What this means
Paws touch floors, ground, cold and heat every day, so the pads and the skin between the toes are easily scraped. Most often you notice that your dog limps, keeps licking or chewing its feet, or leaves spots of blood behind. Look at the pads, between the toes and under the nails: are there open spots, redness, swelling, lumps or small pustules, and does one paw look different from the others?
How your dog reacts matters too. A sore paw usually hurts and the dog guards it. But if a dog pays no attention to open sores, or even chews at them, that is not a good sign: in some dogs the sense of pain can be impaired, so they do not notice they are hurt. If the dog is young and sores appear from the slightest rubbing, or on several paws at once and again and again, a vet has to judge whether an inherited skin or nerve problem is involved.
There are many possible reasons and they cannot be told apart by appearance. Do not use home remedies, do not squeeze lumps and do not let your dog keep licking its paws. To help your vet, photograph the paws and note when the sores appeared, whether they recur, whether they come after walks and whether your dog shows pain when you touch them.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Skin that is fragile from birth
In some dogs the skin is unusually fragile and the slightest rubbing causes blisters or scrapes, especially on the pads. It usually shows up at a young age.
About the condition: Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa -
Reduced sense of pain
If the nerves carry pain poorly, the dog does not notice its own wounds, does not limp and may chew or bite at them.
About the condition: Hereditary sensory neuropathy -
Inflammation between the toes
The skin between the toes can redden, swell and become covered with lumps or small pustules. The dog often starts to lick or chew at its paws.
About the condition: Pododermatitis (inflamed paws) -
A foreign body or an injury
A grass seed, thorn, piece of glass or a rough surface can puncture or scrape a pad and set up inflammation.
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A burn or an irritating substance
Hot ground, ice, salt or cleaning products can burn or irritate the pads.
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Itch from allergy
When paws itch the dog licks them constantly, so the skin is red and damaged. Other signs of itching are often seen too.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Which paws and which parts are affected: pads, toes, between the toes
- Whether the sores are on all paws or only on one
- Whether your dog limps, or pays no attention to open sores
- Whether it constantly licks or chews its paws
- Whether there are lumps, pustules or a bad smell
- Whether blisters or sores are also elsewhere: muzzle, mouth, ears
When to book a routine visit
Sores on the paws are worth showing to a vet, especially if they keep coming back, appear on several paws or your dog does not notice them. Bring photos and say when they started.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa Skin and coat Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is an inherited skin disease in which a protein that anchors the outer layer of skin to the layers beneath is missing. The skin becomes very fragile: ordinary rubbing or a minor knock leaves blisters and sores that are slow to heal. It shows up in puppies, and the diagnosis is made by a vet.
- Hereditary sensory neuropathy Nerves and muscles This is an inherited nerve disease that damages the nerves carrying sensation, especially from the paws. The dog gradually feels less pain and touch in its toes, so it may not notice injuries or may even cause them itself. The disease shows up in young dogs, and what lies behind changes to the paws is for a vet to determine.
- Pododermatitis (inflamed paws) Skin and coat Pododermatitis is inflammation of the skin of the paws, affecting the skin between the toes, the pads or the skin around the nails. It is not a disease in itself but a sign that something is wrong: allergies, bacterial or fungal infections, parasites, a trapped foreign body such as a grass seed, hormonal disorders or other illnesses can all cause it. Because there are so many possible causes and sore paws make walking hard, finding the cause is a job for a vet.
Body systems: Skin and coat Nerves and muscles