ANOTHER cut paw pad! AARRRGGGGHH!!!!

*rips hair out*

I swear to god this dog has the softest, most flimsy paw pads EVER! Either that or he seeks out the sharpest things to trod on!

Went out on a walk this morning to burn off some energy before our therapy visit. I covered the cut on his hock with vetwrap and tape because he always opens it back up on walks when he gets snow shoved into it. The bandage stayed in place really well and I thought we were doing good.

Then I saw blood in the snow. Hmmm... can't be from Red? Can it? Walked a little ways longer... more blood. Looks fresh. I called Red and examined his hock and feet. Everything looked fine until I got to his left front foot. One of the pads (P4) has a big slice in it. Looks exactly like the one he had last year. For a moment, I thought he opened it back up somehow but then I remembered the other one was on his back foot.

So we turned around, not even halfway through our walk, to go back home. Blood spotting all the way home. Got him in the house and blotted it with a towel - TONS of blood! Took him to the linoelum in the kitchen - our usual wound care spot - and had him down/stay while I gathered supplied to flush it and treat it.

Cleaned and flushed it with a curved tip syringe and betadine solution. He didn't really act painful like he had when I've treated other wounds. This one, thankfully, is not as deep as the other one - look like he cut it just under the actual pad surface in a superficial slice, though the flap was still in place. But man, this one just wouldn't stop bleeding. Flushed several times, and then applied Nexaband (surgical glue) into the wound and held it with pressure for several minutes. A small amount of oozing continued at the edges, so applied more glue and tried to keep the edges together. After several more minutes of keeping pressure on it until it stopped oozing, I let him up to see if it would hold up.

When I tried to glue the last paw pad laceration closed, it was deep enough that when he put his weight on it, it would split open again. This one is superficial and a more lateral wound, so hopefully this won't be the case. It seemed to do ok with him walking on it, though a little more oozing started at the one edge.

I called and canceled our therapy visit for today. I want him to stay off it as much as possible today and hopefully give it a good day of healing. Wanted him to lay down and take a nap, but he kept banging the door handle wanting to go outside. *sigh* I warned him that if he opens it back up out there that we're going to have to spend another 15 minutes treating the wound again!

Let him out, he went and peed and then did a running lap or two of the yard. Came back in. Checked the pad - the flap was still closed and holding shut, though more oozing had come from the edge. Wiped away the blood gently with a moist papertowel and blotted until the oozing stopped. Then I went and sat down, and he started banging the door handle again! No way! Go lay down!!! He is now sprawled on the floor in front of the fireplace...

I'm going to have to buy boots that go up to his knees and tape them in place before we go on walks! I don't know what else to do. This is getting ridiculous!!