Cut stopper pad won't heal

[shushyjukal 41]

My bitch managed to shave quite a bit of her main pad off about 2 weeks ago. I've been washing it with salt water and applying potassium crystals twice a day but she just won't leave it alone and it won't heal.

I've heard people say just leave the dog to heal it with time but it's just not getting any better. It's not bleeding just quite pink and she's taken 3-4mm off the one side.

 

Are there any other good ways to clear this up please as it's becoming a pain in the arse both for me and for her. Many thanks in advance.

[skycat 6,174]

Stop washing it and don't put anything on it: its quite likely that all the attention you're giving it is actually stopping it healing properly, plus the crystals will irritate it no end, which will make the dog lick it all the more.

 

Here's why potassium crystals irritate the wound:http://www.livestron...m-permanganate/

 

You should find that once the wound is not irritated any more, the dog won't lick it so much, but you need to allow at least 3-4 weeks for it to heal properly: if part of the pad has been removed it needs to grow new skin to cover the place, and that won't happen overnight!

 

Edited to add: if you feel that the skin round the edge of the wound is getting crispy and hard, then use something like Padnasol which will help to stop the edges drying out, and form a barrier over the raw flesh at the same time. Get it on line from the Greyhound Megastore.