My dog has flat spots on their paw pads. Should I be concerned?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. The spots you are seeing on the bottom of the feet could be secondary to callus formation or previous blister formation from friction or heat when running or coming in contact with hot surfaces. If she goes hiking a lot and walks through gravel, sometimes callus formation can cause these spots to show up. There are pad diseases that will cause discoloration of the pad, however this does not look concerning to me at this point in time. If the feet become swollen or you notice any wounds in between the toes that I would bring this to the attention of a veterinarian and have it examined. Further testing can be performed on this such as obtaining a biopsy of the paw pad. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I'm also available via consultation if needed

Dogs can get corns on their pads. This is common in greyhounds but can happen in any breed. They can cause discomfort when walking or running but not painful when touched. These can be cut back by your veterinarian so they don’t touch the ground. I recommend a veterinary exam to get a diagnosis and treatment plan. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This could just be an allergic condition, but looking at the spotty nature of the pads, I would also be concerned that this might be an auto-immune condition called pemphigus, where the lesions are often first noticed on the footpads. Since this has been ongoing for several months, & now she is showing signs of pain, it is time to have your veterinarian evaluate the pads for what is going on. Hope all is well. Take care.

Coloration of the paw pads can change as a dog ages, and may turn pinkish or brown, especially if old skin has sloughed off or there was an injury that healed. Signs of a problem to look out for include licking or chewing of the feet, redness or inflammation, pain, visible swelling or injury, strange smells, or if the discolored area is painful to the touch or non-weight bearing. These are all signs of something else ongoing such as an infection, allergy, or injury, which should be treated by your vet.

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.

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!

Without pictures and without examining Smudgle, it is difficult to say for sure what the cause is. This could be hyperkeratosis / calus formation, which is benign but can be uncomfortable for some animals. I would recommend having them looked at by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made.