[Daisy1986]

i am new to this forum. So bare with me. I hope I get this right. I need advice on my GSD's foot. When he was found as a stray he had two very swollen pads. Before I adopted him one was amputated. Now on one of the pads left he keeps getting cracks. He also lost a toe, the incesion is not healing.
I adoted him about 2 months ago. Fostered him for 2 months before that.
He is appox 10 months old. It is very hard not to exercise him. He is being seen by a vet. I just wondered if anyone had any experience with pad problems.

 

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/breeds/germanshepherd2.htm has a list of things that GSDs get that are hereditary. I am just going to throw out a few thoughts-based on no medical knowledge-but just things that came to mind (especially the zinc thing).

Lupus (SLE) http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/immune%20disorders/lupus%20erythematosus.htm

Footpad disorder in the German shepherd:
http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/dermatology/footpad%20disorder%20in%20the%20German%20shepherd.htm

Zinc-responsive dermatosis:
http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/dermatology/zinc-responsive%20dermatosis.htm
My Bella had big hunks missing from her paw pads-we used Desitin and booties and never had to do the biopsy-thank goodness.

Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodystrophy
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=504532&page=0

Is he on antibiotics, or anything to help with the healing?

Poor thing-hoping you keep us updated on him. I am sure other people will be here to give you information.

 

[Daisy1986]

I will research the footpad disorder, and the zinc dermatosis.
He was biopsied he was negative for SLE and SLO. Also cancer and fungus. I am not sure if this covered the dermatosis, I will ask my vet. He has the results from the rescue.
Thank you very much for your response!
He was on antibiotic off and on for about 3 months. Bandages, kenneled, E-collars, etc. They are healed then we go for a walk....he is a puppy for pete's sake, if I do not exercise him he goes nuts! I do not know how to keep him permanately healed or if he will ever be. I hope my vet knows more Friday.
Thank you for your support.

 

[BowWowMeow]

Do you think his pads are soft because he hasn't been able to develop the normal callouses? I'm thinking about things you might put on them to toughen them up. There are a number of products for mushing dogs that help protect pads from salt, cold, etc. I wonder if something like that would help prevent them from cracking and also help heal the cracks? I use stuff like that on my dogs in the winter. I think there is also a product called "Pad Heal" which is a liquid bandage. Something like that also might work. Booties are another option.

Do you have access to clean water? Perhaps you could swim your dog for exercise too?

 

[Daisy1986]

They are not soft, his pads are dry. I did buy a grooming product to make them softer so they would not crack. I do have some liquid bandage but did not buy it for the cracks, I bought it after his surgery for the licking (of course that did not help). I will try it on the cracks. I try to bandge that one foot before our walks.
I will look into other stuff to put on his feet like they use for mushing dogs, sounds interesting. Where would I get booties for a 60 lbs dog, lol? That sounds cute. Shadow might be embarrassed, just kidding. Thank you for you very good advice. Booties would make it so I would not have to bandage that foot!
Water would be a wonderful alternative! I just do not know off hand where to take him, I could look into that too.

 

[LisaT]

What are you feeding him?

 

[Daisy1986]

Right now he is on his last bag of Iams Large Breed Puppy food. He is 57 lbs. The vet recommended to take him off Puppy food, so he does not get Pano.
He has had horrible nutrit you can tell. I am hoping that is all this is. His coat is getting better. I wish I could find some Omega Fatty acids, I keep looking but cannot find it. I am going to look for this SHed X stuff, it has vitatmins.
I did give him supplements too. He does not like them. I gave them to him, after the surgery. A friend recommended yogurt. I have mixed a little of that in his food. It is hard to get him to eat, he is so busy and sometimes nervous of my Beagle. She is on steroids and of course has a Beagle appitit she goes after his food, I have to put her outside. He lays down and eats, is this normal? I tried to raise his food, but he does not like that.

 

[Daisy1986]

Thank you for your information. I still am doing research. I did take Shadow for a vet visit because we had some bleeding this morning. His back foot issure is two fold. Bottom cracked pad, (second crack) the first healed, now the second is healing, with TLC (bandages, neo, etc. even tried potato peels, worked), the pad itself is still enlarged which bothers me, hope it heals. That is on going.
The top of the foot is from the backward way (to long of a story) his toe was amputated. The incision is not healing. Keep healing then spilting, not deep but it is not right either. Even more so for a almost 60 lb active pup.
So he is back on anticboctics the vet was baffled as to why it will not heal or stay healed.
It is just the way it was done.
Poor guy he has been through so much. He was a good boy at the doctor. He just wants people to stop touching his foot already! He pulls it away.
I have had him for around 4 months, off and on with the hospitals stays, I have never heard him growls once.
He plays to rough with my Lady (retriv mix) so she will get him back, and he yells at her instead of growls, it is so cute.
I have to keep an eye on this puppy biting thing. No one ever taught him manners, will get there though!

 

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Could you get a referral to a veterinary dermatologist?

If there is a vet teaching hospital in your general area, they usually have a dermatology department.

Such a good boy he is though!

 

[Daisy1986]

Here is a picture Jean in case you have not seen him. (I am so proud of him).
I am glad to hear from you again. What little I have surfed this site I respect your posts. and agree with them and your attitude.
Thank you for your help.
There is a community college not far Maple Woods. Further is Kansas State Univer.
How does that work?
The antiboc upset his tummy. That the vet put him back on yesterday.

 

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Thanks! I am a dog geek. I just think they are incredible creatures.

HE IS ADORABLE!!!! What a sweet face.

Yes-those antibiotics can be rough on stomachs. What is he on? Is it twice a day? What I do (and Val will maybe also post) is give a probiotic in the middle of the day to help settle the stomach. I think there is a thread here about probiotics somewhere-but feel free to ask questions and I'll let the people who know the most about them answer. I just buy mine-for people-in the organic section of the grocery store-in liquid form since mine don't like pills.

Dermatologists! They updated their website-very nice! http://www.acvd.org/ on the left, click on find dermatologist and it will take you to a map. Generally all you need to do is ask your vet to refer you and then work from there. Kansas State DOES have a dermatologist there.

The guy I saw with my oldest GSD was amazing-he saved her life with is diagnosis-we had been treating her based on an incorrect (I KNOW-how scary is that-still makes me have a panic attack thinking of it) pathology report. He took one look and new it was not what we thought it was.

 

[Daisy1986]

There is one in St Joe and one at Columbia Univers. it is a vet teaching hospital, that would probably be good for all the troubles. I will ask my vet.

 

[arycrest]

I just wanted to say that little Shadow is a beautiful pup, no wonder you're so proud of him.

I know you're having buckets of health issues with him, wish I could offer a suggestion but it seems like you've gotten excellent advice, especially about seeing a specialist.

GOOD LUCK with getting all his problems resolved so you can start enjoying the boy without having to worry about him.

Daisy1986 & Shadow

 

[middleofnowhere]

Don't know if this will help or not but when Barker the Elder cut her paw pad pretty deeply, the vet had me apply hemeroid ointment to the cut. What it does if I remember right is cause the veins to cauterize. You might check that out with the vet. The trouble with pad cuts and foot surgeries too is that the weight of the dog works against their healing.