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My dog's limping with a torn paw pad. Does he need vet stitches?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Husky | Male | neutered | 65 lbs

My dog has been limping for a couple of days, today we noticed a large scab on the pad of his foot. We soaked his paw in warm water, and after we saw what appeared to be fat protruding out of the pad. Did he tear the pad, requiring stitches, or should we just apply neosporin and let it heal on its own?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 17th, 2018

Ouch, poor Koda! It looks like he injured his pad, and it could be that it's torn. I would say it definitely needs veterinary treatment, as it may need some stitches or surgical glue to help it heal correctly. In addition, it's clearly painful to him as he's limping. I would bandage it to keep it clean and dry, and take him into the vet tomorrow or Monday. You may need to put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking at it. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home, and I will put a link below on how to make one at home. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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