My dogs feet are hurting

Question
Hi! My name is Sara and I have a Bullmastiff named Boyd. He is one year old and still a puppy.Recently, I have discovered him licking his paws. So I look to see what is the matter and in between his toes are red and look like sores and the bottom of his feet bleed. I don't know if it is lack of excersize?being a heavy dog? Or maybe that my husband discovered today that I was taking him to bushes where poison oak lives? Can neosporin help his wounds?

Answer
Sara,

Lack of exercise and being a heavy dog wouldn't lead to red, irritated footpads. It sounds more like an allergy problem - likely the poison oak if you have been walking him through it. In any case, the safest thing to do is have him examined by a veterinarian to make sure that it is poison oak and not something else. If it is poison oak, they will probably give him a steroid shot and some antibiotics. I wouldn't use Neosporin or anything topical that wasn't prescribed by Boyd's doctor, as most dogs will immediately lick the ointment off their feet. If you can't take him to a veterinarain for some reason, the next best thing to try would be Benadryl. You would need to call the veterinary clinic to get the correct dosage for his age and weight though.

As a side note, if you don't already have him on a supplement to promote joint health I recommend starting him one one. Almost every dog, but especially large and giant breed dogs, end up with osteoarthritis and other bone and joint problems as they get older. You can order supplements to promote joint health from companies like Drs. Foster & Smith (drsfostersmith.com), buy them from your veterinarian, or simply start giving Boyd 1500 mgs a day of Glucosamine (a 750 mg tablet with breakfast and one with dinner). You can pick it up from the vitamin isle at your grocery store. Glucosamine usually comes in a Glucosamine/Chondroiton complex and the Chondroitin will benefit him too.

Good luck!

Ashley