Wear On The Footpad

[Guest meggera]

The other day during a longer walk (we were out for about an hour and a half) as we were headed home Vanille flopped down on the grass and refused to move.

 

 

She seemed to simply be DONE with walking. As we have been doing our daily walks this has become a normal occurrence where she stops to lay down and does not want to move any longer. As a result of this I have moved when we go for walks to earlier in the morning (between 7:00-8:30 AM) and pushed our evening walks to (between 8:30-9:30 PM) to see if the cooler hours would help. I also decided to inspect the pads of her feet and noticed that the toe that has ligament damage from her racing days has a deep fissure and appears to be worn down (note the slightly pink color).

 

 

I inspected her other feet as well and noticed some other toes that while they don't have the fissure they seem to be worn smooth and through the 'black' portion on other toes.

 

 

Is this something I need to be concerned about? Should I shorten the duration of walks for the time being? Should I be applying something like coconut oil or Utterly Smooth to the pads of her feet to help ease any pain that may be associated with the fissure?

 

I would love to hear what you do for your dogs, past experiences, suggestions, ideas, or input.

 

Thank you!

 

Edited June 22, 2011 by meggera

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer had a fissure once. Not as deep, though. I put some doggy foot cream on several times (that stuff you put on before walking in the winter, whatever it's called) and within a couple of days, it was gone. I didn't take her on any concrete while she had it. Those delicate pads they have seem to take quite some time to harden up.

 

Edit: Spoke to someone who knows more about this than me... and they are hoping you didn't take this big walk in the heat? That would sure tire out Vanille and make her quit. The other question was more along the lines that I already mentioned. Has Vanille been conditioned up to such a long walk? And was it all on concrete?

 

I don't walk Summer for so long, I'd get too bored, . Dog walking isn't my favorite thing to do. But she has a nice back yard and we run with greyhounds several times a week. So she would definitely not be in "walking condition" for such a long walk. And because when we do walk, we tend to only walk for about 2km... her pads aren't tough enough for a long long walk on concrete.

 

I'm very curious what others will say, as I've seen the "two-tone" pads show up on Summer before.

Edited June 22, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[Trihounds]

The 'wearing / smoothing' wouldn't be an issue for me - both my hounds have it and are not bothered by it. The dryness crack (fissure?), however, would have either of mine limping. They'll get them in the deep of winter with ice / salt / road nastiness and it simply dries out the pad in my experience. We use booties and/or creams (Invisible Boot) in the winter. Bag Balm also will help it heal.

 

I would suggest you minimize walks until it is cleared up and to get it creamed / hydrated so it doesn't dry / crack / go deeper.

 

Note, however, the cracking wouldn't cause either of my hounds to lay down on a walk - only the heat would do it (it has happened). Some dogs are more heat tolerant (or intolerant!) than others and it can be truly frightening. Progression beyond just laying down could include out of control panting, inability to cool, wobbliness / dizziness, and if left untreated, organ failure. Your strategy to walk when it is cool is a good one.

 

Neither of my hounds (even Brucie who is in perfect health (Bumper has special needs)) could do a 90 minute walk in anything but really cool weather. Heat of the day, 10 mins and I practically have to carry him (so we avoid it).

 

If Vanille is used to 90 min walks, I'd monitor her next few (after the fissure heals) to see how she does. If she is not used to that duration, you obviously should dial it back until she builds up the endurance to go that distance. As you know, GH are sprinters and in general, need to adapt to longer duration exercise. Every hound is different though, of course.

[Guest meggera]

Summer had a fissure once. Not as deep, though. I put some doggy foot cream on several times (that stuff you put on before walking in the winter, whatever it's called) and within a couple of days, it was gone. I didn't take her on any concrete while she had it. Those delicate pads they have seem to take quite some time to harden up.

 

Edit: Spoke to someone who knows more about this than me... and they are hoping you didn't take this big walk in the heat? That would sure tire out Vanille and make her quit. The other question was more along the lines that I already mentioned. Has Vanille been conditioned up to such a long walk? And was it all on concrete?

 

I don't walk Summer for so long, I'd get too bored, . Dog walking isn't my favorite thing to do. But she has a nice back yard and we run with greyhounds several times a week. So she would definitely not be in "walking condition" for such a long walk. And because when we do walk, we tend to only walk for about 2km... her pads aren't tough enough for a long long walk on concrete.

 

I'm very curious what others will say, as I've seen the "two-tone" pads show up on Summer before.

 

I feel like such an idiot. The weather has been so mild here that I did take her on that 90 min. walk around 2:00 in the afternoon. The majority of it was at the park in the grass/stream but I can see why it would exhaust her so much and make her want to just lay down. If the concrete was hot, the temp was hot, plus her feet were feeling sore I would want to just lay down too! I also didn't take into consideration that she came from Florida to Utah. The dry heat and humidity difference would be a major factor for her.

 

 

The 'wearing / smoothing' wouldn't be an issue for me - both my hounds have it and are not bothered by it. The dryness crack (fissure?), however, would have either of mine limping. They'll get them in the deep of winter with ice / salt / road nastiness and it simply dries out the pad in my experience. We use booties and/or creams (Invisible Boot) in the winter. Bag Balm also will help it heal.

 

I would suggest you minimize walks until it is cleared up and to get it creamed / hydrated so it doesn't dry / crack / go deeper.

 

Note, however, the cracking wouldn't cause either of my hounds to lay down on a walk - only the heat would do it (it has happened). Some dogs are more heat tolerant (or intolerant!) than others and it can be truly frightening. Progression beyond just laying down could include out of control panting, inability to cool, wobbliness / dizziness, and if left untreated, organ failure. Your strategy to walk when it is cool is a good one.

 

Neither of my hounds (even Brucie who is in perfect health (Bumper has special needs)) could do a 90 minute walk in anything but really cool weather. Heat of the day, 10 mins and I practically have to carry him (so we avoid it).

 

If Vanille is used to 90 min walks, I'd monitor her next few (after the fissure heals) to see how she does. If she is not used to that duration, you obviously should dial it back until she builds up the endurance to go that distance. As you know, GH are sprinters and in general, need to adapt to longer duration exercise. Every hound is different though, of course.

 

I had surgery on my foot and have been laid up so we have been gently increasing the length of our walks. To begin with I could only go half way around the block before my foot would simply refuse to work any longer. All of our walks have frequent breaks where we work on commands such as sit, lay, watch me, wait, etc. So of the 90 min. walk we were probably walking for 45 minutes of it and taking a rest for the remainder of the time.

 

Be that as it may, I think (where oh where was my common sense?!) it was overkill and Vanille was trying to let me know as politely as she could.

 

It is a good thing that she is such a patient, kind, and forgiving girl who is willing to put up with my beginners mistakes. Thank you for giving me your input and perspective on this, I sincerely appreciate it!

 

P.S. Do you recommend Bag Balm over something like Udderly Smooth?

P.S.S. Crack! I couldn't think of a word to describe what it was so I went with fissure ... crack! Why didn't I think up crack? I think my brain is sun bleached.

[Tallgreydogmom]

Maybe she is trying to tell you she would like shorter walks. Would you consider cutting down on the length and number of walks. Maybe she is ready to be a full time couch potato. How old is she? How much racing did she do? She might be trying to tell you her interests and activity level are changing. It happens to the best of us.

 

Some of ours are getting older. They bang on the door with their muzzles to let them in so they can take a nap.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Tallgreydogmom

[OwnedBySummer]

Baby girl was pooped.

 

Watch that heat thing, it can turn into a real medical emergency. Greyhounds and heat scare me, I've heard such stories. We don't do anything vigorous between, say, 11 and 6. And many days in the summer, after 10am is too hot. There's a neat product which may help if Vanille is a "hot dog". It's a Chill-It cooling bandanna -- you soak it in cold water, the thing swells up and you tie it around the dogs neck so it is in contact with their under-neck. I was forced to have Summer at a huge craft fair last August 1 for 5 hours, mid-day, and with the Chill-It on and plenty of rest stops and keeping to the shade, she did fine!

Edited June 22, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[Guest meggera]

Baby girl was pooped.

 

Watch that heat thing, it can turn into a real medical emergency. Greyhounds and heat scare me, I've heard such stories. We don't do anything vigorous between, say, 11 and 6. And many days in the summer, after 10am is too hot. There's a neat product which may help if Vanille is a "hot dog". It's a Chill-It cooling bandanna -- you soak it in cold water, the thing swells up and you tie it around the dogs neck so it is in contact with their under-neck. I was forced to have Summer at a huge craft fair last August 1 for 5 hours, mid-day, and with the Chill-It on and plenty of rest stops and keeping to the shade, she did fine!

That is a great idea, I will have to pick up a Chill-It!

 

Maybe she is trying to tell you she would like shorter walks. Would you consider cutting down on the length and number of walks. Maybe she is ready to be a full time couch potato. How old is she? How much racing did she do? She might be trying to tell you her interests and activity level are changing. It happens to the best of us.

 

Some of ours are getting older. They bang on the door with their muzzles to let them in so they can take a nap.

 

She just turned two last month and has energy to boot so I don't think that she wants full couch potato status just yet. I love that they bang on the door for a nap.

 

We took it really easy tonight on our walk, we just went around the block.

Edited June 22, 2011 by meggera

[GeorgeofNE]

Her feet look completely normal to me, but I think you're walking her too long.

 

Since she's only 2, I am guessing she raced little, if at all, but Greyhounds are sprinters, not long distance dogs.

 

Then again, I have no idea how far you go in an hour and a half!

 

Nothing wrong with long walks if you build up her endurance, but it doesn't sound like she's ready to go quite so far just yet!

[Guest meggera]

I cut things back to a single walk a day and for the next two weeks we will keep it at 20 minutes max. She seemed to like that duration and still had enough energy to come home and have some intense zoomies around the yard. I would much rather she come home somewhat fresh and energetic than ask to much of her and make it so that she hates walks.

[3greytjoys]

I'd watch the fissures/cracks daily to ensure they don't increase in size. I agree with others, cleaning and then dressing with ointment would likely help heal more rapidly. If that pad becomes warm/hot to the touch, an infection could be brewing inside. If ever in doubt, a quick call to your vet's office wouldn't hurt.

 

If that injury were on my hounds, I'd let them out for potty breaks, but I'd hold off walking for exercise for several days or until they heal up. Easy to make worse which would keep them from the fun exercise even longer.

 

Good luck for Vanille's speedy recovery.

Edited June 23, 2011 by 3greytjoys

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I don't know if you pack water along on your walks, but I thought I'd throw that in; if it's hot we always stop frequently for a little drink.

 

As for the foot pad, Bag Balm or the other stuff you mentioned would probaly work fine; I use emu oil on mine's pads to keep them soft. I would also hold off on long walks until the crack heals up. The wear isn't so much of a problem.

[kudzu]

Cracking & smoothness might be due to pads drying out. Balm, ointment or other pad dressing would be a good idea. Consider also that pads offer better traction when they are moist & supple. Dry, more brittle pads offer less traction so smoother surfaces require more effort to keep from slipping. Not a problem for younger hounds but can be a problem for older ones or any that have ever had a fear of slick floors.

 

Those pinkish spots I have seen on my girl a few times when she starting going many places with me in the warmer months. As best as I could tell it resulted from hot pavement & I likened it to a burn. My solution was avoiding pavement whenever possible, being extra careful to move quickly across it without stopping or using booties when necessary if we would need to stop, such as at signal lights or waiting for cars to pass in parking lots. With more careful attention to that the pink spots disappeared & never returned. In winter I do not avoid pavement & the pink spots have never appeared.

 

Give her a rest & a foot massage with a pad dressing & those problems will disappear. You may well get her back to 90 minute walks again but not at warmer times of day. Remember dogs only sweat through their feet & that is not an efficient way of cooling if those feet are on a hot surface. Panting helps them cool but also requires a lot of muscle energy thus adding to the very heat they are trying to get rid of. So I can see why she wanted to plop down on a grassy spot. The girl looks so cute resting on that cool greeness. She needs a smooch on the nose.

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

I'm watching this topic with interest. Cobb has had a limp since we got him 1.5 years ago. We've had the whole leg and shoulder xrayed. One of the pads on that foot has a crack that looks just like that. It's never gone away. He limps less on grass so I'm thinking it's the pad. I've done the bag balm a few times it didn't seem to make much difference.

[Guest meggera]

We are on break from walks until further notice (she had to go see the emergency vet tonight due to vomit & diarrhea). I've noticed that the discoloration has cleared somewhat, I'll take pictures in the morning.

 

We have only used bag balm a few times and I haven't seen any change yet so tomorrow I may add coconut oil under the bag balm for additional moisture. I'll for sure keep the thread updated.

 

I would love to hear how Cobb is doing also.