# Ripped paw pad



## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Lucy ripped her paw pad today. We were out throwing the ball in the park and she pulled up lame and started limping. I started feeling around and noticed her pad was ripped and a piece of skin was just hanging there. The cuts not too deep though, just hanging pad and sensitive skin.

I took her home immediately... soap and water, hydrogen peroxide, neosporin, and I wrapped with a first aid bandage. Obviously, I'll keep her quiet and no running for the couple days while the skin heals.

Anything I'm missing here?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Short walks should be okay to toughen the area back up. Riley does that kind of thing all the time. basically we clean him up, he continues short walks but no crazy stuff and then we clean him up again when the walk is over. usually after 1-2 days he's fine and ready to romp again if we let him.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Ouch! My boy injured several of his paw pads last summer, it was nasty, leashed for several days while outside. Not much you can do but try to keep it clean & give a visual inspection daily for infection. The only thing I did was spray some of this on it, he seemed to like it. (not saying you should run out & buy this product).

Vet Aid Products - All Natural Enzymatic Wound Care - Veterinary First Aid


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

She's already tried jumping on the couch a couple times when my back was turned, but I'm about to head into work, so she's off to her crate.

She's got her little pathetic limp and sad face going though. I'll just keep her real quiet for a couple days (or at least try my best!) and gradually work in short walks until it's fully healed.


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## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

Gunnar did the same thing a couple of years ago. After a couple of days, it was still really bothering him so we went to the vet.
She told us that sometimes it heals ok, but sometimes the avulsed part needs to be removed to facilitate healing. (depends on size/location, etc)
Gunnar was much better in a few days after the vet removed the torn part. Just a quick local and snip.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

You think I should just cut the part that's hanging?


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## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> You think I should just cut the part that's hanging?


It might be fairly painful for the dog, that's a sensitive area. Gunnar's almost dime sized so he got a local. If it's small and you can keep it clean, it might be ok staying on.


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

This happened to us when we were camping last summer.

At first I was wanting to take her to the vets immediately, but then common sense came around. I cleaned the pad, cut off the hanging parts, bandaged her paws, and kept her quiet. She did not even blink when I cut the hanging parts off. It was just a thin layer.

Even went into town and bought doggy boots. Unfortunately they only had winter ones and her paws were too sweaty in them, but it did keep the area clean. Campsites are usually very dusty/sandy.

I did cut the hanging parts off. They are going to fall off anyway. Better to do it in a controlled manner so they do not rip further. I used sissors from my first aid kit.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo cut his pad on New Year's Eve at 11:45 p.m. I used Nu-Skin to help seal it, applied oitment and wrapped it. It took about a week to heal enough to where he wasn't limping any longer. 

Note: I think I'd only use Nu-Skin as a last resort as it also made the hair between the pads hard and I had to carefully dig and cut the hair out.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

It's about a dime sized area that is hanging. Looks like dead skin similar to a popped blister. It's the exposed skin that's bothering her. I touched it a few time and she flinched. 

I'll take a look when I get home later and try cutting a small piece. If it doesn't bother her, I'll just remove it all and re-bandage.


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

I would suggest to head to the vet, paw injuries can get serious fast. Depending on the extent/depth, it takes weeks to heal, not days.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Halo has done that to her pad 3 times. There was a little flap of skin, but it never bled - the only way I knew there was something wrong was because she was limping. Each time it was at the park and the first time we thought she'd pulled a muscle or something. She's really competitive with Keefer and always has to get the ball before he does, plus they get really physical with each other too, so some sort of leg or shoulder injury seemed likely. 

It wasn't until I was checking her feet later that I found the cut pad. I took her to the vet and had them clean it up and she was fine within a day or two. The second two times I cleaned it at home and kept an eye on it. I think she chewed the flap off herself. I thought about cutting it off myself but just couldn't bring myself to do it!

Her cuts were not deep at all, it was like the surface of the pad was partly sliced off.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Debbie... Lucy's injury sounds exactly like Halo's. No blood and not deep. Just a flap of skin hanging off and her not wanting to put weight on it.

I'm just going to keep it clean and lots of neosporin. If it starts getting worse and if there's any signs of infection.. We're going to the vet.


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

Zeeva cut her paw pad a while back and I posted it on this forum. Here is a link

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/basic-care/178476-cut-paw-pad.html

Hope you get some helpful information out of it!

Good health vibes to your pup. May the cut heal quickly!

Bless xoxo


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

Lucy Dog said:


> You think I should just cut the part that's hanging?


I didn't cut Zeeva's but it kept on getting caught and would start bleeding 

It eventually dried up and fell off on it's own...I'd let it be and just try not to walk or rough house...


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Update: So I rested her for a couple days, kept it clean, lots of neosporin and it pretty much healed by yesterday. Everything looked perfectly fine, so I took her outside to run a little. She was driving me a little nuts wanting to go out, so I took her out. She did fine. No more issues to that paw. 

So I wake up this morning, take her outside, and I notice a little limp. Check her paw and it's fine. Still notice the limp, so I check the other paw and she's ripped that side now. No idea when she did that paw because she was perfectly fine yesterday, but now the other side is ripped. Almost the same exact sized injury and spot as the one from the first time, just the opposite paw.

Any idea what's going on here? She's not doing any new exercising or activities that she's done in the past. The only running she's doing is on grass. In the 4 years I've had her, this has never happened before on either paw. Now 2 ripped paws in 4 days?

Any ideas here?


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## Bismarck (Oct 10, 2009)

check the grass for things that cut


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

My husky has a tendency to do this strange paw skidding thing on the grass. I usually worry he will rip his paw pad this way. Zeeva does it too but not as chaotically as Smokey. Does she do this? Was there any glass in the area you've been walking/running in? Also, maybe she put less weight on her first cut paw pad and somehow managed to cut the other by using it as a compensation...

Just some thoughts. Am no expert...good health vibes to Lucy.

xxx


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Definitely no glass. She did it on two different spots because we haven't been back to the place where she did it the first time. She had to have done it somewhere else.

We do play a lot of ball in the park and she does have a tendency to run full speed and stop pretty quickly when she gets to the ball. Maybe she's skidding and it's just ripping.

The only thing I don't get is we've been doing this pretty consistently for her whole life. Every day we go out to throw the ball around. Why all of sudden are both paws ripped within days of each other?


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## Bismarck (Oct 10, 2009)

any place around you that has pea gravel?
that will help toughen up her paw pads.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I was thinking about trying something like this as a preventive thing for the future.

Amazon.com: Cain & Able Moisturizing Paw Rub for Pets, 3 Ounces: Pet Supplies


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## Bismarck (Oct 10, 2009)

you want to toughen them up, not soften them up.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Because we are out walking & hiking alot in the colder months I use Mushers Secret, it works very well.

Not sure how she injured the other paw? Is there anything pointy or cracked in her crate? Are you sure she's not biting her foot? Did she maybe apply to much pressure to that paw while the other one was recovering? Sorry, random thoughts

Musher's Secret Paw Pad Protection Wax | Mushers All Natural Dog Paw Pad Protection


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Definitely no paw biting going on. These look like skid scrapes that just ripped the skin. Same exact spot on the paws, but different paws at different times.


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## Ophelia (May 24, 2013)

This just happened to my Shepherd today too. First don't every use hydrogen peroxide on an animal wound it is really bad for them, use rubbing alchol or soak in Epsom Salt and then rinse really well. Also unless the flap on pad is dried right out and looks like it is going to fall of don't cut it that is like cutting skin on your own finger tip. My guy is in a lot of pain right now from his and I can bearly touch him. On my way to the vet now.


Lucy Dog said:


> Lucy ripped her paw pad today. We were out throwing the ball in the park and she pulled up lame and started limping. I started feeling around and noticed her pad was ripped and a piece of skin was just hanging there. The cuts not too deep though, just hanging pad and sensitive skin.
> 
> I took her home immediately... soap and water, hydrogen peroxide, neosporin, and I wrapped with a first aid bandage. Obviously, I'll keep her quiet and no running for the couple days while the skin heals.
> 
> Anything I'm missing here?


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