Recurring paw infections / allergies?

[Ellen]

Are GDs prone to paw infections or allergies? Has your GD experienced multiple bouts of paw infections/allergies? If so, what preventative or prophylactic measures do you take?

Riley loves chasing tennis balls and will run really hard to catch a tennis ball, but I've noticed that the fur in-between his paw pads turn reddish brown, particularly after a long game of fetch. I couldn't remember if his paws were always that color, but it didn't seem to bother him, and I didn't see any cuts or sores in between his paw pads. It was only when he started licking his paws about 2 months ago that we took him to the vet, and it turned out to be an infection. After a couple of days on an antibiotic and some topical powder, Riley was back to normal.

But it happened again after a recent trip to the beach, where again, Riley ran really hard to chase tennis balls. This time, in addition to a paw infection, Riley's dew claw pads were infected and raw from chewing. He's on antibiotics again, but it is taking much longer to heal, and we had to resort to using a plastic collar to prevent Riley from chewing and licking his dew claw pads. The vet noted that it could be hereditary because some golden retrievers are prone to paw infections.

So, unfortunately for Riley, we will need to limit how much time he plays fetch, as well as monitor his paw pads more closely and clean out any dirt or sand after each romp.

Also, I recall an earlier DK discussion about paw pads smelling like Fritos, and a friend of mine recently mentioned that one bacteria in particular is famous for smelling like corn tortillas and that a strong Frito-y smell (paws or ears) could be a signal of yeast or bacterial infection. Has anybody confirmed this with their vet? I forgot to ask my vet about this.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ellen the paw discoloration (erythema) and infections are the symptoms of a generalized allergy, not a "paw allergy". The paw licking is what causes the infection, and the paw licking is caused by an allergic histamine response to the allergens. Allergies are an immune system disease which affects the whole body, and are caused by organic inhalant allergens (85-90% of the time) Or food in the other 10-15% of cases.
Here is some info about allergies in dogs that will help you:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/all-about-allergies
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...
There are many others, but these will give you a great deal of info.
Whatever you do, don't accept advice to "change his food"; that kind of advice cost me a year of treatment time for my guy, who has the most severe form of inhalant allergies that exists. If it is a food issue, there are prescribed ways to determine and deal with it.
Good luck, and please feel free to contact me if I can help answer any questions. Having an allergic dog is no fun, and the amount of misinformation about allergies that is out there is mind-boggling and frustrating. Good luck.

[Ellen]

Thanks! This is very helpful. The vet didn't mention allergies, but when he calls this week to check in on Riley, I'll ask about it. Thanks again for the helpful info!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ellen, maybe I misunderstood your question; I thought you were saying that the vet diagnosed Riley's problem as a "paw allergy". The infections are due to the licking, but the cause of the licking is itching in cases of allergies, and it wouldn't just be occuring after a visit to the beach. The redness of the fur between the pads is the first sign of that. The dew claw infections might be something else. Jack has torn up his pads from hard running, leading to infections, but you would see that. So I would try to pin the vet down as to exactly what he thinks is causing Riley to lick his paws. It can't be a sand allergy, lol.
Good luck & hugs to Riley!

[Adina P]

Is it possible that there is something that has gotten into his paws to irritate them both times and like most dogs with irritated paws he licked due to that? It sounds like this chewing on paws isn't constant but only after certain events...

[Ellen]

I thought that it was event-related and that Riley was just more susceptible, but Karen's post raises some questions about whether it may be an allergy. I'm going to monitor his paws after the infection goes away, and then I'll monitor whether Riley has other hotspots that he keeps itching or licking.

thanks for your input.

[Adina P]

I think that's a good idea. Perhaps you didn't notice the paw chewing/licking until after the events...but if when all is 'clear' he does this lots, it's worth considering the allergy possibility. Saliva DOES tend to turn fur colors in places dogs lick a lot.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree. The reddish fur in Jack's paws was the first sign of his allergies, and the vet noticed it before I noticed any unusual paw licking. I didn't know that it wasn't his natural coloring, since he has a lot of red in his coat.

[Ellen]

Well, the vet said it was an infection, but based on reading the other discussions, it's possible that Riley may have an allergy that resulted in a paw infection once he started licking the paws.

I can't recall whether his fur between the pads has always been red, regardless of whether he was running around. That was why I didn't initially take him to the vet, but did so only after he started licking his paws.

After this most recent infection goes away, I will monitor his paws to see if it might be an allergy.

In any event, I thought that the information you posted was very helpful.

thx again

[Ronnie & Emma]

im not sure if emma has sth similar.. she's a GD. she was diagnosed last year with hotspots on her hip. because of that occurence, shes prone to more hotspots. Ive noticed shes been licking her paws and its reddened. ive sprayed green apple spray and antibiotic spray on her paws. today i saw some bleeding on the fur of one of her paws. im not too sure if she got bored ...and she started licking. im so concerned. any good tips to prevent hotpots?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is a very old discussion, more than 3 years old.

If her paws are bleeding, she needs to see the vet. "Hot spots" are a form of moist dermatitis that can spread and become infected. She's licking her paws because of intense itching and discomfort, not boredom. Seasonal allergies are common in these dogs, and that's the most likely cause of the itching.

The only way to prevent hot spots is to prevent the licking and biting that causes them. That means you have to treat the underlying allergies. There's a lot of info in the Health & medical Group on seasonal allergies. You may also want to read the links provided above, although those are also old.

[2fetg28jixqki]

Our Ziggy plays hard when he's outside with balls, people, and other dogs. He is most often running on our large grassy yard so when we take him to a dog park or such with rougher surfaces, he tends to tear up his paw pads pretty bad. He doesn't stop or slow down as his pads take this beating so we often don't see it until the damage is done. This has happened 3 times now. Then I spend the next 3 days cleaning, applying antibiotic ointment and on the last incident, wrapping, the affected paws. I used to use peroxide to clean, but then read that peroxide slows the healing and betadine is better. He never got infections afterwards, and was very tolerant of the cleaning and wrapping to prevent an infection. Anyway, after the last episode I decided to work harder to prevent this and ordered him boots for outings on rough terrain. Not frilly, padded socky things but a hiking type shoe. The one's I found that fit the bill and didn't break the bank are called Grip Trex Bark'n Boots. They fit pretty good and after adjusting to make sure they were tight enough not to slip, and getting him used to them (histerical to watch him walk in them the 1st time) they work well! Now I keep them in his backpack, ready for adventures and fun without the payback. Silly doodle!

[Enzo]

I love this site! I just woke up to Enzo licking both paws and noticed he had a tear on both of them (no blood)  It was his first time in the dog park and he was playing HARD! I'm going to call the vet just to double check, but I will go buy some betadine and apply.  Thanks!