Treatment paw injuries..

[borzoimom]

As most know, Femka injured her paw pad. ( yes- we saw the vet..). The first vet said to keep it wrapped for a week. Only changing the bandage. Now- vet number 2 said to allow it to air as much as possible wrapping only to protect it from the outside. The reasoning behind advice number 2 is that the paw will sweat and could make a fungal infection if its not allowed to air as much as possible. Now I am following advice from vet number 2 because it appears to me, the progress is much better..
So- those of you with paw injuries - how do you treat it? ( GRANTED we are not endorsing initial treatment is not looked at by a vet as the cut maybe be deeper etc..) But what do you do in follow up treatment?
( oh one more comment- vet 2 also said femka might take longer to heal than other dogs because of her medical situations.)

[Vintage Boxers]

First day, neosporin and gauze covered in vet wrap

Second day i scrub it clean and apply liquid bandaid, and from there out i air dry it so that it doesn't get infected.

Loki does injure his pads about two times a year from his silly exercise bloopers, though last time it was 2006 lure coursing, silly d-ickens caught the lure and then tried to stop it by putting hi s feet on the "string"

So i would go with the airing out.

There are some cases in which i would keep t covered,but if it isn't SUPER deep and gooey, then i would still say watch it and if you have to cover it at night so she doesn't lick the loving stuffings out of it, that works....

Good luck
It is a pain but it turns out in the end
Sarah

[Hudsons~Mom]

Hudson has more split pads then I would like to count...this is why he has to wear hiking boots when he goes out on the cement.

Whenever he has split his pads open, I have always...

Day 1 - Clean with warm saline water....polysporen...wrap up and put sock on.

Day 2 - Clean again with warm saline water - dry compleatly and crazy glue it together, light guze dressing and sock

Day 3 - Clean again with warm saline water - dry compleatly crazy glue, holding dog until glue is compleatly dry, and leave open unless going outside...then quick gauze wrap and sock...once back inside wrappings come off.

Day 4 and on - same as day 3

[golden&hovawart]

Let it air out when,at home but cover it when you take her,out!.I use
Bactine which is a spray.It's a pain relieving cleaning spray and then,put
liquid bandaid!.I have a tendency not to bandage anything whether it's for kids or furkids but I did invest in an Elizabethan collar that has been a lifesaver,in many occasions.

[EllyMay]

The airing out thing is an old wives tale. And it is a persistent one. You want to keep the wound moist, clean and covered. This is true for people and dogs.
http://www.robinsoncare.com/MoistWoundHealing.htm
http://www.strengthforcaring.com/dai...und-cleansing/

[doglover1984]

This is good advice I don't have anything to add b/c I have never had it happen but now I know thanks for posting this.

[borzoimom]

Originally Posted by EllyMay

The airing out thing is an old wives tale. And it is a persistent one. You want to keep the wound moist, clean and covered. This is true for people and dogs.
http://www.robinsoncare.com/MoistWoundHealing.htm
http://www.strengthforcaring.com/dai...und-cleansing/

Interesting! Thank you!

[EmmaGirl]

Originally Posted by EllyMay

The airing out thing is an old wives tale. And it is a persistent one. You want to keep the wound moist, clean and covered. This is true for people and dogs.
http://www.robinsoncare.com/MoistWoundHealing.htm
http://www.strengthforcaring.com/dai...und-cleansing/

Really???? I know in people wounds to air is to help heal. Just for my own education....why keep it moist? Doesn't that contribute to a medium beneficial to bacteria growth? Clean...yes. Covered...well that's not about the open to air thing. But it does prevent aditional bacteria to get in.
I guess I'm a little old fashioned in that I belive that leaving the wound clean and to air is the way to go. But I'm all about education.

[borzoimom]

Originally Posted by EmmaGirl

Really???? I know in people wounds to air is to help heal. Just for my own education....why keep it moist? Doesn't that contribute to a medium beneficial to bacteria growth? Clean...yes. Covered...well that's not about the open to air thing. But it does prevent aditional bacteria to get in.
I guess I'm a little old fashioned in that I belive that leaving the wound clean and to air is the way to go. But I'm all about education.

Okay- this is where I am worried.. If I unwrap it she is fine then suddenly it opens. If I keep it wrapped I am worried about fungal infections from "sweating" in the paws.
So how is this Emmagirl as I know you are a nurse and my vets are split.. I took a clean paper towel. Wrapped at the ankel like near the cut in the paw as it goes down but the base of the paw is open so the paw can sweat. Then I use a bandage wrap that " breathes" after putting on neosporan.. Do you need a picture or a video?... See when the other vet wrapped the paw, the whole paw was sealed up like a tomb..

[golden&hovawart]

Ellemay!,
I had a horse that had a wound that got infected and the vet had to go down to the bone to clean it and the wound was 3 in by 4!.
It was kept opened and aired out the entire time,with shots,twice a day and bathed,3 times a day!.After a month,you couldn't see a thing and she never had a scar!.
From personal experience, i believe that airing the wound will help and just covering it when going out,will keep it!,clean!.
When Titus,has a pad wound,it took 3 mth for it to close cos everytime,he put pressure on it,it would bleed!.The vet couldn't stitch cos the piece had gone.Just be patient and let her have minimum exercise until it stops bleeding.Just keep it clean.