Cracked Pad

[Guest Fluffy]

I just got in from walking Badger, and while doing my usual quick physical assessment of him as he chilled out on the beanbag, I realized one of his pads is cracked. It's not bleeding or anything, and doesn't look particularly deep, but it kind of looks like it got sliced obliquely, a little bit through the calloused part of the pad and into the meat of his foot. Maybe a few millimeters deep - it's hard to estimate. I squeezed it gently and he didn't react, but he tends to be stoic so that might not mean much.

 

A somewhat crappy picture of the pad in question. The white crescent-shaped mark on the pad of the top toe is the crack:

 

Should I worry? Bandage it? Disinfect it (which seems like a futile gesture, since as soon as he walks out into the yard next it'll be dirty again)? Or is this just a normal thing that will heal on its own?

[Guest Energy11]

You could do either.

 

I have toddler socks and booties here, so I'd probably clean it, and put my antibiotic cream or spray on it, then a bootie, until it heals.

 

BUT, if isn't hurting him, you could just keep it clean and keep an eye on it. If it looks like it is bothering him or getting infected, you could do the above. I'd say, it is pretty much up to you and your houndie.

 

Good Luck!

[Guest KennelMom]

I'd let it be and keep an eye on it. Pads heal pretty quickly. If his pads feel rough and crackly, you may want to wipe them down with something bag balm once or twice a day...that'll help keep the pad supple. If it's a cut, then that may have just been caused by some external thing, like glass.

[Guest Lgyure85]

Maddie tore a chunk of skin off her pad a few months ago. It scared the crap out of me, but she just limped a bit. I took her to the vet and she just gave me some Tramadol for the pain and told me to keep an eye on it. Lo and behold, within a few days it looked almost normal! If it isn't bothering him, I'd think you could jsut keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't start looking worse. Otherwise it should be almost healed in a few days!

[greysmom]

If it's not bleeding and he's not limping, it's probably OK. You might keep watch on it to see if it swells or cracks further.

 

If you feel like doing something, get some Bag Balm and rub that into his pads once or twice a day. I did this with one of mine who came with horrible feet. Just rubbed in a good amount at night after we were bedded down, put some baby socks on, an you're good for the rest of the night. Remember to take the socks off in the morning!

[Guest kydie]

cracked pads are a way of life here, so for me, I clean it to see how deep it is, no bleeding I just spray it with EMT, or apply cut heal, I get it at T&S, I think it's for horses not sure, but we use it on people too works greyt on cracked pads

[Guest greygirls2]

When we have a cracked pad here I use Bag Balm and a toddler sock on mine at night when they go to bed so the pad can rest and heal. This way the stuff stays on and doesn't get all over. Usually heals it up very quickly.