Thorns in paws

[RyanTBH]

Wondering what experience with this any of ya'll have had.... My Fred dog got an inch long thorn stuck right between the middle pad and his first toe. It was in pretty deep and looks like a tiny little piece of the tip might still be in there deep! When I say deep I mean like when you step on a nail and it goes through your foot. This was on its way to going through his foot. Now he is swelled up, and not wanting to put pressure on it. I pulled the thorn out, and gave him some Amox to hopefully prevent any infection. Anything else that I can do? And is there anything that anyone has done to try an prevent the dogs from getting thorns in their paws? Thanks guys!

[easttexasoutlaw33]

We get alot of that in deep east tx thorn thickets. Ive even had dogs run there pads off. Spray tuff skin on the bottom of there feet everytime you take them out is works for most thorns

[dub]

Watch for limping and pull thorns out fast. Might have got something up in it. The body will reject foreign objects. Watch for a puss sack and it will be in it. It may be inside and you cut to get it. You have to feel for it. It could be hard or soft. If you go to cut on a foot I like them tied down and the leg and tied so the paw can't move. You don't want them jerking and causing damage.

[jimmy_creed]

they have some stuff that makes there pads harder i use to keep it on him to keep him from running his pads off dont remember what its called but they sell it a potts feed store in emory

[RyanTBH]

I was able to pull out the big part of it... So I'll have to wait around to see if it pusses up. See if you can't find out what that is Jimmy, I'd like to know. I was thinking about spraying that flexable rubber on the bottom of them. Have ya'll heard of that stuff. Comes in a can, you spray it on, and its flexable rubber... JoeTBH did the fron of his pants in it and it worked well for thorns.

[easttexasoutlaw33]

Only spray i have found to help make the skin on pads tougher is called Tuf-Foot. Here is the link

http://www.gundogsupply.com/7-95.html

[dub]

I don't see any of that stopping a thorn. I pull thorns out mostly from between the toes not through the pad. This thorn was not through the pad either. So the pads aren't a problem.

If you don't get a thorn out it can break off inside and that sounds like the problem here. You said you got a piece of thorn out. Did it have the sharp point on it? If the wound is open the body can get it out. Like if you get a deep splinter you can't get out. Later you try again and it comes right out. That is because the body puts fluids around it to get it out. The fluids leak out and take the object with it. But if there is no way out the fluids build up in a sack with the object in it. If it is draining you can try to help it by pushing or looking for it with tweezers. If it is not leaking then look and feel for a puss sack. If there is no leaking and you can't find any sack within a few days I would guess it is gone. Avoid meds that reduce swelling the swelling is what pushes it out. But you can give antibiodics to prevent infections.

[RyanTBH]

Thanks dub, and yes you're right. It was in between the toe and the pad. I got out everything except for the very tip of it... I do not know if there was a tip to begin with, but I assume there was. I will be checking it again when I get home tonight, and will give an update. Thanks guys!

[Hog Dog Mike]

Locust thorns are the worst and will really cause a dog to swell up. You might have to lance it to make sure you get any foreign matter out of the foot. Small sharp sissors are good for opening it up.

I ran bird dogs for years and could wright a book on all the things I have used over the years. The best thing I ever used was 2 cups of tannic acid mixed with a pint of pine tar. Just paint it on the foot--not  only does it protect it aids in healing.

[RyanTBH]

Fred put about 20 miles on this weekend, and on the way back to the truck he was noticeably limping… so I checked for another thorn and nothing, still a lump, but nothing. When we got home it was noticeably swollen, and he didn’t want me touching the paw at all. Of course, I made him let me check it out, and still no thorn, no puss, no noticeable “hurting” spot other than the swelling.

Could there be another small piece of thorn still in there that the body didn’t push out? Or could it be just like a bum knee coming back when it’s cold or over used? Do you think some paw cover of some sort would prevent the swelling after miles on track? I don’t know, and just figured I’d asked. He is putting some more pressure on it today…

Thanks.