How Expensive To Fix A Lacerated Paw Pad

This article was medically reviewed by Karie Johnson, DVM, veterinarian and co-founder of VIP Vet Visit, a mobile vet service in the s suburbs of Chicago.

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My dog has had cuts and cracks on his paws, so I've learned how to tend to injured and cracked paw pads.
Injuries can be prevented by with a nice pair of dog boots and by washing your dog'south paws after walks.
Before administering any treatment to your dog, it'southward important to consult your veterinarian.

Picture this: It's a cold November solar day. The sunday is reflecting off a fresh layer of snow, and the family is gathered together for Thanksgiving. Everyone is watching the dogs play outside before heading in for dinner. Information technology's a cute fall scene — until someone notices bloody manus prints in the snow. Exit it to my German Shepherd Silas to slice open the pad on the bottom of his mitt on Thanksgiving Day.

So what did I do? What whatever cocky-respecting dog mom would exercise in this situation: freak out. Later I calmed down, we corralled Silas into the bathroom to appraise the impairment and contain the blood. Then we called the vet and got the lowdown on what to practise for an injured mitt pad. Unfortunately for Silas but fortunately for yous, this wasn't the last time he cut or croaky his pads, so I'grand at present an expert in injured domestic dog pads. Beneath, I'll walk you through the steps to have intendance of your canis familiaris's pad and get it back to playing fetch in no time. Learning more about how Insider Reviews tests pet products here.

Call the vet

Every state of affairs and every dog is different, and so the first thing you should do is call your domestic dog'southward vet. If bleeding is astringent or the pad is completely cut off, you might need to take your domestic dog to its vet or to the nearest emergency vet if it's later-hours. Taking Silas to the vet usually causes him more anxiety and trauma than whatever is bothering him in the first place. Luckily, we were able to save a trip, and his vet talked us through what to do over the phone.

Clean the injured paw pad

Run your dog's pad under warm water or use a saline solution to clean out any clay or debris. (Note: The American Kennel Guild advises against using hydrogen peroxide because information technology can exist dissentious to good for you tissue.)

Superglue the cutting

closeup of dog's paw with cracked paw pad — Apply superglue to larger cuts.

You read that correctly. It seems strange, only this is what our vet advised us to do, and it worked perfectly. For smaller cuts or cracks, you lot can skip this pace, but for a larger cut, manually concord the cut together and apply superglue. Hold the cutting together until the mucilage dries. This acts in the same way a surgical glue would to hold a cutting together.

Use a balm

A pet balm or dog hand cream like Vermont's Original Bag Balm tin help the cut heal and soften its dry pads. Brand sure the superglue is dry earlier this stride.

Bandage the paw

In a pinch when this first happened to Silas, we used a paper towel and a clean sock, but once we were able to get the proper materials (gauze and self-adhering tape), we constitute they worked much better. Securely wrap the gauze around the cutting and the dog'due south entire foot. Then wrap the tape around the foot and partially up the leg. Self-adhering tape works well considering information technology won't pull your canis familiaris's fur. Make the wrap tight plenty that it won't slip off, only not so tight that it cuts off apportionment. If you find that your canis familiaris'due south leg or paw looks swollen, the cast is besides tight and should exist loosened or removed.

Optional: If your dog is bitter at the dressing, you can cover it with a sock or buy your dog a dreaded cone of shame.

Modify the dressing

At least once a day, change the dressing and clean the injury again until the wound is healed. If you finish wrapping it too soon, it could reopen or get infected.

Endeavor to keep your dog off the injured paw pad

closeup of german shepherd with white and gray sock over cracked paw pad — Wrap your dog's injured paw in surgical gauze. Or in a pinch, utilise a paper towel and clean sock.

For an active domestic dog like Silas, this is the hardest step. One of the well-nigh effective ways to exercise this is to piece of work on mentally stimulating activities to tire your dog out.

How to prevent this from happening in the future

Proceed your yard free of sticks and other abrupt objects.
Use dog boots if walking in hot weather or on salted surfaces in the wintertime.
Rinse your domestic dog's feet regularly in the wintertime. Cleaning Silas' paws is so easy with our MudBuster.
Use a manus protection wax on your dog'southward pads before taking information technology out in the elements.

Products that can assistance you take intendance of your dog's hand pad

Alicia Betz

Freelance Writer

Alicia Betz is a freelance writer for Insider Reviews, where she specializes in parenting and instruction. She researches and tests products from the hottest new toys to the most tried and true parenting products. Alicia tests products in the field with her daughter. She earned her bachelor of scientific discipline degree in education from Penn State Academy with concentrations in English and communications. She earned her master of arts degree in education from Michigan Land University with concentrations in literacy and technology. Alicia holds a document in online teaching and learning and is licensed to teach in Pennsylvania. She was a teacher from 2012 through 2019 and has been writing professionally since 2016. Alicia's writing has been featured in Scholastic, Brighter Higher Ed, Popsugar, AARP, and Yahoo News. Larn more than about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.