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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I was playing frisbee with Nikkia out in the front yard when I noticed that she was limping I picked up her paw and a circular area was totally removed. I looked at all of the rest of her paws the same thing I am sure it is really hurting her what can I do to help her out she had this happen before on one of them but not all four. Any advice on what I can do?
 

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Well, as my vet told me the very first time I had this happen with a dog (nearly 20 years ago now): "You need to toughen up your dog's feet!" *L*

The main thing at this point is watching them for infection and keeping them clean when you can. You can try putting some neosporin on them and then putting booties or socks on your dog, but if you can't keep the booties on then I wouldn't put anything on the raw spots. Try to keep her from licking them a lot, too, since that can inhibit the healing process.

Tazer did this last winter when her feet were soft and we played ball in the training facility - she skidded on those mats and tore up her pads pretty badly. She literally could barely walk! I did use socks on her part of the time and used a strip of vetrap around the top of the sock to help keep it on. I also trimmed off any flaps of skin (actually in a day or so the flaps lost all feeling and it didn't bother her at all to have them cut off). And then I cleaned her feet daily, checked for infection, and just let them heal.

Now I run her on gravel every day, with a ball or stick or frisbee. She can skid along the gravel and her feet are so darn tough she never has a problem. When winter starts I need to take her into the training facility and work her on a regular basis to keep the toughness there or she'll get all wimpy-footed again.

It's just like us humans - when I was a kid, I could RUN on gravel and not have it hurt. I went barefoot most of the time and my feet were so tough that when I cut my foot on a broken bottle and the doctor tried to numb it to put stitches in, the needles kept bending as he tried to put them into the bottoms of my hardened feet .. *LOL* .. now I can barely walk on gravel - I went out yesterday and was going "ooo .. aaah... owwwie!" as I walked across the driveway.

If Nikkia is like Tazer when Tazer tore all four pads, it may be several days before she walks normally again. She may hobble along and it may be that she'll need some padding on her feet with a sock or bootie to get her out to go potty. But the feet should heal just fine. And then you can gradually build up the toughness so that she can race after the frisbee again!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska
 

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What a great answer Iliamnasquest!
I learned somthing today. I guess there is an advantage to living on a gravel road after all.
I didn't realize a dogs pad would get that soft.
 

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She didn't get burned did she? Maybe walked on something hot from the sun? Even sand gets so hot you could blister/burn your feet.
 

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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
Thanks guys I did everything you told me she's doing better but is a little humiliated about the socks. I know she didn't get burned because it was dark out side and we were playing with our neighbors having a barbecue. I will be taking her to the vet when I get paid also she needs a check up anyways.
 

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I was playing frisbee with Nikkia out in the front yard when I noticed that she was limping I picked up her paw and a circular area was totally removed. I looked at all of the rest of her paws the same thing I am sure it is really hurting her what can I do to help her out she had this happen before on one of them but not all four. Any advice on what I can do?
Hi, I have a german shepard puppy and her paw pads have been peeling off randomly most of her life now. We’ve tried everything we can do at home and even took her to the vet where they gave her antibiotics. Unfortunately nothing helped and they continue to come off.
 
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