As dog owners, all we want is to ensure that our furry best friends are happy and healthy. However, like us humans, even dogs are exposed to a lot of vulnerabilities in their life that lead to injuries, accidents, and health complications.
Amidst them, one common complication that’s quite prevalent in dogs experiencing paw injury. The worst part about the situation is that there isn’t one particular reason behind the issue. Paw injuries are common and can happen due to a multitude of reasons.
It could be due to friction against the ground, contact against rough-edged items on the ground, cuts and scrapes due to the summer heat, and the list goes on. Given how prevalent paw injuries are, we had to list all the potential home remedies to treat paw injuries in dogs.
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What are the Common Reasons behind Paw Injuries in Dogs?
Dogs are prone to paw injuries a lot more than you think. It could be an age-related concern or, sometimes, an accident where they step against a sharp object on the ground.
In most cases, sudden contact with foreign material, especially sharp-edged objects like foreign bodies, glass, metal scraps, etc., while on a walk could be a cause behind the paw injury.
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Seeing your dog in pain can be traumatic. After all, no one wants to witness their loved one in pain and the same applies to your puppy too. Besides stepping on sharp objects, paw injuries are also common from the summer heat. Several dogs with delicate paws are prone to experiencing burns on their paw pads due to the heat.
This kind of accident also happens during freezing days, especially when it’s snowing outside. If you live somewhere with extremely hot or cold temperatures, it is better to protect your dog, especially when they are stepping out of the house for some playtime or a walk.
Besides these issues, heavy exercise could also be a reason behind paw injuries in your dog. Since dogs have delicate paws, the constant friction against the ground can lead to pain and scrapes on the paw. This isn’t something you want your dog to experience at all.
How to Detect if Your Dog Has Paw Injury?
You must check your dog’s paws every day to realize that your dog has hurt their paws. However, if your dog is in pain or discomfort due to the injury, they will somehow show it to you via a few different ways that you need to keep an eye out on.
Following are some of the important symptoms:
- Your dog is constantly licking or biting their paws to alleviate their pain
- Your dog is experiencing difficulty walking
- Your dog is not putting their weight on the legs while trying to walk
- Your dog has redness or blood dripping out of their paws
Sometimes, please pay close attention to your dog and its behavior. If you notice a shift in their walking patterns or behavior, check their paws for injuries or bleeding.
How to Treat Paw Injury in Dogs Using Home Remedies?
Now that you have a better idea about the causes and symptoms of paw injuries in dogs let us walk you through the list of home remedies to treat paw injuries in dogs.
We have managed to sort out some of the most effective remedies you can look through to heal your dog and tend to its pain and discomfort.
1. Clean the Injury
If you notice your dog limping or their paws are bleeding, it is a sign that they have managed to hurt its paws. Your work is to take matters into your hands immediately.
The first thing you need to do is take some clean water and a cleaning pad and wipe the dirt and dried blood from the paw. Cleaning and disinfecting the area is critical to ensure that the injury doesn’t become an infection.
2. Clean Out the Hair or Fur Growth
If you have a dog with rapid and dense fur growth, chances are that the hair will grow into the paw pads too. It is natural and something your dog needs for protection. However, when they have a paw injury, cleaning the extra fur and hair growth is essential.
The excess hair growth on the skin of the pads can attract more bacteria due to the humidity in the air. That’s the last thing you want because excess bacterial growth will lead to an infection in and around the injury.
If you don’t have the tools to clean the hair and fur growth, you can get your dog to a professional groomer and let them help you. Ask them to use some oxygenated water to clean the paw pads and the injury on the paw.
3. Use Saline Solution
If you don’t want the paw injury and the cut to get infected, the best home remedy is to use some saline solution. It is effective and easy to make, but the salt concentration can cause your dog some pain and discomfort. Be prepared to shower them with love and attention.
To prepare the saline solution, take one cup of boiling water, add ½ tsp of salt to it, and mix it until the salt dissolves completely. Let the solution cool down entirely.
Once it’s cooled down, transfer it to a spraying bottle or an ordinary bottle, and then wash the wound and injury as much as you can. Repeatedly washing the wound will wash away the debris and clean the area entirely.
4. Use Turmeric
Not many are aware of this, but turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, both of which come in handy when it comes to treating the injury and the inflammation that comes with the injury.
If your dog has a paw injury causing them pain and discomfort, make a paste using turmeric and some water. If you don’t have raw turmeric, you can use turmeric powder as well. Make a paste that’s a little stiff so you can apply it on the round without it falling off the wound.
You can apply the paste once or twice daily, and it will make a huge difference in healing the wounds over the next week or so.
5. Use Herbal Tea Rinse
This can be controversial among some dog owners. However, if you want to try out all the remedies that will help your dog feel less pain, we recommend trying out this remedy too.
Strongly brewed herbal teas have catechin in them, which is anti-inflammatory and can alleviate the pain and discomfort your dog is experiencing. Chamomile is a great option. You can brew the tea and then soak some clean cloth to rinse the area.
For maximum relief, you can brew the tea, let it cool, and then refrigerate it for a few hours. Using refrigerated tea offers more relief from pain and discomfort.
6. Use Vinegar Rinse
Another home remedy for treating paw injury in your dogs is using some vinegar rinse. However, you’d need to use apple cider vinegar instead of harsher vinegar, like white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has been used in first aid for quite a few years now.
Besides rinsing the debris and the dirt off the paw, the vinegar rinse also disinfects the area and prevents risks of bacterial growth in and around the wound, which often leads to infections from the injury.
Not only will the vinegar rinse help heal the wound, but it is also effective in reducing the itchiness and irritation that’s common around the injury on the paw. The vinegar rinse will also protect the area against fleas and ticks.
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Conclusion
These are some of the effective home remedies to treat paw injuries in dogs. If you don’t see any progress even after using these remedies, we’d recommend that you consult a vet near you to get relevant ointments and treatment for the cut and wound. Ideally, you should watch for the wound and monitor your dog’s behavior. If the wound isn’t recovering well, it is ideal that you rush your dog to your vet and get them the help they need.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you treat a dog’s injured paw?
The most effective first aid for treating a dog’s injured paw is to rinse the wound thoroughly under some oxygenated water and then apply some ointment.
What are the most common dog paw injuries?
Some common types of dog paw injuries include cuts, abrasions, lacerations, blisters, burns, cracks in the pad, etc.
How long do dog paw injuries take to heal?
The recovery period for a paw injury will depend on the severity of the injury and the effectiveness of the treatment. In most cases, it can take somewhere between 3-4 weeks.
Will a dog’s paw heal on its own?
The healing process of an injured paw of a dog can take 14-21 days. However, proper first aid and treatment are necessary to prevent risks of infections in the paw pads.
Do dogs feel pain in their paws?
If the extent of the injury in the paw is a lot, the dogs are subject to a lot of pain. The cracks and the blistering also prevent them from walking normally for a few weeks.
What home remedy can I give my dog for pain?
Applying a turmeric paste on the wound can work wonders in relieving the pain and inflammation in the paw. Also, chamomile tea rinse helps too.
How do you walk a dog with an injured paw?
If your dog’s paws are hurt, apply cushioned, non-stick sterile gauze on their paws while taking them out for a walk. If you find your dog not wanting to go, it is better to let them rest and heal.
Can a dog walk on a broken paw?
Unless the injury is too severe or has resulted in a broken bone, you should be good to walk your dog. Keep an eye out for your dog’s behavior.
Can I use betadine on my dog?
If you want to sterilize the wound on your dog’s paw using betadine, we’d recommend rinsing the area first. Once done, you can take a clean gauge and apply a little on the wound. Ensure that your dog isn’t licking it.
Should I let my dog lick his cut paw?
If your dog has injured their paw pads, try and avoid them from licking the paw. Licking can elevate the risks of infections, which is the last thing you want.
