# Paw injury and recovery



## Coco (Jul 27, 2011)

Hope someone can help or advise .... 

Coco is nearly 8 months. Two weeks ago, she injured her paw – very deep cut from across the length of her right front paw. :'( I brought her to the vet, she had surgery for stitches. It was terrible!
Within the first few days after the stitches, I noticed a 1cm by 1cm open sore on her foot –I am guessing the stitches opened. We keep her movement around the house limited and she has been amazing. She is due to get the stitches’ out in a few days (Friday). I rewrap her paw daily.
I'm just wondering if anyone has a V with a similar story, in terms of a wound on the pad that is open and doesn't look like it is completely healing. How long it takes for a paw injury to heal, or any ideas how to help the healing process.

I am not happy with the vet clinic and the surgery that was preformed. I have already went back to discuss Coco’s injury and my concerns. The vet's response was to keep her off her foot for a minimum of three weeks, maybe longer. If she is not showing signs of healing, the next step she suggested is to have another surgery to cut back the damaged cells and re stitch her paw. 

Two surgeries within three weeks ……??? Is there not another alternative?

Just ordered Therapaw boots to protect her injured foot until she is fully recovered. 
http://www.therapaw.com/thera-pawboots.aspx

I am going to call another vet clinic tmrw and get a second opinion.
If anyone has any suggestions, thoughts, experience with paw injuries, I would love any advice.


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## Vida (Dec 26, 2011)

Hi, one of my dogs had the same deep cut pad injury. The vet will be very proactive, but these problems nearly always resolve by themselves given enough time.
My advice having seen this situation is -
Leave the wound un dressed,open to the air. A buster collar will stop your dog licking it
Keep her in a crate as much as possible to keep her off her feet. Just take her out for minimum walks,she'll probably be lame but vizslas need to get out. A boot will help keep the foot clean.
It takes a long time to heal,months usually. Be patient.
Good luck!


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## Coco (Jul 27, 2011)

Dear Vida,
Thank you so much for your advice. 
Months ...I was hoping less but kinda expected this to be a slow process. 
Coco has been amazing - however she is just starting to get tired of the slow pace. However, I have taken all the bandages off! She is much happier. 

I will be patient. Slowly, but surely she will be back at full speed.

When did you allow your V to play with another dogs..... is that months?
Thank you again.


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## Vida (Dec 26, 2011)

It was my large x breed dog that tore her pad on a childs metal scooter during a moment of the crazies! She was just one when it happened. The vet put four stitches in ,and really went to town with dressings. Poor girl could barely put her foot to the ground.
I wrapped her bandages in plastic bags and a dog boot just so she could go in the garden.after a couple of days the weight of the dressing and gravity made it drop off. I had a good look and a feel. She was on a course of antibiotics anyway, so against vets advice I left it open. It does take a couple of months because every time the dog puts that foot to the ground it puts pressure on the wound. 
I walked her after the dressing came off ,which was about four days after she cut it. But I took her to the field on her own. ( I also have two vizslas) so it was time consuming. I missed some work,and I stayed with her almost constantly for the first two weeks,but after that she didn't seem in too much pain,but I didn't let her romp with the other dogs for a good two months. Hopefully your Ruby will heal even more quickly being younger and lighter than my bitch was.
I can send you pics of her pad now if that reassures you,but there really isn't anything to see. (It happened a year ago.) The vet said without re-stitching it wouldn't heal.


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## Coco (Jul 27, 2011)

That is good news. I was thinking it would be at least a couple of months before she could play with any other dogs.

She wore her bandages (changed daily) for two weeks - then she was done. She has been bandaged free and it seems that the injuries are healing - slowly, but healing. She still favours it and probably will for some time. I ordered her a therapaw boot and hopefully that will help ( and stay on).

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your advice. I agree - paw injuries take time and heal themselves (slowly). Did you restitch. I think stitches ...again...would be a mistake. 

Would love to see the pictures.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

EMT spray is fabulous!!! Have used it for many types of field injuries including pad wounds. A must have for my 1st aid kit. Good luck


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## tracker (Jun 27, 2011)

I have used BAG BALM several times on Lui, and has worked quite well and he doesn't seem to be interested in licking it off. 

It will not close up a large wound, but it will keep it clean, speed up the healing process.


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## Coco (Jul 27, 2011)

Dear kellygh,
I ordered EMT online - it is not sold here. Actually I order two spray and two cream One for each car, one for home and one for my girlfriend (she has a V - and her V was playing with Coco when the injury happened). Thank you for the advice.

Dear Tracker,
I bought BAG BALM, but have a silly question. I was told that you can use it on the paws to be proactive and prevent injury, but was unaware that I could use it on the injury to speed up the healing process. So .....do I put it on the stitches and the wound?


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## Aimless1 (Sep 25, 2011)

Use the bag balm much like you would hand lotion. It is for topical application only. Speeds the healing process.


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## tracker (Jun 27, 2011)

aimiless hit it spot on.....

It's similar to a poly sporin i guess you could say.


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

Poor Coco  I hope her paw heals soon! 
My Sophie has had her paw cut twice. First time it was pretty bad . She actually sliced off a tip of her paw pad and was bleeding a lot. My fiancé took her to the vet clinic right away, and they cleaned it up and bandaged it. We were told to limit her activity but no other special instructions. The worst part was that we had to leave for our camping trip that we had already planned a year in advance. While we were finishing up packing, Sophie pulled off the bandage, and it has been missing for the past 6 months  She never sat still, followed us everywhere, went swimming with us in the lake, ran after birds. I mean it was pretty hard to keep her away from activity in the woods, and the poor thing was limping the whole time  Every bandage we applied, she tore off. So, we gave up, decided just to watch the cut to make sure when she lays down it is clean. Basically, it healed on its own after a while, and there was nothing really we could do but just wait. Now you can’t even see the scar anymore.


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## Coco (Jul 27, 2011)

Loving the bag balm!!!! Great stuff. 

Suliko...so thankful to you for sharing your story. Much appreciated.
It is good to hear and be reminded that it just takes time and she will recover.

Today, she went off leash in the backyard for the first time in almost three weeks. Wow - some serious pent up energy.


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## tracker (Jun 27, 2011)

anything like the 1:32 mark of this video??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSm5-e7uga4

one of my favourites before i got my v, and i thought to myself that dog must be crazy.......... now i have one myself, and yes he is crazy. 

if you ever can not find bag balm, you can try beezwax as well, work really well especially for prevention of cuts, salt, grit, grime, getting into their paws.


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## Coco (Jul 27, 2011)

Dear Tracker,

LOL. Love that clip. 

Picture that clip with two feet of powder (snow) and an almost 8 month old V that has had limited exercise for three weeks. I wish I had my phone/camera to video it. My husband and I stood in awe (or was it shock?) to watch Coco fly over and under and thru the powder. It was quite remarkable!

Beezwax ....good to know.


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