My dog's paw pads are peeling. What can I do to help my dog?

It could have been a thermal injury if the sidewalk was hot on recent walks. If you haven't taken Vinny on any walks recently, then I would recommend having him evaluated by a vet, some types of infections or autoimmune diseases can cause sloughing of the paw pads. Continue to make sure that Vinny doesn't lick at all. Don't try to pull of the dark part, as it is protecting the more delicate tissue underneath - it will fall off on its own. If you take Vinny outside, use dog booties to protect the pads. Don't apply any ointment unless directly advised by your vet.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Nugget may have blistered his feet from running outside or from chewing his feet from allergies. You have a couple of options. The first would be to take him to the veterinarian to be examined and to have the paw pad that is falling off trimmed away from the foot so it does not catch on anything in the environment. The second option would be to soak his feet in epsom salt soaks twice daily 10 minutes at a time and wait for the pad tissue to fall off on its own. I would also have him wear protective booties and applying a wound cream such as Sentry Wound ointment (can be found at Petco) while the feet are healing. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I would recommend that you have Pepper checked out by a vet. The area you circled looks very irritated, and the slight staining of the hair around it may indicate that she has a yeast infection. You can continue the Polysporin ointment twice a day. No peroxide or alcohol. She may need to wear booties if she goes out in wet grass or dirt. Unfortunately, she will need to wear the e-collar until it is completely healed to prevent infection and decreased healing time. Paw pads can take 3-6 weeks to completely heal :(

Try gently washing his paw in warm water and antiseptic soap. I would rest Scoopy for the next couple of days to see if his paw pad heals. If you see any sign of infection, please have him seen by a vet. Best of luck.

Poor guy. If the areas are relatively superficial, then you can clean them with Betadine/Iodine diluted 50:50 with warm water OR Chlorhexidine solution (2-4% diluted until a robin's egg blue consistency). This will remove any bacteria on the surface. However, since this part of the pet is always touching the ground and getting debris in them, you should consider placing booties (purchased at the local Petco or on Amazon) on Lincoln for 4-7 days until the skin starts to heal back. You may not need to keep these on Lincoln while he is inside the house, but definitely when he goes outside to potty. Alternatively, you can try placing socks or some kind of stocking material on his paws and then wiping them down with the solution when he comes back in. I would not recommend placing anything else over the counter on these areas. The paw pads are normally very forgiving when they just have abrasions on them and not an actual laceration (cut) of the pad, and heal up well in many cases. If the paws are wore down to the point of bleeding or show any signs of infection, then it is best to take him to your veterinarian for additional medication and treatment. I hope that this helps. Best of luck with Lincoln and I hope that his paws heal up well soon! Take care.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about your dog. Thank you also for providing the pictures, they are very helpful. That has really peeled back, and likely will need to be removed. I would not try to remove it yourself, it could hurt him and he may bite in pain. I'd take him into a vet now to get this part of his pad removed, to get pain medication, and to get antibiotics. I hope this helps!

Phoenix's paw pads may benefit from a change in diet. Royal Canin diets are fortified with Omega 3 fatty acids which are good for the coat and skin. They make a diet for sensitive skin (you may need to look online for the product) and this one would be a good option. It will take about 4 weeks to see if they improve with a new diet. You could also try a product such as Baely's Paw Shield. This balm may help to heal the cracked skin. Lastly, avoid rough surfaces and dry the paws well when they get wet. If the skin starts looking red, bleeding, scabbing or if he seems bothered, have hime seen by his vet. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!