My dog cut his paw 5 days ago. Does he need a vet or will it heal?

Question

My dog cut his paw 5 days ago. We are keeping the wound clean and wrapped. The bleeding stopped the first day and he has antibiotics. Do I need to take him into see the vet or will this cut heal on its own? Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 2 years and 3 months old | 80 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Paw pad injuries should heal pretty quickly if they are going to heal at home. You can use sharp scissors and remove that flap of skin (but don't cut super close to the edge of the paw). Most of the time, this flap of skin will be like a cuticle on your finger so it doesn't cause pain to remove it. If it seems painful, don't cut it. After 5 days, the tissue underneath the flap should be looking more like the exterior paw pad. It should be darkening in color and not looking raw. If this is occurring, that's a good sign and Hercules seems to be healing it on his own. You can stop bandaging it. Continue to antibiotics for a full 10 days or until the wound is fully healed. You must prevent all licking and he should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. You must also prevent all trauma so no walks, running or jumping until the paw is fully healed. The paw shoudl be completely healed within 10-14 days from the time of the cut. If the paw still looks raw, has any discharge, pain or swelling at this time, Hercules needs to be examined by the veterinarian as this is abnormal and not expected. If at any point the cut shows any of these symptoms, he should be examined. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

My dog cut his paw 5 days ago. Does he need a vet or will it heal?

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