Does anyone have any personal experience of this? I notice my 7yr old had this sat night and it was confirmed on monday by the vet. I was told as long as it wasn't causing her any problem i was to just to monitor it. I have been reading up on this a lot since. It doesn't really have any real info of causes except for hardpad which the vet didn't mention as she has no other symptoms. I noticed last night her daughter is starting with it aswel AND another Bitch i have. Whats going on? I dont understand.

Also to add sorry, they DID all run out of their vaccinations and have just finished their updated vacc's. Could it be that? Or could it be diet or cleaning fluids i am using? It MUST be something im doing. I know this is hereditary but it wouldn't just appear in 3 out of 4 dogs at the same time at different ages if it was that? Im baffled and quite worried. Although my vet was not overly concerned.

I have an elderly spaniel x from Ireland who we think had distemper as a puppy. He has classic and very severe "hard pad" (hyperkeratosis) so I have done a bit of research on it.  If you're very worried, you could ask your vet about doing a biopsy as that could help establish the cause. Zinc deficiency is one, although the fact that three out of four dogs have developed it at the same time points, perhaps, to an environmental trigger?

Treatment for Tangle, after he was sedated to trim the excess growth from his feet,  is foot-dips in Hibiscrub which helps clean and soften the pads, then lashings of Dermasol. To stop him licking them, I put Tuff-Wear socks on secured with plaster strip. They are breathable, so I leave them on quite a lot of the time and he even wears them for walks. He finds walking on stoney ground very difficult. Just about to invest in some Walker boots, which are fleece lined and I hope will be even more comfortable for him.

Jemima