Infected 'pads'

[pboae]

Sully has sort of false pads on his feet, where he drags his back legs, and sometimes he gets ingrowing hairs in them. That turns into an infection, and eventually it splits open. It's just happened again tonight. Unfortunately he doesn't give any obvious sign that they are sore before it reaches that stage. He bites his feet a lot anyway, so that's not helpful, and he was off his food the last 24 hours, but I thought he had toothache! (He had hurt his tooth, that wasn't just a random guess)!

 

He isn't bothering it now it has split, he ate some sardines and rice tonight, and is looking a lot more comfortable. We are off to the vet tomorrow morning for antibiotics, etc.

 

It's definitely the 2nd time this has happend (and possibly the 3rd, but one may have been misdiagnosed as a glass cut).

 

Does anyone else's dog suffers with this? Is there anything I can do to prevent it? The pads (and his feet in general) are very tough and calloused, so you can't tell that there is an infection inside, it doesn't show on the outside. I have been using paw wax to try and soften his feet, but it doesnt seem to make much difference, and he hates having it on. Is there anything else I can do?

[Ian]

When Jo had an operation & stitches I was given hibiscrub to keep the wound clean with. My sister was telling me her skin was cracking on her fingers despite trying various creams. She'd just bought some hibiscrub & tried dipping it in that & by the following day it was healing.

 

Tara slightly cut one of hers recently & it has done that some good too.

 

Maybe it would therefore be worth trying bathing his pads with hibiscrub - you can buy in pet shops, at vets, probably the chemists.

 

Do you know why he drags his feet?

[pboae]

He drags his feet because his legs and hips are screwed A combination of poor breeding and the behaviour of his previous owners.

 

I do wash his feet and legs with hibiscrub. He often bites his legs and feet when he is nervous, stressed, tired, etc. it's an old habit, which has improved a bit, but it's proving hard to stop completely. If I don't clean them he gets skin infections. It doesn't seem to help with these problems though, because the infection is on the inside.

 

Now it is open the vet will pull the hair follicle out, give him antibiotics and I will hibiscrub it everyday. I just wish I could stop it before we reached this stage

[sanrossscot]

Would he wear boots when he is out walking?

[pboae]

He wore boots for a while after the last one, but because he doesn't pick his feet up properly they trip him up. The vet was undecided whether he would ever learn to walk in them (he trips over his own feet sometimes too) and because falls are really bad for his hips, we stopped using the boots.

[Laurel n Hardy]

hope things improve for him soon

 

[Ian]

He drags his feet because his legs and hips are screwed A combination of poor breeding and the behaviour of his previous owners.

 

I do wash his feet and legs with hibiscrub. He often bites his legs and feet when he is nervous, stressed, tired, etc. it's an old habit, which has improved a bit, but it's proving hard to stop completely. If I don't clean them he gets skin infections. It doesn't seem to help with these problems though, because the infection is on the inside.

 

Now it is open the vet will pull the hair follicle out, give him antibiotics and I will hibiscrub it everyday. I just wish I could stop it before we reached this stage

 

 

Might be worth trying adding a cod liver oil capsule to his dinner each day - good for the skin and coat, joints etc. Joyces back legs (she'd tend to drag a little and at times stumble / fall) & coat were not good even after she'd been in rescue a few months & gained some strength (she'd arrived at Rosedene rescue with sarcoptic mange & barely able to stand) but a chicken diet, cod liver oil & gently building up exercise really made a difference to her - after 10 days she'd begun to run - all be it slowly at first - & she has improved more since.

[pboae]

hope things improve for him soon

 

 

Thank you he is much better today, the vet cleaned him up and he has started his antibiotics. He ate all his dinner tonight for the first time in days.

 

Might be worth trying adding a cod liver oil capsule to his dinner each day - good for the skin and coat, joints etc. Joyces back legs (she'd tend to drag a little and at times stumble / fall) & coat were not good even after she'd been in rescue a few months & gained some strength (she'd arrived at Rosedene rescue with sarcoptic mange & barely able to stand) but a chicken diet, cod liver oil & gently building up exercise really made a difference to her - after 10 days she'd begun to run - all be it slowly at first - & she has improved more since.

 

He gets tinned pilchards and sardines to get his fish oil, he has Nutradyl supplements every day, Rimadyl when he needs it (which unfortunately is most of the time at the moment) and Cartrophen every 3 months. His food also has joint supplements in it. I thought cod liver oil wasn't too good for dogs though, because of the high Vitamin A content.

Edited August 11, 2007 by pboae

[Ian]

I thought cod liver oil wasn't too good for dogs though, because of the high Vitamin A content.

 

It is theoretically possible to give excessive levels of vitamins though that's true with diet generally & you'll find differing levels in a range of foods - sardines & pilchards are both sources of vitamin A just like cod liver oil

 

Vets will tell you that you can give cod liver oil in appropriate doses (whether a "live" vet or searching on line) Good for the skin as well as joints. Sun flower oil is another alternative. Sounds like you're already doing what you can with the various supplements & medicatiosn though. Hope he gets over this soon.