cut pads

[kenny]

Just wondering if any body has any good remedys for cut pads besides getting something over the counter. seems like something i'm dealing with all the time maybe there is something I can do to make there feet tough.

[007pennpal]

Kenny,
What do they stand on at the house? gravel, concrete, mud?
Sean

[kenny]

I got my dogs on tie outs so they are on grass and dirt. I have been using the Pad heal that I got out of my nite lite magazine. I have only had pad cuts after the dogs have been hunted and that does the trick I was hoping that someone had something that they make themselves.

[007pennpal]

I've been told if you put them on gravel it makes em tougher. Its so wet here all the time. I have mine on concrete and its wet a lot. I think they'd be tougher if dryer. I might cover my kennels. You think if you gravel your area it might keep their feet dryer and let em toughen up?
Sean

[TomJr]

I think you will find that dogs tied up tend to walk and move about less than dogs in a dog run situation. If its at all possible you should look into fencing an area big enough for them to move about and play together some. It will have to be atleast 6 feet high if your dogs are anything like mine... If they are excape artists then only let them out into the run while you are home and keep them in a roofed over section while away. A few hours running a day will help to keep feet in better shape as well. Get up early and run/walk them for an hour in morning and then again when home from work, longer if possible. Maybe you are already doing that but too many people don't, so I put that out there.

[kenny]

I'm wondering what kind of fencing that you used and how big of an area you fenced off. It seems that my dogs do get out and about during the day with the tie outs that I have them on they are 15' long so they have a 30' circle but it does make me think that maybe the wet ground might be keeping there pads soft. I wonder if I should gravel part of there areas or the whole thing what do you think. Thanks for the comments Kenny

[dwalton]

Kenny: Wash and soak there feet before and after you hunt then in vinegar, water and salt. Until they toughen up. Dewey

[007pennpal]

Vinegar is a good cleaner used in hospitals. Its good to poor or spray over a dogs area. Never heard salt water on feet before. Running dogs on gravel road and keeping them on gravel toughens their feet. Keeping their feet dry allows the thickness of the outer pad to build up. Thats their protection. I'm thinking a thick layer of gravel will make it dryer too. Wet concrete is making my hounds feet soft.
Sean

[newby]

I have a similar situation...turned out on an old lion track in crusty snow. My male that has NEVER blown a pad on dry ground no matter how long i road him (7-12 miles) is totally laid up right now. He cold trailed for about 3 hrs. before he blew the race by switching to an elk herd he ran the track through. His pads themselves are still in good shape, but he has sores around all his toenails where the snow rubbed him raw. I tried the vinegar, salt and water after the fact, but he's still in pretty rough shape. Is there anyway to condition for this or is it just going to happen in that kind of snow?

[kenny]

Thanks for the info, I'm going to try a few things that were mentioned. Thanks again and good hunting

[cat and bear]

I have a similar situation...turned out on an old lion track in crusty snow. My male that has NEVER blown a pad on dry ground no matter how long i road him (7-12 miles) is totally laid up right now. He cold trailed for about 3 hrs. before he blew the race by switching to an elk herd he ran the track through. His pads themselves are still in good shape, but he has sores around all his toenails where the snow rubbed him raw. I tried the vinegar, salt and water after the fact, but he's still in pretty rough shape. Is there anyway to condition for this or is it just going to happen in that kind of snow?

Newby, we fought the nail thing all last winter, a couple things to suggest, keep the nails cut, and I started soaking the whole foot in pad heal, seems to help quite a bit. Another suggestion is put super glue on the sore's after its cleaned up.

[newby]

Never tried Pad Heal...is it an ointment or a preventative measure? You just put the glue around the nails? I'll try anything, can't seem to get him healed up.

[cat and bear]

Never tried Pad Heal...is it an ointment or a preventative measure? You just put the glue around the nails? I'll try anything, can't seem to get him healed up.

I'm no vet I think its got a little of both. If its strawberries around the nail, the best is to get about four bottles, put it in a coffee can, and dip their foot, its hard to get it brushed in good around the nails. The glue, i like the gell,it holds together better as you put it on. On a worn pad, last winter, we put it on, and it worked good, ran the dog two days later, and about every day after that. It heals from the inside out. Koppertox can also be used instead of pad heal. I never tried deweys mixture, I'm sure it works to. The only other thing you can do it get boots for him. I wont run them here, there is to much open water, and if a dog falls through, I doubt they would be able to crawl back on the ice with boots on. One last thing, I will give them two or three days of amoxicillian, seems to help them heal quicker.
Good luck
Ron

[newby]

That's good advice...I'll give it a shot. It's just worn around the nail...the pads themselves are fine. Where do you get the amoxicillan (pills or injections?)? Thanks.

[007pennpal]

You can buy the antibiotics from the feed store, its for farm animals but same thing. Just read bottle for animal weight, injection. All my hounds bleed around the claws in crusty snow. If you run a lion, sometimes you'll find blood from around their claws in track too. I just try to manage it best I can. Treat it and rotate dogs every other day if used hard day before etc. I'm thinking if they had enough races in same hard conditions their feet might adjust. But, then I can never get enough races.
Sean