Malik has this sore on the back of a pad on his paw http://www.illustraline.com/paw.html for a photo. It started as a cut over a month ago, and now it's pretty raw, so he's limping.
I don't know what to do about it: he's been licking it a lot, and we go for a long walk and swim everyday, I'm sure all that doesn't help.
I don't want him to wear a cone around his head as the licking isn't the only problem, and I hate not to go out with him on our daily outings, since it's summer and fun.
I thought of using a bootie perhaps, not fun with the heat...
If any of you have any suggestions, let me know,
thanks ahead
Aude

 Quote: Aude-Noelle Nevius

Malik has this sore on the back of a pad on his paw http://www.illustraline.com/paw.html for a photo. It started as a cut over a month ago, and now it's pretty raw, so he's limping.
I don't know what to do about it: he's been licking it a lot, and we go for a long walk and swim everyday, I'm sure all that doesn't help.
I don't want him to wear a cone around his head as the licking isn't the only problem, and I hate not to go out with him on our daily outings, since it's summer and fun.
I thought of using a bootie perhaps, not fun with the heat...
If any of you have any suggestions, let me know,
thanks ahead
Aude

That looks infected. I'd make a vet appointment.

Did you know that they have soft cones now? Your vet might not have one, but you could get it yourself if he needs a cone.

http://www.bonafido.com/page6.html

I think they are GREAT, and I always have it on hand since I found out about them.

He can get comfortable, lie down, sleep, etc. --- even eat.

What Connie said - and
- for booties try one of the lightweight booties used for sled dogs http://www.dogbooties.com/330decobo.html - these ones are very lightweigh and inexpensive so yo can buy a few and always haave a clean one to put on him. YOu might not want to leave him unattended with them on but they are good for when you take him outside to keep the foot clean. If he is a GSD he will probably take a size L (large).

I agree with Connie about the vet appointment.

My Dutch goes in for surgery Tuesday to have his foot explored and worked on. He had a small scab and was limping a bit. I ended up getting a piece of "cheat grass" out of it and he seemed to get better, then he came up lame again. There is something in there that is not working it's way out, soooooo it is off to take it out.

Your dog may be having the same issue and it is not something you want to ignore or treat yourself.

That sucks Carol, I always worry about that kind of thing. Hope Rock is his "Rockin" self again soon.

As for the OP the advice on the vet is great. I HATE pad/foot injuries and my dog has suffered a few. They always take longer than I would like or expect to fully heal.

The sled dog booties are perfect IMO, cheap too. Don't be surprised if it takes a bit for the dog to get used to it.

Keeping things as obsesively clean and dry is what has worked for me. If the vet gives some antibiotics/creams or whatever I would still start to be obsesive on the clean and dry thing. It looks like it is staying too moist to me. Does is smell at all?

I have specific details on my 'keeping it clean and dry' first aid protocol, it may be slightly obsesive, but it has worked for me. You can PM me if you want details.

I have also heard great things about a product called EMT gel. (Zero affiliation.) I wonder if anyone here has used it? IF there is no infection (or you get it under control), it would be a good aplication for the product from the bata I have heard and from the list of its uses. I would go for the gel not the spray for this case. I am sure I will get my chance to try it out soon enough

http://emtgel.com/whatitis/index.php

Connie: Man are those collars funny Glad to hear they work though, will file that one in the doggie first aid file

Cheers,

Oh I just saw that it started as a cut. Related to what Carol said too, you need to make sure somehow that something is not stuck in there aggravating it. My sister's mal X had a tiny sliver of glass stuck in his paw once, it took 3 trips to the vet over a month before they realized something was in there.

Jennifer

 Quote: Jennifer Coulter

I have also heard great things about a product called EMT gel. (Zero affiliation.)
Connie: Man are those collars funny Glad to hear they work though, will file that one in the doggie first aid file

That EMT gel is not a primary wound cleaner, so you don't want to make that mistake and use it in place of your wound-wash or triple antibiotic, etc. It's more like a barrier, or a bleeding control aid and scar-tissue former, as I understand it. I heard a couple of guys in our club raving about it, specifically for pad wounds.

Yes, the soft cones are hilarious-looking. But once you try one, you'll never use the cone-head kind again.

For one thing, my dog who walks into walls with the cone-head collar used to pant anxiously and suction himself onto the wall. THAT didn't happen with the soft one. It was just better all around.

 Quote:

For one thing, my dog who walks into walls with the cone-head collar used to pant anxiously and suction himself onto the wall.

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen written on this forum...period!

(and Connie, please know I am not laughing at the stress this must have caused your poor dog. That is definitely not amusing)

Thanks for all this info. I don't want to take him to the vet as he seems to go there ALL THE TIME for this or that. This time, I'm going to try hydrogen peroxyde on it, and I started using a bootie on a walk, training, and at home when I can't keep an eye on him (I already had a set for winter). He doesn't mind it, so we'll see. And tonight, when I take my contact lenses out, I'll check his wound. Why with my lenses out? You will think it's funny, actually quite convenient too, but I can see close really well without them, sort of like a magnifier! We'll see if I can see any problem.
Thanks for all the posts, and I will keep these hilarious collars in mind!
I'm laughing, here comes my dog in my office, with one bootie on, it's making a raucous one time out of 4!

 Quote: Sarah_Morris

 Quote:

For one thing, my dog who walks into walls with the cone-head collar used to pant anxiously and suction himself onto the wall.

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen written on this forum...period!

(and Connie, please know I am not laughing at the stress this must have caused your poor dog. That is definitely not amusing)

Well, I'll be darned. I really didn't know this was unique.

It did look funny, because you would see black dog from the shoulders down, kind of stuck to the wall like a toilet plunger.

I don't know how he breathed in more than out, or if that was why he would get stuck, but it was always just for a couple of seconds, and then *pop* off.