Cut paw

gimmick

While out walking last night on one of our usual routes, there was a crap load of broken glass on the ground. I tried to lead the dog around it, but he still got some caught in his paw, which I didnt notice until we got home shortly after when I saw a bit of blood on the floor. We went at it, and nothing seems to be lodged, but there is a cut about 1cm -1.5cms. He limped slightly but soon after he was grand again. He was fine as well this morning.

So basic question, and please no jumping down my throat as a bad dog owner for asking, but does this require a vets attention for a tetanus injection or anything?

Cheers.

Duvetdays

Hi gimmick personally I wouldn't bring him to the vet unless it looks inflamed or an infection setting it. Drop of dettol diluted and give it a good clean with some cotton wool and keep an eye on how it's healing or that he's not irritating it by biting at it.

westies4ever

yeah unless it got infected, or the dog was very uncomfortable id just keep an eye on it. give it a clean and put some savlon or germolene on it.

DBB

I think it's not advised to use dettol on dogs? Just check that, but I've a feeling you're not meant to use it on animals.
Warm salty water is probably the best anti-everything solution to use op, fill a tub with enough water for him to stand in and for the water to cover his foot. A good dollop of salt added in. I'd do this 3 times a day, and don't overdo the running around until it's healed up a bit.
Split pads usually resolve themselves, but if there's any chance there's still some glass in there, or at the first sign of infection, it's a trip to the vet.

Duvetdays

My dog suffers with anal gland infections and that is what the vet recommended to keep the area clean after she had to have one of the abscess lanced.

Currently having the pleasure of dettoling the area again at the moment as yet another infection has set in, it'll be my morning routine for the week clean the area & hide her antibiotics in a piece of cheese!

bluecherry74

Definitely don't use Dettol as it's toxic to dogs. I'm not sure about Savlon, but I believe they may have changed their formula recently and it's no longer safe for animals. I could be wrong about that thought. Warm salty water is the safest to use and keep a close eye on it.

ISDW

Try and get hold of some hibiscrub from a pharmacy or your vets, thats what my vets use to clean wounds, so its what I also use.

gimmick

Cheers folks. He isnt at it apart from licking it last night a bit. But I think he does that a fair bit anyway. Will keep an eye for infection. My wife suggested a bandage over it, but not a hope that would last more than 15 seconds.

Pumpkinseeds

My parents Collie X cut his paws a few times over the years on broken glass. A couple of times it was bad and needed vet attention but unless its deep or looks angry we used to bathe the paw in tepid water and Epsom salts.

ABajaninCork

I keep a bottle of Hibiscrub for my dog. If not, then Epsom Salts/plain table salt is the way to go. If you're using Hibiscrub, don't forget to rinse with a little warm water.

Sadderday

I would be inclined to think that it would heal itself... the pads on his paw should heal up very quickly. make sure there is no glass left... a little squeeze should indicate this.. (if he's not limping though he's fine), try have him stand his one foot in a small basin of salty lukewarm water maybe...

If he has had his 7in1 injection and booster he should be ok, but if you are concerned at all just ring the vet and ask what he thinks.

aonb

Dog licking this paw to get it clean will help too.

The vet told me not to use SAVLON on the dogs/horse/hens, but that SUDOCREM is fine. Course if you put anything on the dogs paw, he will lick/walk it off

Hooked

DBB wrote: »

Warm salty water is probably the best anti-everything solution to use op, fill a tub with enough water for him to stand in and for the water to cover his foot. A good dollop of salt added in. I'd do this 3 times a day, and don't overdo the running around until it's healed up a bit.
Split pads usually resolve themselves, but if there's any chance there's still some glass in there, or at the first sign of infection, it's a trip to the vet.

I second the salty water. Hugo had a wart like 'gawg' my dad called it... between 2 toes... And we went down the
Salt water route, with vitamin e and Vaseline. But it wasn't a 'cut' like yours.

We bathed it twice daily in salt water. My only edit to the above advice, as its just the one paw... If your dog will stand still, half fill an empty glass jar (jam, etc...) with the salty water. Stand him/her in it and distract with a treat etc a few times a day.

Just make sure there's deffo no glass in it. Had to tweeze out a shard myself once. Not easy!

TooManyDogs

Another salty water fan here

I normally do bandage up the foot for the first couple of days and no walking just to get the pad to seal up a little, then bandage off for the 'air to get at it' as my mother would say.

(totally off topic, but why is it I'm sounding more like my mother ever day???? Anyone else the same? :eek:)

jimf

yes to the salty water treatment as dogs have a very rich blood supply to their pads even a little cut can bleed a lot but once kept clean and has no sign of infection it will also heal very fast i also keep a bottle of hibiscrub at hand for the initial cleaning of the cut but after than its the good old salty water treatment

has anybody heard of natural honey being a great wound healer should be fun keeping it on the wound maybe im dreaming but i think i read something about honey being good

TooManyDogs

jimf wrote: »

has anybody heard of natural honey being a great wound healer should be fun keeping it on the wound maybe im dreaming but i think i read something about honey being good

My vet swears by manuka honey, its got antibacterial properties.

jimf

TooManyDogs wrote: »

My vet swears by manuka honey, its got antibacterial properties.

thank you for jogging me ould brain it was manuka honey

boomerang

Are you thinking of manuka honey, Jim? Sterilised honey is good for drawing out exudate from a wound and if you use the authentic (and expensive) manuka honey, it is also anti-bacterial.

Another fan of plain boiled water and salt here... For one thing there is no fear if it's licked off.

I had a nasty cat bite recently and I soaked it a few times a day in hot water and salt. My vet said it was the very best thing I could do to draw out the pus. (Lovely!)

Oh and re: the Dettol - a definite no-no for cats as it contains phenols.

Hibiscrub solution may not be a great idea - I think it's cytotoxic.

ABajaninCork

Hibiscrub's fine as long as it's rinsed off.

ISDW

boomerang wrote: »

Hibiscrub solution may not be a great idea - I think it's cytotoxic.

Oh, its my vet that always gives it to me to keep at home for cleaning wounds etc. I dilute it, never put it on neat.

boomerang

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Hibiscrub's fine as long as it's rinsed off.

But if you rinse it off, then it's a bit pointless having used it, eh? Needs to be in contact for at least five minutes and if you rinse it off you lose its residual effect.

Pumpkinseeds

boomerang wrote: »

But if you rinse it off, then it's a bit pointless having used it, eh? Needs to be in contact for at least five minutes and if you rinse it off you lose its residual effect.

Its fine to rinse off the Hibiscrub as its just an anti-bacterial wash. I use it for my own skin condition and I use it like a shower gel. In hospitals it would be used as a handwash and so rinsed off immediately.

MurdyWurdy

Our cat gets cut/bitten all the time'(he's a bit of a softy around the neighbourhood cats) and we only take him to the vet if it starts to show signs of infection. We use savlon antiseptic spray stuff that is in our first aid kit on him and that doesn't seem to have any ill effects. We just have to make sure he lets it dry in and doesn't lick it off and keep a close eye on him!

boomerang

To the best of my knowledge,Hibiscrub's fine to use on healthy, unbroken skin, but not on wounds, as it actually impedes new cell growth.

Pumpkinseeds

boomerang wrote: »

To the best of my knowledge,Hibiscrub's fine to use on healthy, unbroken skin, but not on wounds, as it actually impedes new cell growth.

It can be quite harsh when used in the long term. I use it on a daily basis on the advice of my Dermatologist to help prevent infection of very open wounds caused by abcesses and have done for a number of years. Its effective but I definitely wouldn't leave it on the skin for long.

boomerang

You poor thing pumpkinseeds, oweee.

SillyMangoX

You can use hibiscrub on wounds but not straight, if I was cleaning out a wound I would put a small drop in about a litre of lukewarm water and use cotton wool to gently clean it out!

JustAThought

Ive been using the burn type gel Savlon cream ( the "new " e6 expensive one ) on my dogs various bits for 2 years now & no ill effects. She loves the stuff & we play the game of putting it on her toe/leg/ear wherever, & then I hold her off it with my hand/treat distractions so she can't lick it straight off! I hope the 4 or 5 minutes of fending her off licking it off will help the gel/cream work & do it's job! I know a wound needs air to heal but I have been lucky & haven't had a paw infected yet - which it's all about.
I usually put her foot in a bucket of clean warm water first ( while holding her there with sausages or similar super treats!). If she's cut it in the beach ( glass - 2 nights ago) I usually get her to walk back via the sea as I figure the saltwater in it can't be bad for her). I also have used a small bit of liquid dettol from time to time before I discovered the Savlon gel cream but she HATED dettol & screamed to get away from it so Savlon burn cream it is. She also likes the ordinary old fashioned tube of Savlon white cream & ive used this on her too with no side effects ir stomach sickness but I find it's harder to get off the furniture & marks the leather sofa!

Good luck with your poor ole pet. Get well soon!!

Irishchick

Hibiscrub should never ever be used on wounds as it's toxic to fibroblasts. It is not washed off straight away when scrubbing up its rubbed on the hands for at least 6 mins to complete a surgical scrub.

For open wounds you can use hibitane diluted in water or what I recommend for owners is a tea spoon of salt in a pint of warm water. It doesn't disinfect but the key to pollution is dilution! Washing with this several times a day can prevent infection setting in.

Quality

My lab cut her paw pad a couple of months ago.

Kept it clean and dry with salty water.

Also had to keep her in for 8 days to heal properly as I brought her out for walk after 3 days And it bled again. So just be careful, make sure it is healed properly before you bring your dog out.

She wasn't happy about having to be kept in doors and not walked, everytine I put on my coat she was up wagging her tail expecting her walks!