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Causes of Bleeding Paws in Dogs
Your dog’s foot pad or paw itself can bleed as a result of a laceration, puncture or abrasion. Bleeding can also occur as a result of a cracked or broken toenail. Conditions that your dog is exposed to can influence the state of his paws and how resistant they are to injury. For example, exposure to road salt, hot asphalt or sharp, rocky terrain can all compromise the health of the foot pad.
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Bleeding Paws in Dogs
Bleeding Paws in Dogs
Bleeding Paws in Dogs - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost
MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS
Bleeding / Destructive / Limping / Wound
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Rated as moderate conditon
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What are Bleeding Paws?
While it is not unusual for dogs to have a bloody paw, it is important to understand where the blood is coming from as you try and determine whether the injury is minor or more serious. Bleeding will often happen in the pads of your dog’s paws. The pads on the bottom of your dog’s paws are thick and feel rubbery; their role is to cushion your dog’s steps and give his paws traction. In addition, your dog’s foot pads will protect his bones and joints by providing shock absorption during running and walking. Foot pads also offer insulation to your dog’s foot from very hot and very cold weather.
If your dog’s paw is bleeding, it may be due to an injury to one or more of his foot pads. As walking on the injured foot can reopen the wound, foot pad injuries can be challenging to resolve. If your dog experiences damage to his nails or nail beds, it can also be problematic. Your dog’s toenails have a blood vessel running through them; this means that if a nail break is higher than the location of the vessel, significant bleeding can occur.
Bleeding can occur in the foot pad of a dog or from the paw itself, as a result of a slice or puncture, as well as from a broken nail.
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Symptoms of Bleeding Paws in Dogs
In addition to the blood, you may notice a slice or puncture in one or more of your dog’s foot pads. Whether the damage is to the footpad or the skin or nails of the dog, you may notice your dog limping, not using his injured paw and flinching when you reach for the paw to examine it.
Types
Your dog’s paw may be bleeding due to the following:
Laceration
- This is a cut or tear in the skin or food pads of your dog; these may or may not be deep and a foreign object may be found in the skin or pad upon further examination
Abrasion
- A part of the skin or foot pad has been scraped or worn away
Other injuries or issues that can occur in the paw or footpad include:
Burns (the result of heat or chemical reactions)
Frostbite
An allergic reaction
Infection
Paws may bleed minimally, moderately or severely.
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Causes of Bleeding Paws in Dogs
Your dog’s foot pad or paw itself can bleed as a result of a laceration, puncture or abrasion. Bleeding can also occur as a result of a cracked or broken toenail. Conditions that your dog is exposed to can influence the state of his paws and how resistant they are to injury. For example, exposure to road salt, hot asphalt or sharp, rocky terrain can all compromise the health of the foot pad
Treatment of Bleeding Paws in Dogs
Depending on the injury, you may have conducted some first aid at home before bringing your dog to the veterinarian. Should you notice bleeding in your dog’s paw or foot pad, after stopping the bleeding by applying pressure to his wound, you can clean the foot pad or place where the injury has occurred, looking for foreign objects like glass or metal. If it is something that you can remove with tweezers easily go ahead and do so. If the item is in the paw or foot pad deeply, it is best to leave it alone and have your veterinarian remove it.
Once your veterinarian has looked closely at your dog’s paw, should there be something in his paw or foot pad that needs to be extracted, he may choose to sedate your dog prior to removing the item. Any flaps of skin that are present will also likely be removed and if there is damage that is more than superficial, dead tissue in the surrounding area may be removed to promote healthy tissue growth. The paw will be treated, possibly with acemannan-containing hydrogel, neomycin-bacitracin-polymyxin or silver sulfadiazine cream. The paw will be bandaged, and in some cases, a splint applied to minimize pressure on the foot pad. This is important because pressure can cause the wound to reopen and that would increase the chance of infection.
If the cause of your dog’s bloody paw is a broken or cracked nail, it may require that the blood vessels be cauterized in order for the bleeding to be stopped.
Hope it will help you.
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