Sore Dog Paws

Cassie's sore front paw
Cassie’s sore front paw

Winter weather can be hard on dog pads, from very cold snow hiding fragments of glass, to salt burn, to frostbite. Normally I don’t have too much problems, but this past week Cassie developed a nasty hole in her paw. Of course, she licked it frequently, so I washed it with alcohol, put on Neosporin, and covered it with a gauze pad and pet wrap – totally not the thing to do. The dark moist environment can allow bacteria to breed causing an infection. Cassie is on Prednisone, a steroid for her leukemia (CLL), which causes her to heal much slower. Finally, after almost a week, I took her to the vet for her bimonthly blood test for her leukemia and of course, the sore paw.

The cure:
Epsom salts – I couldn’t believe it. My mom had given me a box thirty years ago, and of course when I needed it, I realized I had thrown it out. The vet recommended soaking her paw once a day for 3 – 5 days for about 5 minutes to draw out the toxins.
Have many treats available and a good stay command, plus holding her collar to prevent   her from spilling the bowl.
• A broad-spectrum antibiotic, since Cassie heals so slowly.
Nix the Neosporin – it causes a moist film that can trap bacteria.
• Leave it open, just wash her paws when she gets into road salt and mud.

Of course, now I google it and this website says pretty much the same thing http://www.ehow.com/how_7720878_care-dogs-sore-paw.html

Cassie’s paw still looks sore, but at least part of it is healing. I’ll try the 50% hydrogen peroxide to clean it better than a damp wash cloth.
Luckily, she is not limping and still enjoys her walks. Hopefully in a few more days it will heal.

1 thought on “Sore Dog Paws”

  1. Amazing how something so simple can help heal a wound,I used to have a Springer Spaniel ,He was called Wellington so we would call him Boots,he live to a grand age of 16.He was starting to get arthritic but he crossed the rainbow bridge doing what he loved most chasing Rabbits….a massive heart attack by the time we got him home he was sleepy we knew there was nothing we could so he went to sleep and drifted away.The best way for an amazing pup to go.still miss that cheeky guy.xx Rachel and SPeedy

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