Foot Pad Health
A Groomer's Insight by Mike Morgan
Issues with the foot pads in dogs (animals) are fairly common. Untreated, they can become quite uncomfortable for the animal. Many owners do not know how to help their pet and their groomer will often be asked what should be done.
Dry and Cracked Foot Pads
Dry and cracked foot pads can be the result of a number of contributing factors. Below are some of the more common factors:
* Walking on hot surfaces like the Summer's sun baked asphalt, concrete and sand, can burn their pads and cause them to dry out and crack. Avoid the pads from getting burnt by walking earlier or later, during cooler times of the day, and having the pet walk in cooler grass.
* Walking on extremely cold surfaces can have a similar effect as walking on those hot surfaces. Walking on an icey walkway or walking and running through the snow for long periods, can damage foot pads too.
* Dietary deficiencies of Zinc may cause some generalized skin problems as well as foot pad issues. Zinc deficiencies, however, are much less common today, due to the research being put into commercial pet food diets. The industry is doing a good job of providing zinc and other minerals, in the correct amounts, and proportions, for healthy skin and foot pads. When a zinc deficient diet is used or what would otherwise be a balanced diet is degraded, by mixing in additional ingredients, dry, cracked pads can result on the pet. Breeds like the Malamute and Husky are more prone to zinc deficiencies - they may suffer a zinc absorption affliction.
* Hyperkeratosis is an overgrowth of the hard outer layer of skin. It shows up as thickened and roughened pads that will sometimes have feather like or even horn or toenail like growths coming from the pad.
* Chemical irritants such as melting salt used on sidewalks, or lawn and garden sprays, or rug and floor cleaning chemicals, or disinfectants, or household cleaners can damage foot pads and cause them to dry and crack.
* Allergies, and problems with the auto-immune system, can be more generalized or isolated, often affecting the nose and foot pads. Long-term bacterial and yeast infections of the feet can lead to foot pad problems. Most long-term infections are related to allergy and immune problems.
Abraded and Cut Foot Pads
Abraded and cut foot pads can be the result of trauma from walking or running on hard rough surfaces, such rough pavement, sharp rocks, or even very coarse sand and fractured sea shells. Your hunting and working class of dogs, as well as, hiking dogs seem to be more prone to abraded and cut pads. If the owner will take the time to help their pet condition their feet and pads, by gradually working up to longer walks and runs, will allow the pads to thicken and toughen naturally, making them more resistance to trauma - somewhat like developing a callus on a humans hand or foot.
Treating Foot Pad Problems:
Dry and Cracked Foot Pad Treatment
Contributing factors, such as Zinc deficiency, hyperkeratosis, allergies and auto-immune problems, when present, need to be addressed individually to result in any long term or permanent control. It may be necessary to consult with your veterinarian to determine if there is a treatable contributing cause. Here, the goal with dry and cracked foot pads will be to soften the pad, promote healing and protect the pad until the pad is healed completely. A simple soaking of a dry pad, in plain water, will help to soften it as the dried tissue becomes re-hydrated; the effects will be temporary, however, unless some additional steps are taken to keep the moisture from escaping. Simply soaking the pads will do little to promote healing by itself. Products like a petroleum jelly can create a temporary barrier to keep moisture from evaporating, however the petroleum jelly actually has no moisture of its own to re-hydrate the pad. Mild cases of dry foot pads may be treated with a combination of soaking followed by an application of petroleum jelly. This combination does very little to virtually nothing to actually promote healing. Placing a 'boot' to the water soak / petroleum jelly treatment offers protection and now becomes a more effective treatment. It is not practice to mention specific products, however, we will make an exception and mention a few products that have proven themselves over time and will serve as good reference points. Bag Balm® is remedy originally developed to keep a cows udder soft and prevent chaffing. This still has a place in the treatment of dry and cracked foot pads, noses and elbow calluses. When used sparingly it seems to be safe and dogs are not overly attracted to it. There is a product formerly called Nu Balm®, now known as Nutri-Vet Healing Cream® that raises the bar. Healing Cream® is formulated with natural ingredients that soothe and promote healing:
• Aloe is the extract of the plant Aloe Barbadensis. It contains enzymes, proteins and growth factors that work together to reduce inflammation of the injured area, improve the rate of protein formation in wounds and reduce pain.
• Calendula is an herb with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It also helps stimulate surface blood flow.
• Glycerin promotes moisture retention, soothes and softens skin and may help skin cells mature properly during repair.
• Grapefruit Seed has antimicrobial properties against a wide range of gram-negative and gram-positive organisms. Early reports suggest an antibacterial characteristic that is comparable to that of proven topical antibacterial agents. It is high in antioxidants and helps skin wounds heal faster and with less scarring.
• Vitamin E is a potent, fat-soluble antioxidant that helps with collagen repair and wound healing. Apply Bag Balm® or Healing Cream® as needed one to several times per day until the pads are healed.
Covering the pad with a sock or a boot can add protection and speed up the healing process by keeping the product in contact with the pad for a longer period of time and by protecting the pad. Products such as Pad Guard Wax® and Musher’s Secret® act like an invisible boot by creating a protective barrier and wear layer much like waxing a floor. A waxed floor not only looks better, it will last much longer because now the wax is taking the beating. Re-apply Bag Balm® or Healing Cream® as needed one to several times per day until the pads are healed. Covering the pad with a sock or a boot can add protection and speed up the healing process by keeping the product in contact with the pad for a longer period of time and by protecting the pad. These wax type products are best used as a preventive or maintenance product after a damaged pad has healed. In the case of mildly abraded or slightly cut foot pads, applying a pad wax product may be all that is necessary. More severely abraded or cut foot pads will be addressed in the following section. Pad wax can also offer protection from hot and cold surfaces, rough surfaces and some chemicals.
Abraded and Cut Foot Pad Treatment
When foot pads are abraded or cut it is important to also check the toenails and webs of the toes for similar wounds. The majority of abraded and cut pads, with the exception of deep cuts and severe abrasions, seldom become infected as long as the dog is kept to a reasonably clean hard surface. However, abrasions and cuts of the skin, like toe webs, are another matter and quite often will become infected and will greatly benefit from either topical or oral antibiotics. When toenails and skin are not damaged and the abrasions or cuts are not severe a product called Tuf-Foot® is a good choice. Although finding a detailed ingredient list proves to be difficult, it has been determined that acetone, Balsam
Summary
Covering every situation and every product on the market for foot pad treatment would be exhaustive. This article is meant to be a guideline that will hopefully give the reader an insight to causes, treatments, maintenance and prevention of many foot pad issues. If you have a favorite product that hasn't been discussed, and if it is working and not causing the dog any harm, then there is no need to change. If another product is being used with good results, the principles here will still apply.
This article is, in large part, a contribution to the grooming industry, by Dr. Harrell who is a former multi-veterinary practice owner and current business coach to the pet industry and pet health advisor for Oxyfresh Worldwide. He also presently serves as Medical Director for the
