cracked pad on dog's paw - how to help it heal?

[marta]

we recently adopted a dog who had a prior injury to a pad on one of his front paws. at this point it looks like a crack. it’s not bleeding but he’s sore walking on it and it looks like it could open if left unprotected. i talked to the vet briefly about it and they suggested soaking in chlorehexadine in hopes of drawing anything that’s in there out (if in fact there is something inside that’s preventing it from closing up fully).

so i’ve now done chlorexadine soaks, betadine soaks, tribiotic ointment applications. betadine dried it up nicely but it didn’t close up. tribiotic just made it mushy…

any other ideas?

(before anyone asks, paw gets bandaged up before he goes out for walks)

[Pep_n_Ann]

Can you use a non-stick pad and vet wrap?

[Beethoven]

Is he in a cone to prevent licking? May be time for a vet visit.

[keysfins]

Super glue? If the pad is clean and the cut is dry, you could ask vet if surgical glue might help it heal, with a pad/bandage over it to protect it. It sounds like it might be in a spot that moves as it takes pressure? As in, gaping open during a stride? Photos, by chance?

[Griffyn]

super glue or tissue glue some moleskin over the cracked pad. When it wears off all will be well

[S1969]

How deep, and how long has it been? I agree that superglue, or wound glue from your vet might help. But sometimes it’s best to just leave pad injuries alone if they are not bleeding or infected (other than bandaging to keep them from splitting again). It just takes a long time to regrow a pad.

I definitely wouldn’t soak it after the initial cleaning. I’m not sure why the vet would have recommended that at all. Pads get injured a lot and no reason to think there is something in there unless it was a puncture?

[Beckham03]

At this point I would say there’s nothing in it and to keep soaking it will make it mushy. I would do a protective wrap until it heals. A little vitamin E if it gets to crusty.