How do I treat a cut paw?

[superlambanana]

My little Rottie has seemed a bit out of sorts today, which I'd put down to her arthritis playing up. However I've checked her paws and there seems to be a sore on the big pad of her back left paw. It's like the top layer of skin has come off - looks red and sore. There doesn't seem to be any inflammation.

Should I take her to the vet, or can I treat it (salt water and antiseptic?) and keep and eye on it in the first instance? Should she still get a walk tomorrow or just a run round the garden? We can't over exercise her because of the arthritis anyway so I'm not too worried about not taking her for a day and she's really lazy .

I went on a doggie first aid course run by vets and we were advised to clean thoroughly and put some gauze over wound then tape up with cohesive (not adhesive) bandage. Apparently you can get them in pound shops. If going out put a bag on to keep dry. Check every day or so and put clean dressing on. I wouldn't go to vet unless it was really bad, in fact I did previously and it cost about £50 for them to bandage. It took ages to heal and I took her back as I was worried but they explained paws heal slowly (was a very bad, deep cut) and heal from the inside, which explained why it was open for ages.

Thank you Have bathed it in salt water (with DH holding Dog's head and giving her lots of treats) and will gauze and bandage tomorrow as I haven't got any in the house. Poor thing is hopping around holding it up

No doubt she'll really play up to the attention. Those puppy dog eyes they give are a nightmare

My collie cross had a sore exactly like you describe just before christmas. It looked like she had scraped a layer of skin off, her pad which is normally black was red/pink.

I washed it with salt water applied some exmarid ointment (from pet shop) and wrapped it up using gauze and cohesive bandage.

It healed completely within a week to ten days and we changed her dressing daily. I found a sandwich bag tied over her foot useful for walks in the rain.

Oh and don't go to pets at home for the bandage! Very expensive!

I got ours at the local animal feed/horse suppliers and it was less than half the price of pets at home.

After you have dressed it, pop on a baby sock and fix with micropore. Keeps it clean and the dog is less likely to chew it off. You can get dog boots, which with the weather as it is might be better than a plastic bag.
Take to the vet if it looks inflamed.

My old dog, once had an horrendous cut (from.a broken glass neck bottle). It needed stiched but wasn,t healing very well.

I,d just had dd and was using t-tree oil in the bath, i put a few drops on the bandage. The vet was amazed at the way it healed sp cleanly. Worth a try.

(She,s gone now I do miss her).