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Permalink Reply by Nicola Porter on May 10, 2009 at 8:14am

That is probably the best idea, keep it clean and dry. Just check pretty frequently though for worsening.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on May 10, 2009 at 8:44am

You really should see the vet to rule out an infection. We have had this problem before and the infection can be very dangerous. He may have allergies which your vet can help with also. We have to give Sparty allery shots once a month but frequently it is just a matter of changing diet or lawn care.

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Permalink Reply by Ginny and Diggory on May 10, 2009 at 10:14am

Ginny had an irritated pad last week that was licking and biting at until it was raw and this is what I did: put some neosporin on the site and cover with a piece of gauze. Then there's this stuff you can buy in the first aid section that's like a gauze-tape that will self-adhere, but it won't adhere to hair. So we wrapped that stuff around the gauze to keep it in place. Next, I got a toddler sized sock and put that on her foot and then wrapped that with waterproof adhesive medical tape to keep the sock on. It drove her nuts and she worked diligently to try to get that sock off her foot, but it kept her from licking and biting at her pad. I changed it twice daily and monitored to make sure it looked like it was improving. After two days, she was fine and the pad had healed up.

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on May 15, 2009 at 12:41pm

Somebody recommended neosporin CREAM, instead of the petrolatum-based ointment, so the topical antibiotics soak into the skin. For myself, I prefer the ointment because it prevents raw skin from drying out, but it needs a bandage to keep it in place, and a dog will lick the ointment off. Hard to bandage a paw. Vet wrap?
Neosporin requires frequent reapplication but it is REALLY good at suppressing bacteria and speeding healing.
I just posted a thread about this 'cause Al has pad sores from overuse. I just washed his feet with soap and Betadine. His pad sore healed amazingly fast last time:
Al's sore pads

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Permalink Reply by Lauren + Winston on May 16, 2009 at 12:22am

Hmm I literally just took Winston to the vet for this. Are his ears hot? Winstons were and that was a sign (as well as the paw licking) that he has allergies. Definitely stop by the vet, they gave winston some medicine, a shot, and an ointment for me to apply to keep him from licking.

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Permalink Reply by Christine Glossman on May 17, 2009 at 8:08am

A little home remedy which works very well as long as it's only an irritation: mix baby powder(soothing) epson salts and luke warm water in a bowl - soak Atlas' paw in it. Repeat as often as you want, it doesn't seem to bother them.My Vet told us about this and I've used it many times. If it persists I'd see the Vet. Hope it helps and heals up quickly.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Schowalter, V.M.D. on May 17, 2009 at 11:07pm

In the spring, especially, malassezia, a yeast, can infect dog's interdigital space. It is fairly common in my area. Your treatment was appropriate but if the problem persists, you might try a miconazole (athlete's foot) cream. Elizabethan collar was a good idea as they always make it worse by licking.

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Permalink Reply by Ross on May 18, 2009 at 4:16pm

Thanks for the replies.
It seems to be healing up pretty fast, I can tell that it's itching him like crazy though because he wants to lick it so badly. I wrapped it up in an ace bandage and pretty much soaked it in bitter apple spray, but I put the collar on him at night to be safe.

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