# Pad injury ..... to bandage, or not to bandage?



## Kelmel (Apr 7, 2009)

We have used Liquid Bandage for cuts on the pad. It stings when applied so be prepared to blow, blow, blow.

I forgot to add, that it must taste awful because Morgan does not lick it.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

That is what I have heard here that works best on the paw cuts. And maybe just wash his foot up when he comes in to keep it airing out.


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## Goldnbear (Dec 28, 2009)

Wow! This is a lot of work for a torn pad. Is your dog on any antibiotics or anything? Or are you applying any ointment? If it were me, I would leave the bandage off and make the dog wear an e-collar for a good 24 hours. With the bandage off and the e-collar on, giving the pad time to heal naturally, it will probably scab over and be fine. Then perhaps your dog will not want to lick it and he won't have to wear the collar for the rest of the healing time. Also, he may be trying to lick it because he feels such relief when the bandage itself comes off- they are irritating as well. If he is on antibiotics they will help with the healing. At the animal hospital I work at, we only bandage them in extreme cases. Usually we apply abx ointment or oral abx and let it go. Of course you will have a dog sometimes that wants to lick and then the e-collars come out. Good luck!


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Leave it exposed to the air, it will heal faster. If the dog is going outside, put a boot on the sore foot. Take the boot off as soon as he comes back inside.


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

Leave it open to the air, pad injuries accually heal really quick, Jack done it numerous times and they healed within a week.

I would clean his pad with Peroxide and smooth it with some Neosporin..he was back to jumping and his old self in a few days


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## GoldieMad (Mar 10, 2006)

Thanks for the advice.

He was on antibiotics but has now finished them.

My main issue is with having to add and remove socks and boot whenever he goes outside/comes back inside. This seems more likely to cause extra damage as opposed to a bandage which stays on for a couple of days before being changed.

But if it's better in the air then no problem, that's what we'll do. 

Oh yes, we have an ointment to put on it which supposedly helps the healing process.

It was scabbing over nicely yesterday, but after he had been out for his pre-bedtime toilet ritual (so applying socks and boots first), on coming back inside and removing the socks and boot the wound looked 'wet' again as if the scab had come off, so I was wondering if it had stuck to the sock and/or rubbed off inside the sock.

We also have to leave a sock and boot on his paw at night - we can't leave them off as with the elizabethan collar on as he ends up bumping into things in the dark and none of us then gets any sleep!

As mentioned, the wound is fairly large - about one centimetre, (nearly half an inch) across. It's not just the skin that was sliced off either but (in terms of depth) a millimetre or two of the flesh underneath it too.

Nasty.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I sure sympathize with the ordeal you are having Dog Drops. We've experienced several paw injuries and severe abrasions with our Toby. We went through the same scenerios and dilemmas you are facing now. I wish I had a good solution for you, but every time this happened with us it was touch and go for weeks at a time. We've tried everything just like you described. My best advice now is to go back to the vet, give the vet a copy of what you've done and the results, ask for more advice, more antibiotics (since it is getting reopened), see if there is some sort of spray to keep the dog from licking (we were advised Bitter Apple but I just couldn't put something I knew would burn his pad on him), see if there is an alternative bandage you can put on like vet-wrap (you can get it in the first aid section of any drug or grocery store) that you can take off as soon as the dog has done its business, and make sure the E-collar is a regular wardrobe item for a while. Is you E-collar see through? We have both the non-see through and see-through--we found if we had the one that didn't impair Toby's vision he acted much better. I'd also ask about the Liquid Bandage and maybe the vet could apply it for you if it's a good option? 

I agree once you can get it to a condition the scab won't come off with pressure or use dry air healing is the best, but getting there has always challenged us.

Best of luck, and please keep us posted. My Toby's pads are so sensitive I know it's a matter of time before he goes through something you are describing again.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

I would never put Liquid Bandage on my dog. Following a friend's recommendation, I used LB on a very painful split in my finger. It was like a paper cut only deeper and wider and I couldn't get it to heal. I finally solved my problem using Neosporin and a Band-Aid, but I digress.

The LB burned like crazy and it did not promote healing at all. 

Rocky has torn a carpal pad 3 times this winter doing zoomies on frozen ground. Two of the tears looked pretty nasty but they healed quickly without me doing anything except distracting him when he wanted to lick it.


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## GoldieMad (Mar 10, 2006)

Maybe I'm being overly fussy/attentive. 

What's frustrating now is getting the area to scab over - for example, a couple of hours ago it had dried nicely and a very thin scab appeared to be forming. Billy needed to go outside so I gently put on his socks and boot, he went out for a few minutes, came back inside, I carefully removed the socks and boot, looked at the wound and half of the new scab had come off, so leaving that are raw and 'wet' again. I guess it partly stuck to the sock or was dislodged by it.

So frustrating.

Makes you wonder how animals with similar wounds cope in the wild.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Finny cut his pad at the beach last month, and it was a pian to heal. I am glad your dog had anitbiotics. I agree the liquid bandage is very helpful, and bacitracin. 

Jackie Mertens gave me a useful way of handling paw injuries. Get your vet to give you a few IV bags for going outside. They are tough and very clean


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## GoldieMad (Mar 10, 2006)

Thanks, yes, IV bags (drip bags) are indeed useful. Hope Finny is fighting fit now.


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## GoldieMad (Mar 10, 2006)

BTW, a thought - my main bugbear with the healing process right now is the formation of a scab (which, as mentioned, soon gets knocked/rubbed off) - given that the new flesh is growing in from the *edges *then surely it could be argued that scab formation isn't essential to the wound healing? I know, it helps prevent any bacterial infection, but the new flesh doesn't 'need' the scab to be there.

Am I right?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

something that works really well for paw and/or pad injuries is the Glad Wrap Press 'N Seal, that's meant to stick to itself (not regular glad wrap),which you can buy in any grocery store. It holds on really well and usually doesn't bother the healing scab in any way when you remove it.
Also great for humans with hand injuries, when you need to take a shower!


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## Oakleylove (Jun 30, 2012)

This post thread has calmed me down. Oakley tore his carpal pads today while running on pavement. He didn't make a fuss but I noticed blood and took him home. I surmise that he was chasing his ball and was "skidding". Ouch!
I bandaged him up right away after I washed the cuts out. I have since taken off the bandages too let them "air out" based on the recommendations. They look clean but really sore! 
I will probably pick up some cream tomorrow. I feel terrible for the little guy.









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