My dog's paw pad is peeling. Is this normal? How can I help it heal?

Question

My dog has been licking at his foot for the past few days. When I first looked nothing seemed to be visibly wrong. Today I looked and he has took off much of his paw pad. I’m not sure if it’s the actual pad or a callus? Either way looks irritating. Is this normal and what should I do to help it heal? I also noticed a small spot on his other foot starting to come off as well. Pet's info: Dog | Australian Shepherd | Male | neutered | 9 months and 16 days old | 34.6 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

Yikes. It looks like Scout's pads are very painful. No, it is not normal for the paw pad to peel off like that. I would supsect that he injured them in some way (running, swimming, burned, etc). Paw pad injuries take a long time to heal and the area needs to stay protected. I would look at getting a pair of booties that he tolerates well. I like Ruffwear ( https://ruffwear.com/collections/boots ). They are expensive, but a great company. What I will typically recommend to people who have dogs that have injured their paw pads is to soak the feet in dilute Epsom Salt (using the dilution on the packaging) for 5 minutes, then keep the feet in booties. If the paw pads develop any odor, discharge or redness, then your veterinarian should examine them. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

My dog's paw pad is peeling. Is this normal? How can I help it heal?

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