Snowie’s front paws are swollen and painful. He doesn’t want to go out walking much. And he’s now sleeping more—perhaps from boredom. But he is definitely deteriorating and aging rapidly.
It started years ago with a yeast overgrowth and licking, but which we didn’t treat properly (we didn’t understand the issue and our then vet didn’t guide us). Fast forward several years and he licked all the fur out from between the pads and the bare skin is sensitive to sand and grit. And his toes and pads are swollen and the tissue thickened and beyond repair. It took the opthalmologist vet to recognise the issue (yeast overgrowth)—she inspected them carefully while he was under GA (to remove a growth on his eyelid) and she washed them thoroughly. He didn’t like us to touch them otherwise—must’ve been very painful.
Anyway, since then, we’ve shampooed them regularly with antifungal shampoo and put on antiseptic barrier cream, and he wears shoes on walks. But the biggest size available is still too tight, and now that has caused other issues—imagine your baby toe being rubbed by a tight shoe. So, now he slinks away when his shoes come out, but he won’t walk on the pavement “barefoot” and wants to go home. He also slinks away when just socks come out, although we are forcing him to wear them so that he can at least go out once a day, even if only around the block. He has become very unfit.
I wish I could make his paws better. We’ve started Epsom salt soaks again when he has his meals.
It started years ago with a yeast overgrowth and licking, but which we didn’t treat properly (we didn’t understand the issue and our then vet didn’t guide us). Fast forward several years and he licked all the fur out from between the pads and the bare skin is sensitive to sand and grit. And his toes and pads are swollen and the tissue thickened and beyond repair. It took the opthalmologist vet to recognise the issue (yeast overgrowth)—she inspected them carefully while he was under GA (to remove a growth on his eyelid) and she washed them thoroughly. He didn’t like us to touch them otherwise—must’ve been very painful.
Anyway, since then, we’ve shampooed them regularly with antifungal shampoo and put on antiseptic barrier cream, and he wears shoes on walks. But the biggest size available is still too tight, and now that has caused other issues—imagine your baby toe being rubbed by a tight shoe. So, now he slinks away when his shoes come out, but he won’t walk on the pavement “barefoot” and wants to go home. He also slinks away when just socks come out, although we are forcing him to wear them so that he can at least go out once a day, even if only around the block. He has become very unfit.
I wish I could make his paws better. We’ve started Epsom salt soaks again when he has his meals.
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