Paws & Blisters

[JackDawg]

Jack has gone to Day Care now a total of four times (within 3 weeks). Each time I pick him up, he has blisters on his paw pads & in between each individual toe. I know that eventually he should build up calluses on his pads, but how do I keep him from getting blisters/raw spots in between his toes? I purchased some Paw Wax at Petsmart & put it on him this morning before Day Care. The bottom of the pad looked better, but the raw places on the toes look as bad or worse? Any suggestions?

 

[crowpete]

No suggestions, but do you know why his paws get so raw/blistered when he is at Day Care?

 

[Mama's Boys]

This happened to both my dogs when they first started daycare. The daycare supervisor told me that it is extremely common with new dogs, because they are playing on a surface that their paws are not used to. Also, most dogs are not used to playing for 8 hours straight (or however long Jack is there for), and new dogs are usually so excited, that they play from the second they get dropped off to the second they get picked up!! Jacks paw pads should get used to the surface and wear and tear shortly.

As for the blisters and sore spots, I would put a bit of antibiotic ontiment like neosporin on them to help them heal and prevent infection. If Jack's are looking really bad, I would probably keep him out of daycare for about a week to give them time to heal. If they are oozing or painful for him, a trip to the vet to get them checked might be necessary.

I hope Jack's paws get better soon!

 

[JackDawg]

Thanks for the tips. He is typically there for approx 9 1/2 hours. The Day Care owner says he plays non-stop, from the moment I drop him off until I pick him up. I asked her to isolate him a couple of times a day to let him rest, but she says he plays even harder when he joins the group. After his first trip, I kept him out for a week like you said. The actual pads are better each time, but it is the space between his toes that continues to get irritated. It is no bad enough to warrant a trip to the vet, you can just tell that it is tender, and he walks gingerly on them for about a couple of days.

 

[Mama's Boys]

That's good to hear that the pads are doing better. Do you happen to know what type of surface the dogs play on? I know mine play on pea gravel. The space in between my guys toes definitely got irritated for the first few weeks, but now they never get irritated.

Depending on what surface they play on, there is also a possibility that he could be allergic to the material. Lets hope thats not the case, and it is just from the endless hours of running and playing!