Molly cut her paw last Wednesday morning, on glass probably.  The vet didn't stitch it, but sedated her to remove the 'flappy' bit.  She has also been on antibiotics for a week.  We've been backward and forwards to the vets for three dressing changes and I still can't take her out for any exercise (she's going slighty stir crazy).  I was wondering if anybody had experience of this and could give me some idea of how long she may have to be housebound.  It was the inner pad, kind of where a thumb might be so I dont know whether this a pad that takes more weight and why this is why she has to stay in all the time.  Anyway we are both getting very fed up and missing our walks.

Thanks

Daisy went through this, at the beginning of last year I think, with Tara - I'm sure she'll be along at some time to commiserate!

Margot

Unfortunately my vets have said to avoid all exercise,  Molly obviously didn't hear this as she has crazy spells when she turns into a lunatic and runs full pelt from the back kitchen, right through the house, onto the armchair and tries to throw herself out of the bay window!!  It's quite scary.  Still, poor thing must be feeling extremely bored and must be full of pent of energy.  I'm just hoping the bandage will last until tomorrow morning,  I think I will sleep downstairs with her tonight.  Hopefully we'll get good new at the vets.  

I just get so cross when I think that all this could have been avoided if the local 'Hooligans' would take their emptys away with them.

Thanks for all your thoughts

Some years ago Piglet cut his pad on glass (the day before we went on holiday - typical timing) and the sitters had to take hime to have his bandage changed every couple of days. He stil went for lead walks, though, and the bandage was kept off after a week. When Harry the year after had a toe amputated, again he was on lead exercise all the time (for about a fortnight after the stitches were removed) with a boot or plastic bag over his dressing.

Also, I wondered if it would be ok to use some spray chew deterent (Johnsons) on the bandage because she's having a good go at biting it off.  I've been putting a childs sock over the bandage with a few drops of olbas oil on it.  This works  for a little while but it's overnight that she really has a good go at it.  We're at the vets again tomorrow so if they dress it again I might have to get one of those lampshade jobbies.   That'll send her really potty I 'm sure.

Oh err a lab with a lampshade does a lot of damage! Mine had to have his nail amputated to the quick a while a go and we got some boots off of a friend in the US that enabled us to carry on walking him (the thick plastic bag the vets produced didnt even last through one of our short walks. Suggest that you look somewhere like 'countrymun' as they are now available in UK. plenty of on lead walks will aso help take the dogs mind off of chewing the bandage. We did get through quite a few socks around the house and resorted to a 'lampshade' when we went to bed but the poor lad made such a noise that no one slept and we gave up on that one! If I remember rightly we sprayed some citronella on the paw, but it was a back one so he didne have to smell it.  

My Charlie also cut his left pad in near enough the same place as your Molly last Wed also on glass. Took him to the Vet on Thurs and he had 3 stitches put in. His cut was sort of in a zigzag line.

When we went back Monday one of the stitches had come out but the Vet didn't put another dressing on it. His first dressing had fell off Mon morning and I had a sock on him which the vet told me to keep doing.

Charlie had a "lampshade" on when I brought him home and he accepted it very well but he only had to wear it a couple of days, (I had him castrated at the same time, as I've just posted in a previous post below) and he has not even tried to lick at either wound.

I was told to lead walk him for 10 days which he also hates so I know exactly how your feeling. Sorry I can't be of more help but just thought I'd let you know that I know how you and Molly are feeling but at least Charlie's allowed some excercise. By the way my other Staffie is called Molly but she's only 4 mths.

Deirdre, Charlie, Molly, and the Cats

I noticed at my last trip to the vet that there is now an alternative for the old 'lampshade' which looked more comfertable for pet, owner and anything that can break around the house :)

It's sort of a stuffed/soft/thick/color that they wear. This will prevent them from turning their heads down to lick/bite what they shouldn't.
But it allows them to still look around without their sight being blocked by the lampshade and still be petted and able to eat (when food is higher up) Also this looked a lot more comfertable for them to sleep with (since most biting happens during the night when people are not around to stop it)

They make these for cats and dogs. So it means you can get them in different sizes.

Hi Wish did this and had to have the pad removed as yours has. I found it took about a month for it to granulate in enough for her to not need a bandage. We solved the exercise problem by buying her a boot to put over the bandage when we took her for lead walks. She also liked to chew at the bandage and I can say that it got worse the longer she had it on. I tried to keep an eye on her when I was around and stopped any chewing. If I had to leave her and at night times I'm afraid she had to wear a lampshade :) Unfortunately she also ended up with two little pressure sore type areas on either side of her hock from having to have a bandage on for so long but these soon healed up once the bandage was removed.He pad was quite delicate for a while after so she either still wore a boot or was taken onto softer ground until it hardend up again.Hope Molly recovers quickly and doesnt chew to many bandages in the meantime
Best Wishes

Can't really offer many suggestions as Tara had to have a heavy bandage on which fortunately she didn't try to remove. It stayed on for about 3 months altogether and she also hopped for most of this time so we didn't have much problem apart from keeping her on the lead so that she didn't run into the stream. When the bandage came off we just left her to get on with it really - she walked a bit, but hopped mostly - but then she had been used to hopping for a long time. Eventually she put more and more weight on the leg and now walks on it 95 % of the time (6/7 months later) - but she'll never be 100% as she has lost the large pad and a toe and it's pad. She has been remarkably resilient and I wouldn't worry too much about your dog :) I bought boots for Tara - but found that letting it toughen up by itself was better - so didn't use the boot really :)

Daisy

You may also want to try putting some aloe on the pad to help it heal. My lab split his tail and it wouldnt heal because he kept on hitting it against things. Vet said they would have to dock it, so as a last resport I tried aloe and hey presto it healed. Ive been a convert ever since - imagine a lab without a full wag!

Just returned from the vets with a new bandage, and a lovely lampshade!  Poor Molly, everything is so frightening for her with it on her head.  But she doesnt seem to mind whamming it into my shins!   Perhaps she thinks it's revenge time.

Good news is, that her pad is starting to heal and the vet we saw today says she can have a slow ten minute walk a couple of times a day,  hooray!!   We have to go back again Saturday for another dressing change (seventeen quid a go!)  but things are looking good.

Thanks everyone for all advice

Homeopathic Arnica 30c 3 times daily would help it heal quicker.  From Chemist / health shop.