Rough Paws

[mom2sass]

Hello Dr. Lander,
My dog has had some issues with happy tail and went through many many vet visits and roughly $1000. I'm noticing that she now has very rough patches on her paws. I'm wondering what I can do for this. We just got our first real snow so it's now weather provoked but I want to make sure there's not something serious here that I'm missing. Also I have some Musher's Secret. Is this something I can use to help, others have recommended vaseline or mineral oil. What should I try?

[Dr. Jennifer Lander]

Happy tail stinks! If it continues to bleed and cause everyone grief, sometimes, (I know this sounds extreme) a partial tail amputation is the fastest and best was to solve it. If the rough patches are on her haired skin, they may just be calluses over pressure points like her elbows and hocks. If they're on other places, see your vet. If the rough patches are on the pads, this may be normal age related changes - this tissue gets thicker and rougher with age, wear and tear. Musher's secret and similar products are beneficial for protecting pads from hot, cold and rough surfaces, but it's not a medical treatment. If the pads are cracked, bleeding or painful, this isn't normal and you should visit your vet.

[mom2sass]

Thank you so much. You're soooo right about happy tail. I had never heard of it until this incident. I tried for about 3 months w/the bandages. At the end what started to work was leaving it unbandaged and washing it twice daily with the betadine soap. Unfortunately it was too late when we discovered this was what worked best. She did have a partial amputation and let me tell you I did some soul searching to accept this reality. But in the end after the tears I know that it would put her at risk to continue to have an open wound that couldn't heal and leave her open to infection. She's the same happy lil lab and all is right with the world!