Hi All
I just wanted to share something with you that happened today. My BC cut her pad open this morning and it was pouring with blood, with bathed it in TCP and applied pressure which stopped the bleeding for a while. Later on this afternoon she was playing in the garden and it started bleeding again so we decided to call the vet to make an appointment. We went to our vet and she said that it would need stiching but would be far to painful just to numb the area and stich so she would have to be put to sleep first, she gave her an injection to stop infection etc. We asked how much this would cost (bearing in mind it was only 1 stich) and she quoted £120!!.

We said fine and said we would see them tomorrow. Anyway, when we got home we had a long think about it and decided to call the vet and ask if there was any other way to sort the problem as being Jan and all money is a bit short. The other vet I spoke to said not a problem at all, bring her in and we can just put a bandage on and with the injection it would heal perfectly well, but would just take a bit longer.

I guess my point is that vets all have different opinions and it just makes you think are they only after our money!!!!!????

What do you think???

xxx

All I can say is that my vet hardly ever stitches cut pads. They are the very devil to stitch, being a strange texture, not like ordinary skin, and take ages and ages to heal. He certainly wouldn't do just one stitch - because as your vet said, the dog would need to be anaesthetised to do it (I've never known a vet use local anaesthetic for stitching, because if you've ever had that done, having an injection directly into a wound is excrutiatingly painful) and that requires full surgical procedures.

Getting it properly dressed is by far the best treatment.

(This is the sort of wound that superglue is often used to close. Seriously.)
:)
Edited to add: If a wound is to be stitched it has to be done within 24 hours, or it won't work.
:)

Looks like I did the right thing in calling the vet to query it then!
x

i got mine  dogs insured  i still have to pay in advance  i am not to happy about that ,we use to have a policy at our vets that you have about 10 days to pay ,the receptionist told me that has also changed because people  do not pay .   it would be better if we could have a bit more time .

Most vets do not stich pads and it nearly always fails leading to further damage, leaving it as it is or a dressing is the usual way, may be the first vet would have changed their mind once they had a good look at the dog. It is also odd that they left it a day, if you are going to stich it is best done as soon as posible after the damage and whilst the wound is still moist.

Our Scarlet injured a pad on her hind leg and the vet decided to stitch it, he told us that pads can be difficult to heal, and that the stitches may not do the trick and the wound would then have to be left to heal.  We had to keep the dressing dry, which was a bit of a pain because we had to put a bag over it every time she went out for a wee.  She wasn't allowed to put any extra stress on it for a few weeks, so we had to keep her on lead to stop her running about.  I also bought a "mikki boot" to give some extra protection.
;)

When Wish cut her pad rather badly the vet stapled it there and then no anaesthetic or anything.Five staples and a bandage .He warned us it may not heal and sure enough 2 days later she needed what remained of the loose flap removed.Then her foot was dressed regularly until the pad granulated in again.Gillian

Thanks everyone for you comments. We took Dolly back this morning to have a bandage put on and they have given her more tablets to stop infection. Sure enough though she got it off!!!, it's not bleeding at all and looks better. They gave us a bag to put on when we go out but it just falls off!!. She is not phased by it at all still her nutty self!! bless her.

Any ideas of what I can do when taking her out so it doesn't get all dirt etc in it.

Have tried a sock doesn't work either!!

xxx

When Piglet took the bandage off his foot I elastoplasted a sock onto his leg, with a plastic bag firmly sellotaped over that. It would last most of a walk ...

put a sock on foot, plastic bag over and then a protective boot; the plastic bag means you can get it into the boot more easily. 

Why is it a dog will hold it's foot up and limp about when you can find absolutely nothing wrong with it and then when there is something wrong the dam dog wants to walk on it :(

I also have had several cut pads over the years (dogs not me!) and have never had a vet stitch them, as the granular structure doesn't support stitches well, especially in the area that takes the most wear and tear.

Re behaviour - my mongrel girl Elsa, is an absolute hoot if you have to put even the tiniest bandage, or elastoplast on her paw, she walks about holding her leg as far to right angles to her bodyas possible, and perfectly stiff. Then if she has to put it to the floor to walk, she acts like the whole leg is in a plaster cast :D she's so funny.
Kat

I use Vaseline on a pad and between toes to try and stop anything getting in there, also helps to keep the wound dry.

I have a dog with swelling up one rear leg looking like a balloon running around like a nutter poss foreign object tracking up the leg, think someone forgot to tell him his leg is poorly.  The other is on his 4th week of antibiotics for an interdigital abcess which has finally erupted out of the bottom of his foot, so althought the vaseline has kept both of them dry and clean it hasn't prevented anything actually penetrating their feet, such is my luck lol.

Good luck.