My dog's paw is ripping. What causes it and what are home remedies?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This does not require stitches in my opinion. The spot at the top of the picture appears to be a cut or abrasion. The protruding pieces are likely pieces of pad that have not fallen off on their own. I would recommend soaking this in a betadine / saline mixture (mixed to give a light brown solution). I would soak this for 5-10 minutes twice daily until healed. I would also apply Sentry Wound ointment, which you can find at PetCo and apply twice daily. If this does not improve or it worsens, please have Bane examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures, it appears that Freya has hyperkeratosis of the paw pads. This condition does not cause any major problems and is more of a cosmetic problem. You can try and file the overgrown pad by using a dremmel (I recommend having a veterinarian or veterinary technician do this) and then try to help prevent this from occurring by using dog booties and BioBalm by Dermoscent (can be found online). 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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It depends on the location and severity of the cut as to how it would best be treated. Sometimes they can be closed, other times bandaging may be best. Ideally wounds should be addressed as quickly as possible to allow for optimal healing. Waiting another day may make closing the wound impossible if it's an option. Make sure that Moose cannot lick the wound, this may require an e-collar (lampshade cone of shame). If it is painful or continuing to bleed he should be seen tonight.

It's hard to see with all the hair, I assume I'm looking at the top of her paw and it's between two toes. This may not be a traumatic injury, it could be a place that she has licked and scratched because she had a small wound or an insect bite or other irritation between the toes. I recommend keeping it clean with a warm damp washcloth and mild soap, make sure to rinse it completely and apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to keep the skin moist and avoid cracking. I would get it seen by your vet as soon as you can but, as long as she seems otherwise fine, I don't feel this is an emergency.

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!