'Stop Pad'

[EMcC]

I have a 'Sringador' coming up to five years old and is in perfect health generally.
However, last Saturday, when she came home from her usual gallavant in the local woods, she started to lick her front leg rather more than usual.
My wife looked at her and found a rather large split/cut on the lower part of her 'stop' pad.
As I was away for the week-end and it didn't seem to bother her unduly, she bound it up closing the wound and waited for me to come home.
I looked at it on Tuesday and it looked clean and the binding seemed to keep the loose bit in place so I re-bound it and let her carry on hoping it would heal over.
I looked at it again today, having cleaned and changed her bandage each day, and it shows no sign of healing.
I left the bandage off today for a short while and after a few minutes of licking she settled down and slept as if nothing was wrong.
I am not happy about the bit hanging even if it did heal.
So have telephoned the VET and described the problem and suggested/asked if it would be best to have the bit taken off completely or whether a stitch would help the healing process.
In either case it will mean a general anathsthetic so am expecting a wallet bashing whatever action is taken.
Can a dog feel the effects of a loss of the 'stop' pad making it walk like a drunken seaman ! or will she just carry on regardless.
Incidentally, she is not a working dog - she is gun View attachment 24202shy.

 

[Apache]

By 'stop pad' do you mean the main pad the dog walks on? No a term I have ever come across.

They can be difficult to treat and I personally never stitch them as they tend to break down.

I have found the best bet is a good clean under an anaesthetic or sedative, remove loose flaps and then manage the wound under moist healing conditions. Can take a few weeks to get back to normal.

Never known a dog end up with a long term problem even after amputating quite large flaps.

The main barriers to healing are constant licking, infection or foreign bodies (ie grit left in there).

Needs looking at by your vet.

[I have skin glued fresh wounds but would only do so if I could be certain the wound was 100% clean]

 

[Tamus]

By 'stop pad' do you mean the main pad the dog walks on? No a term I have ever come across.

They can be difficult to treat and I personally never stitch them as they tend to break down.

I have found the best bet is a good clean under an anaesthetic or sedative, remove loose flaps and then manage the wound under moist healing conditions. Can take a few weeks to get back to normal.

Never known a dog end up with a long term problem even after amputating quite large flaps.

The main barriers to healing are constant licking, infection or foreign bodies (ie grit left in there).

Needs looking at by your vet.

[I have skin glued fresh wounds but would only do so if I could be certain the wound was 100% clean]

I may be wrong but I think the terms "stop pad" and/or "stopper pad" refers to the "carpal" pad... leastways that's what I've always taken to be the case.

ie. the pad next to the dew claw and not one of the pads the animal actually walks on.

 

[EMcC]

View attachment 24223

I may be wrong but I think the terms "stop pad" and/or "stopper pad" refers to the "carpal" pad... leastways that's what I've always taken to be the case.ie. the pad next to the dew claw and not one of the pads the animal actually walks on.

Correct, it is the pad above the 'heel' joint referred to in some of the dog books I've read as the Stop pad.
I have seen the Vet, my next visit will be after a visit to the bank !!
Loose bits to be cut away and fresh flesh to be stitched under anasthetic, dressed and anti- biotic jab all to be done tomorrow at an estimated cost of £361.53.
I've had her for nearly five years and apart from food she hasn't cost us a penny, had I had her insured the premiums would have added up to much more than that so I am well pleased. I hope the Vet does a good job.
I would have paid twice that if neccessary, she is a real character.