HuskyX Posted February 4, 2018 Report Share Posted February 4, 2018 Hello, I have a Husky X Staff, rescued from Battersea two years ago. In the first year we had him, he suffered from an 'interstitial cyst'; a painful cyst between his toes which soon cleared up with some cream and a foot sock to prevent him from licking. We've never really been sure what caused it but are aware that it's not uncommon in dogs so haven't worried too much. In recent weeks however he has been incessantly licking his two front paw pads. There are no cysts - we check them thoroughly and there's nothing at all. They're both just absolutely red raw from all the licking. He has clearly been in a lot of discomfort and the past few days has even been limping. We just can't work out what's causing it (and therefore how best to treat it/prevent it!). We've considered everything - food allergy (not convinced as we've never changed his food and surely he would be reacting all the time?), the pesticides used in the local orchards, we've even stopped using air freshener around the house as we worried the residue on the carpet might be irritating him (it hasn't improved since then though). Due to his active husky nature, he is ALWAYS on the go, and usually through muddy wet fields. About 4-5 times a day during the week he is getting his feet wet/muddy and pretty much all day on the weekends. Could it be that his furry, well insulated husky feet find it difficult to dry between the toes and he has some kind of athletes foot? His hot licking would obviously make this worse which makes me think this could be it. Are huskies prone to this? Or is anyone aware of any other husky traits that could be causing this problem? We have even considered it's the pesticides in the local orchards (he runs through these regularly), the pH of the local soil (??!!) and even the salt/grit on the roads but having conducted 'avoidance' experiments as best we could, it doesn't seem to be any of these. I realise the sensible thing to do would be to take him to the vets but our vets are not the best at thinking outside the box and the last time I took him they had him on the operating table within 15 minutes of my consultation to "have a root around" which turned out to be unnecessary and obviously caused quite a bit of stress for the poor dog which I'm reluctant to put him back through if I can help it. I will obviously take him though if I can't work out what it is and it continues to get worse. Any wisdom or idea bouncing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted February 4, 2018 Report Share Posted February 4, 2018 You could try bathing the foot in an Epsom salt bath and covering with a sock for a while. My Frenchie gets interdigital cysts like many bully breeds do tend to and we were recommended to try that by the vet. If it were summer I would wonder about grass seeds migrating up the nail bed but I’m not sure if that’s applicable in the winter or not. A bacterial/fungal infection could be very well possible but only a vet really can diagnose that so I’ll leave that up to them. Failing that, my old staffy girl had an OCD about paw licking and incidentally so did her mother. In fact her mother was worse and also chewed up her tail . She used to get lick them repeatedly for no reason. We’d distract her for a while but then she’d go right back to licking it, usually only at night time. Not sure why but there never was anything wrong with her foot physically. 🤷♀️ Sent from my iPhone using Husky Owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted February 4, 2018 Report Share Posted February 4, 2018 Whilst avoiding salt/grit is recommended if he's walked on it and you didn't wash his feet after that could seriously irritate him, after every walk I would wash his feet down and make sure they're dried thoroughly afterwards Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelseafan Posted February 4, 2018 Report Share Posted February 4, 2018 Food allergies are often the culprit for constant paw licking and then secondary infections from yeast and bacteria make it worse, as Emma said only a vet can diagnose that.Lovely pic and a lovely smile, hope you get to the bottom of it.Sent from my iPhone using Husky Owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMANI & ALINAH Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 It definitely could be road salt causing the problem. Salt can make dogs very sick, with worsening symptoms and can be fatal if left untreated. I would definitely get him to a Vet on Monday as his paws are most likey very painful. In the meantime, I wouldn't take him for walks or maybe short walks. Then rinse his paws with warm water and gently dab dry. Do not use soap as that is a drying agent and can make it worse.Beautiful photo of your baby!![emoji120][emoji171][emoji252][emoji252][emoji847]Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelseafan Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 There are soothing paw balms available and you could also try an antibacterial spray after cleaning his paws [emoji3]Sent from my iPhone using Husky Owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markulous Posted February 6, 2018 Report Share Posted February 6, 2018 Sounds as if you've covered most of the possibilities and, if it's always the exact same, single spot my thoughts were the same as Emma's, OCD/stress. Not uncommon and not really a big deal, though the soreness after walking isn't great. Think I might be tempted to put a boot on to see how he reacts with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyX Posted February 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2018 Thank you all for your advice and suggestions. I took him to the vet tonight who has also said it's very difficult to pinpoint the cause but she thinks it's most likely the fact that his feet are constantly getting wet and muddy and just not drying properly between the toes, causing irritation. She thinks that in their 'natural environment' the freezing temps would prevent this from happening so unfortunately it's a case of where their wonderful adaptations let them down in the domestic setting. He has some steroid cream to give immediate relief, and for future prevention we should really make sure we wash and dry between the toes after walks and runs. She also suggested wearing 'Pawz' (dog shoes) during the wet muddy seasons which I initially rolled my eyes at but actually I've just found they're on eBay for less than £5 so I may as well try him with them and if he rips them off, he rips them off. Hopefully this is of some use to fellow Husky owners, particularly those who live in the muddy countryside like mine!! Thanks again 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMANI & ALINAH Posted February 7, 2018 Report Share Posted February 7, 2018 I'm glad you've got the cream to use. Good luck with the doggy boots... that's a great idea!![emoji252][emoji252][emoji847]Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelseafan Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Wouldn’t mind seeing a pic of him with his boots on! Sent from my iPhone using Husky Owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luna-tic Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 A good all round help is castor oil, it has so many good qualities chief amongst them is it’s completely natural and cheap. It’s very thick and so a bit messy but it can be used on sores, rashes, as a barrier so useful between toes. It doesn’t wash off in the wet. It is has anti-bacterial qualities too. It’s probably best not consumed as it can cause bowel upset but if you’re going to use the pawz then you could apply it and then cover it. We used pawz when our dog needed his paw covered to stop it scuffing, they work well and are pretty difficult for a dog to get off. That said as the tops are tight it’s not recommended to leave them on too long. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markulous Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 On 07/02/2018 at 8:44 PM, HuskyX said: She also suggested wearing 'Pawz' (dog shoes) during the wet muddy seasons which I initially rolled my eyes at but actually I've just found they're on eBay for less than £5 so I may as well try him with them and if he rips them off, he rips them off They're not so bad. We put one on Luka when he was recovering from removal of one of his toes (he had re-occuring infection and the worry was that it would get down to his bone which would then necessitate removal of the leg - he doesn't even notice the loss) as it meant we could go out earlier without risking the site getting wet/dirty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMANI & ALINAH Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 GORGEOUS photo!![emoji847][emoji252][emoji191]Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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