everything right. The most important thing is keeping the cut protected which you have already done. Make sure that the bandage stays clean and dry. If any moisture gets under the bag and the bandage gets wet, then it needs to come off right away because it will actually make the cut more likely to get infected. If the cut is starting to heal, I will often change to a dog bootie or shoe to prevent problems with bandages getting wet. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lulu. Unfortunately, your question must have exceeded the text limit as it was cut off. I understand that she has a cut on her paw pad. She will need to see her veterinarian. It may require surgery to heal depending on the size of the wound. If not, bandaging and antibiotics could be needed. In the meantime, place an E-collar on her to prevent her from licking the wound. Keep the area clean and dry as well. I hope this information helps!

Hello, Dogs with heartworm may cough with or without phlegm. The best way to test for heartworm is with a small blood sample. That cut on the paw pad is very deep. Ideally, I think she should see a vet for it now. Clean the wound with warm saline before applying the topical antibiotics and bandage. Do this twice daily until healed for the best possible results. If her foot gets swollen, starts having green discharge, or she stops being interested in food, it may be a sign of a serious infection that requires a vet visit and oral antibiotics. I hope that's helpful!

Paw pad injuries should heal pretty quickly if they are going to heal at home. You can use sharp scissors and remove that flap of skin (but don't cut super close to the edge of the paw). Most of the time, this flap of skin will be like a cuticle on your finger so it doesn't cause pain to remove it. If it seems painful, don't cut it. After 5 days, the tissue underneath the flap should be looking more like the exterior paw pad. It should be darkening in color and not looking raw. If this is occurring, that's a good sign and Hercules seems to be healing it on his own. You can stop bandaging it. Continue to antibiotics for a full 10 days or until the wound is fully healed. You must prevent all licking and he should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. You must also prevent all trauma so no walks, running or jumping until the paw is fully healed. The paw shoudl be completely healed within 10-14 days from the time of the cut. If the paw still looks raw, has any discharge, pain or swelling at this time, Hercules needs to be examined by the veterinarian as this is abnormal and not expected. If at any point the cut shows any of these symptoms, he should be examined. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

What a brave girl! Pads sometimes do get abrasions or blisters from running on rocky, hot, or uneven surfaces. It looks like they are doing ok right now, but you do need to keep an eye on them. Put an Collar (cone of shame) on her so that she cannot lick them, and If she becomes more bothered by them, if she's favoring them heavily ("walking on eggshells), or if she starts to seem lethargic or isn't eating, get her in. All of those could be signs of infection. In the meantime, clean them daily with dilute betadine (available at any pharmacy) -- use a small bowl (1-2 cups or so) of water, and add enough betadine so that it looks like tea. If she will tolerate keeping her foot in that for a minute or so, great. If not, just use a gauze pad or cotton ball to clean the wound off with the butadiene solution. Leave them UNBANDAGED at this time, so that you can monitor them closely, and so that moisture doesn't get trapped which could increase the likelihood of infection developing. While I do think they should not be bandaged, DO use booties if you are going to be going for a long walk, etc--ideally, though, avoid exercise on rough, rocky, uneven surfaces until its healed. Take the booties off when she comes inside. (something like this I hope thats helpful for you! Thanks for asking PetCoach!