Lab paws

Question
I have a 7 month old chocolate female lab named Ginger. Ginger is a sweet happy very energetic puppy, she eats good, gets to run and play everyday, sleeps in my bed with me, and has learned to let me know when it's time to go outside. Ginger survived parvo after a week at the vet's office when she was about 13 weeks old. My problem with Ginger is that when someone touches her feet or tail she lets out a little wine turning into a growl and sometimes trys to bite, although she has not clamped down with her teeth yet I am very worried about her hurting someone bad the older she gets. I noticed her acting like this when she first came back from the vet after having the parvo and assumed it was pain caused by the iv's she had in her legs, but the behavior has just gotten worse. I Wipe her paws when she comes inside after being out in the water or it has been raining I try to be as gentle as I can be and she still gets very upset as if it hurts. Otherwise she has been a great puppy and gets along with my Australian shepherd well who has no problem getting any of her paws wiped. I have not asked my vet about this yet we are do to go back soon. Also I see her play, run, jump, scratch and everything else on her feet and bite her own tail and nothing seems to hurt her. Am I doing something wrong? Is there something about a labs paws I don't know? What should I do? Please help me.  

Answer
Hi Sheila;
I think this is something your Veterinarian should be consulted about.
It is possible, of course that some after effect of the parvo, or having so many ivs did some nerve damage and made them sensitive.
IUt is also ossible, that the trauma of going through that treatment process left her emotionally scarred.
I have had a couple go through Parvo, and they did survive because we cought it soon enough, but it is not an easy illness for them to recover from, and not be a little apprehensive of the Vet;s office, needles etc.
Therer could be something that just left the nerve ends very sensitive, and it does cause a tickle or a hurt.
I am very ticklish under my arms, but it does NOT make me laugh. I am so sensitive that it actually hurts more than tickles, and since I have a bad problem with a spinal injury, it has made that worse.
This could have happened to her.
I know of nothing special about a lab's paws. Labs I have dealt with had no problem such as this.
There could be an injury to a paw, or nail, that does not heal, and hurts when it is touched.
With it being the til too, I would think it is a nerve damage problem, or just a traumatic fear problem.
If it is trauma and fear, she could be helped quite a bit, if not cured of it completely with massage.
Go to this site, and read about what can be done with the massages, and you can order a video from there to learn to do them.
I would encourage you to get the video and learn the massage anyway, ad both dogs you have will very likely suffer some Arthritis pain when they get older.
I have eased pain from surgery recovery, Arthritis, Hip Dysplasia, and gotten my dogs a lot mre ease of movement with fewer medications.
Especially when I have one that is stove up when cold weather or damp weather hits. They can hardly move, and they will crip into where I am, and lie down, and I massage them, and they can get up and move around much better.
the address is
      www.lindatellington-jones.com

Hope I have helped some.
In the meantime, I would caution peopole not to touch her tail or feet.
The crying out makes me think it is not just temperment.
I have seen both cats and dogs ( had a few) that didn't like their tail being touched, and would give a really dirty look if you touched it, and my little Lhasa is terribly ticklish on the pads of his feet, we have to be careful when we bathe him. He doesn't try to bite or anything, but he jerks hus little foot so bad.
We just know he is very sensitive there. It is a reflex jerk, and since I hate being tickled, I don't like to do it to anyone else.LOL
Write if you think I can help more.
Charlotte