My dog got a huge cut in his metacarpal pad.

[undeterred]

If you look at the bottom of your dogs paw, thats the large one. When I got him home yesterday I noticed just a tiny bit of blood where he was walking and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I noticed him licking his front paw. Finally I just took him to the vet and she showed me a huge full thickness cut maybe 1cm in his left metacarpal pad. It was very straight and not jagged at all, so I'm assuming he stepped on a shard of glass. Never heard him cry out or anything, and the pad is fairly thick.

She washed it out and glued it back together. If it holds through the weekend then that will be it. If not, then he will have to have it stitched together.

The hard part is that I am supposed to keep it clean and dry, low activity. This is a high activity dog who doesn't like wearing a bandage. This morning I went back to the vet to ask for pain meds so I can re wrap it and put a bootie on him as he is totally uncooperative.

I know a lot if times when people see a little blood coming from their dogs feet they think its no big deal. I am unemployed right now, and if I didn't have pet insurance I probably wouldn't have gone in. I am so glad I went in- this could have led to a huge infection and my dog losing a foot or limb. Its a really big deal.

[Contrary1]

1. One of these days, I will have pet insurance.

The tricky part will be having fewer than 11 kitties that don't refer to me as home base. :)

Good for you, and good for your buddy that you got him to a vet early!

[undeterred]

3. It really is the potential for expense that makes me have one pet.

I had no insurance for my last dog and he went through cancer and two major emergencies in his last 8 years. It cost a lot.

My insurance for this dog is $34 a month. I am unemployed and have no insurance for myself! But I didn't think twice about keeping his going and I'm so glad. This has cost $137 so far and if he has surgery it will be more. But I will get a lot of it back so its fine, I will just go with whatever the vet recommends.

He is really not cooperative about not licking and staying off it. Its hard to keep such an active dog quiet. On Thursday he was swimming - hunting for fish - for two half hour sessions and didn't want to come back to shore. Now I've got him on leash walks.

[get the red out]

2. I'm glad you got treatment for him

We were able to get group discounted vet insurance through my workplace, well worth it for the piece of mind and of course potential needs.

I get pissed when I'm walking my dog and see shards of broken beer bottles in the nearby park where kids were obviously hiding to sneak a buzz, you never know what you are going to encounter and our doggie companions are going to step on.

[undeterred]

4. Good for you for having such a good workplace.

Yeah, I was amazed how little blood there was for such a large cut. And I have no idea what he cut it on. He was running on the edge of the lake so it could have been anything.

[irisblue]

5. suggestion?

could you put an old sport sock, then duct tape on that, don't get it on the fur tho',then ace wrap on top of that to the dogs' elbow area. from first paw experience in princess peanuts' case, this slowed her down enough to get the healing experience started. You can also buy a cone at petsmart much much cheaper then the vets BTW. hopeful thoughts, dogs can make our lives interesting

[undeterred]

6. thanks!

I went to the vet this morning and she said she could stitch it but it looks to be healing well on its own so it might be better to just leave it alone. No apparent infection. However it should be wrapped. So she wrapped it and put an empty plastic IV bag over it. Well, that has lasted the day. He doesn't like it and he bothers it now and then, but it should last a day or two. No collar needed.

After that I will see if I can get a sock over it or a bootie. If we can make it through a week he will be ok.

[undeterred]

7. Well I left him alone this morning and when I came home

the elaborate wrap was gone. He took the whole thing off. And I can't even find it! So I guess he told me. But he's pretty much stopped licking it. So maybe I will leave it unwrapped for the day.

[irisblue]

8. uhhh

is there any chance he ate it?

[undeterred]

9. No, he's not the type.

Never had a single eating emergency when he was a pup. Chances are he hid it in one of the couches.