# Questions on Size and Pad Problem



## Ally's Mom (Apr 10, 2012)

Hi everyone! I have 2 questions tonight for you.. Don't know if there are any right or wrong answers, but I look forward to any feedback!!

First off, I was wondering about our Ally's size. She is only 34lbs 6oz at 10 1/2 mos. I checked with the vet and he says that he thinks she is done growing. We got her from a reputable breeder in our area, but I just still find it funny that she's so tiny! No complaints though, we love her big or small. Just curious if anyone else has run into many "mini" goldens?

Secondly, Ally loves to fetch. She will run and play for hours, but after even just a few throws her top pad on her front paws will be ripped and bloody. This will happen regardless of if we throw 2 or 3 times or 10 or 12. I hate to stop playing with her because it is her _*favorite *_game, but am worried about her paws. I've been cleaning them out with warm water and putting some neosporin on them, wondering if anyone else ran into this situation before?

I have posted some pictures of her paws and a few others to show how small she is as well so you can get a picture of what I'm talking about.

Thanks in advance for any advice or comments. I really appreciate it!!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

She sure is cute! Have you measured her at the shoulder? And what does her breeder say about her line of dogs? Do they run small?

If you Google GR puppy growth chart, you'll get a range of sizes in height and weight according to age. 

My Tucker is a big boy but within the standard.. He's just over 70 lbs. I wouldn't mind if he were a bit smaller actually....maybe I can send you a little of his size...?  I really like petite GRs.

What did your vet say about the paw? Have you tried wrapping it in a bandage before she plays?


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## Ithaca (Jul 24, 2011)

Poor darling, it must be painful! It looks so raw! I hope you find out why it happens and how it can be prevented. 

I saw your post on the top 10 recent posts and then "lost it". I wanted to bump it up for you and was searching for it with the search tool. I found that if you type "pad problem" in the search engine of the forum you may find a few owner's experience with raw pads. Good luck on this.

And about the size, I read a lot of posts about very small Goldens, adults around 35 pounds. They're made from concentrate, but the gold in them is just as worthy!


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## Ithaca (Jul 24, 2011)

Bumping up. I don't like the look of those pads. Has anyone ever seen this?


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Her Carpal pad really needs to heal up before chasing after a ball again, dogs use their Carpal pad for braking. Once it looks a bit better pet some vet-wrap around it to help protect it during play until it toughens up.

Dogs can have just as much fun if you toss a ball straight up in the air which avoids them slamming on the brakes during a retrieve.


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## Ally's Mom (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks Ithaca, OutWest, and Golden Camper!! I appreciate the advice and insight from you guys!

Ithaca - Thanks for the bump and for letting me know about the other goldens her size, I was hoping there were a few more out there somewhere! I hope we figure something out for her too. She doesn't appear to be bothered by them, but I hate the look of it and want to be able to prevent it in the future.

OutWest - We have measured her at the shoulder, she's about 21 inches high and about 22 inches long or so... She doesn't like to stay quite still for this! I have talked with the breeder and they have had a few (not many!) end up being her size. She was 1 of 12 though and from what I've heard her brother's and sister's ended up being "normal" sized goldens. She wasn't even the runt of the litter, when she was 7lbs, her sister was only 2lbs, but since then has caught up in size to Ally. We have tried wrapping her paws, but the bandages don't usually stay on. We will continue to try though! The vet says that they looked okay, but just to wash them and let the air heal it which is pretty much what we've been doing. We'd love a few lbs from Tucker! Haha, we've actually been trying to put some weight on Ally, she's almost a little too petite, especially noticeable when she's swimming! Not working too well though with her high energy and super fast metabolism!

GoldenCamper - I will definitely look into getting some vet wrap. With luck that will stay on better then the gauze pads and surgical tape we've been trying out. Any ideas on how to toughen those particular pads up? Like I said this happens whether we throw a ball a few times or 15... Just curious if there's anything I can do to help get her up and running again! She does love having the ball thrown straight up, but then she runs through the entire field at breakneck speed before coming back and breaking when she reaches us. I think she loves running even more than the fetching sometimes!

Thanks again for the great advice and feedback. We truly appreciate it!!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I looked at the puppy growth chart (Golden Retriever Puppy Growth Charts) and 21 inches, while small, is within range. Her weight is lower than average but you said she's very active. As long as your vet says she's healthy, not too much to worry about. She's just cute!


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

I would keep it clean and let the air get at it too as your vet mentioned.



Ally's Mom said:


> GoldenCamper - I will definitely look into getting some vet wrap. With luck that will stay on better then the gauze pads and surgical tape we've been trying out. Any ideas on how to toughen those particular pads up? Like I said this happens whether we throw a ball a few times or 15... Just curious if there's anything I can do to help get her up and running again! She does love having the ball thrown straight up, but then she runs through the entire field at breakneck speed before coming back and breaking when she reaches us. I think she loves running even more than the fetching sometimes!


Not sure how to toughen up those carpal pads besides time itself and taking it slow. Sounds like you are already playing on soft grass?...you mention a field. One other thought, and ask your vet, but liquid bandage on it once healed might provide a brief barrier.

I use Vetwrap by 3M, the 4" long stuff. It stays put very well. So does the "human" stuff you can get at the drugstore (CVS, Walgreens etc). Fiona split both dewclaws zooming around and digging for meadow voles one day. The liquid bandage helped hold the splits together and the wrap helped her keep playing while they healed up. I did not keep the wrap on all the time, just during outside play.


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