Do you remember the last time you walked outside barefoot? You may have felt every pebble, twig, or piece of debris for sure. While you might think such a sensory experience is different for dogs, whose feet haven’t evolved around footwear as humans have done, the truth is, your furry friend isn’t immune to hazards on the ground.
In this medical guide, we’re explaining the risks of foreign bodies typically found in the feet of dogs. We’ll look at the signs that your dog’s foot has a foreign body, explain the most common types of dog foot foreign bodies, and go over what to expect during the removal process.
Signs of a Foreign Body in Your Dog’s Foot
If you’ve ever gotten a wood splinter in your foot while walking on rough wood at the beach, or perhaps a tiny piece of broken glass after breaking something at home, you know how such foreign bodies feel. The situation is exactly the same for dogs, which helps us to better understand the top signs of a foreign body in their feet to be on the lookout for. Since dogs have paw pads (specialized tissue designed to act as shoes) they are resistant to many objects, but injuries do happen.
Of course, symptoms can vary depending on the dog, the type of object in their foot, and the extent of the injury. However, you can expect at least a few of these common symptoms to occur:
- Favouring one paw or side of the body over the other
- Limping
- Reluctance to use a certain paw
- Whining
- Excessive licking of one paw
- Other behavioural indications of pain and stress, depending on the dog
- In advanced cases, signs of infection on the paw (e.g. swelling, discolouration, etc.)
Not every dog reacts to pain in the same way, and many will try to hide their discomfort due to thousands of years of animal instinct. The best person to identify when a dog is in pain is you; since you’re the most familiar with their demeanor, you’re the most qualified at detecting when something is wrong. If you notice any of these signs, we recommend taking your pet to a veterinarian.
How are Dog Foot Foreign Bodies Diagnosed?
The first step is a thorough physical examination. Your veterinarian will inspect the potentially injured paw closely, searching for any signs of an injury or the object itself. In most cases, it’s quite easy to spot these foreign bodies (especially the ones large enough to be visible). However, if inflammation has set in or the foreign object is tiny, the object might not be visible at first glance.
There are countless objects that can become lodged in your pet’s foot, though some are higher-risk than others, such as:
- Wood splinters
- Broken glass
- Broken ceramic
- Rigid blades of grass
- Thorns
- Small rocks
- Metal debris
Your veterinarian will also check your pet’s medical history, as other potential causes of paw pain, such as infections, can present similar symptoms. If the physical examination doesn’t reveal the cause of the issue, they’ll move on to other diagnostic measures to check for broken bones or infection.
Treating Foreign Foot Bodies in Dogs
If and when your veterinarian finds the object causing your dog pain, treatment is to remove the offending object. Your dog may need to be under the effect of a sedative depending on how much discomfort it is causing or the type of foreign body. Foreign body and puncture wounds are typically treated as open wounds, and supportive medication.
A Foreign Dog Foot Body Case Study
To help understand how these foreign bodies are diagnosed and treated, let’s look at our case study of Spirit Sanchez, a 7-year old male, neutered Siberian Husky.
Spirit was brought to Hastings Veterinary Hospital due to complaints of on-again, off-again limping on his front right paw. The night before his vet visit, he had started to cry and whine, and he couldn’t put any weight on the affected paw. When examined by the owner, the pain seemed to be worse on the toe area of Spirit’s paw.
At the vet office, Spirit was given a physical exam as well as an x-ray of the paw. A small, black mark was spotted on the paw pad in these screenings. The veterinarian used a pair of tissue forceps and ended up extracting a piece of metal wire about one centimetre in length. After checking the x-rays, Spirit fortunately showed no signs of bone infection. The vet prescribed a round of antibiotics and pain medication, and Spirit was sent home.
Within three days of the wire being extracted, Spirit’s paw was no longer swollen, and he had become more active. He’d also stopped licking the affected paw. Spirit returned to the vet two weeks later and showed complete recovery.
Keeping Your Dog Safe and Healthy
This case study shows us how even a tiny foreign body can have a dramatic effect on a dog’s health. Left untreated, this could have become a much more serious situation for Spirit. Fortunately, his owner was quick to notice the problem and take action, ensuring Spirit’s complete recovery.
While it’s impossible to completely prevent foreign foot bodies from affecting your dog, there are a few things you can do to help, including paying attention to the route you walk your dog on and avoiding walking through any areas with debris.
In any case, this case study is an important reminder for dog owners: it’s worth paying attention to even the smallest signals of a problem. This could be your dog trying to let you know they need help!
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