paw pad injury question

Question
hello,

I have a lab husky mix who got out the other day. I was able to chase her down and get her back home, but now she has a paw pad injury. There is skin missing on her front paw pad. I cleaned the area using warm water and soap. Then I snipped off the loose skin that was dangling with scissors. After the wound dried I applied neosporin spray then a gauze pad. After that I wrapped the wound with a bandage being sure to leave out all her nails and not make it too tight. She was walking much better after that.
Today however she was limping again. When I took off her bandage the gauze was stuck to her paw. It looks like the wound started bleeding again.

My question is how do I get the gauze to stop sticking to her foot? Would neosporin gel work? The nonstick gauze is still sticking. My husband believes we should unwrap it at night and let her lick the paw, but I'm concerned about bacteria. Is it okay if she licks the paw, or should we keep it wrapped until a layer of skin grows back?

Thanks in advance for your advice. I appreciate any suggestions you can give me!

Christina

Answer

Hi Christina,

You've really done a good job with first aid for your dog's injured paw.

Sometimes nonstick gauze has 2 sides, a "right" and a "wrong". Only one of the sides has the nonstick coating. Is that possibly the problem in your case?  Using an antibiotic ointment would indeed help. Be sure to put on a good amount,  if you put on too little, it won't make a difference in the gauze sticking or not. How long is the gauze on for? The longer it's on, the more likely it is to end up sticking. If you're changing the dressing daily and you find it's sticking, change the dressing twice a day.  You might try another brand of non-stick pad. Telfa "Ouchless" Non-stick Pads work very well.

You should prevent your dog from licking her paw until it's healed over. It can be helpful to put a clean cotton sock over the bandaged paw, to prevent her access from the wound. Infant socks work well, though you can probably rig most sock sizes to make it fit. Tape the top of the sock to keep it on, but be sure you don't tape any fur, and that it's not on too tight.

It's time for a trip to the veterinarian if the wound seems infected.

Best of luck,

Patti