• Pad Wounds in Dogs

    A dog with a bloody pad wound.

    Signs of a Dog Pad Wound

    The signs of a pad wound are bleeding, limping, not putting weight on the limb, or foreign object in the pad.

    Causes of a Dog Pad Wound

    The most common cause of a pad wound is stepping on a sharp object, such as a thorn or a piece of glass.

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    Emergency Steps (Dog Pad Wound)

    1

    Wash the area with saline solution or warm, soupy water.

    • Saline solution is 1 teaspoon salt to 1 quart warm water.

    2

    Dry the foot.


    3

    Bandage the foot by placing a strip of adhesive tape on each side of the foot, starting several inches above the wound and extending several inches past the bottom of the foot.

    • The tape should go directly on the fur.

    4

    This tape acts like stirrups to hold the bandage in place.


    5

    Place a nonstick pad or gauze sponge over the wound.


    6

    Wrap the paw with gauze roll, starting from the toes and ending just above the ankle or wrist.


    7

    Pull the ends of the sticky tape over the end of the gauze roll bandage as far as it will go, with the sticky part twisted to face and adhere to the bandage.


    8

    Place an elastic or cling roll bandage over the cotton, working from the toes to the ankle.


    9

    Make sure the bandage is not too tight.

    • Check for toe swelling and feel the limb just above the bandage for coolness, swelling or pain. If any of these are evident, loosen the bandage.

    10

    Take the dog to a veterinary hospital.

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    Information Provided Deborah C. Mandell, BS, VMD

    Dr. Debbie Mandell

    Pet First Aid information provided by Dr. Debbie Mandell, Professor of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; American Red Cross National Pet Care Advisor for the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. Visit redcross.org/take-a-class/scientific-advisory-council to see how we work, members, sub councils, scientific reviews, and recent research.

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