Labrador Paw Problem

Here is an email received from Nicola Roberts who is having a problem with her Labrador Buddy's paw.

My two year old labrador called buddy cut open his pad two weeks ago and had to have it glued by the vet. He was also given antibiotics just incase of infection. That cleaned up in a couple of days and he seemed fine.

The past couples of days he seems to be licking it all the time and when i have been taking him for walks he has been stopping and lying down, the vet cannot find anything wrong but i still am worried .

Is there anything you can advice me on on how to care for his paws? Would be very grateful.

Thanks
Nicola roberts

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Hi Nicola,

Thanks for writing, and I'm sorry to hear about Buddy.

Is there any kind of bad smell to the foot, sort of like an old shoe smell? Generally that bad smell is the smell of infection, which can be a cause of all the licking.

There is also a possibility that Buddy may have allergies. Certain foods or airborne particles like pollen and house dust can be causing the itchy feet.

Have there been any new places you have been walking him (new trails, woods, etc..) Did you change the food you feed Buddy?

Here are some things you can do to help:

A nice cool bath can be helpful, since the water will assist in relieving the itching. You can add a little colloidal oatmeal (Aveeno) to the bathwater, which will help soothe the foot or your veterinarian can prescribe an antiseptic shampoo. Make sure you rinse Buddy's foot thoroughly after the bath, since any remaining soap that remains can make the itching worse.

You can just soak his foot for five minutes, four times a day, in cool water. Add a sprinkle of Epsom salts to the water as it will also help soothe the foot. A compress applied the paw for approximately five minutes will accomplish the same.

Another method that you can try is Aloe Vera applied to the paw. Make sure its 100% Aloe Vera not the mixture. This will not hurt Buddy if he is to lick it off.

Tea Tree oil, which you can obtain in a health food store is a antibacterial and anti fungal agent that can also be used.

Has your vet has ruled out the possibility of infection?

Did your vet mention anything about allergies?

Try any of the above and see if it helps to alleviate the problem. Please get back to me with the answers to the few questions I have asked.


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