Cut/Cracked pad - How do I prevent it?

Hi folks

Louie (7month old staffie cross) seems to be prone to cutting or somehow splitting open his pads and I was wondering what I could do to help prevent it happening in the future?

We had a great walk last night where he met up with his new best friend Pongo (a year old lurcher) and they had a great time together charging about the park burning off lots of their energy.

Once I got him home I started to towel off some of the mud (Pongo had bundled him into quite a few puddles) when I notice some blood on the floor. Got him inside and cleaned up, checked his paws and there is a cut right across his main pad on his front right paw. I have no idea what he might have done it on and he didn't even react when he did it!!
The bleeding stopped quite quickly and we have bathed it with salt water. And to try and help it heal quickly we aren't taking him out far (infact only to the garden for toilet trips and out with us in the car so he doesn't feel housebound ).

Once his pad has healed should I do something to help toughen it up or keep it soft/soften it up?

Please let me know your thoughts,

Thanks

Have you got any snow ?

I only ask because when Fingal was younger he often had problems with his pads bleeding if he'd been out in the snow.

Unfortunately we're one of the areas that hasn't had any snow (would've loved to see the pup's face ).

I'll know to be prepared if we do get any though, thanks dinner85!!

paw wax can help, it helps give grip even though the name makes you think it would have them slipping round, Is there quiet alot of grit put on paths and roads, the salt can be bad for there paws if they walk through it often, paw wax acts as a barrier from the salt from grit, sounds more like a cut though this time, even the ring pulls from cans of juice can leave a nasty cut, you would not notice it the same as if they stepped on glass, they can hurt feet sometimes depending on the surface they are running on I have to be aware on the astro turff, they can corner quickly and carpet burn there pads owch,, hth

Young dog, soft feet. Often a sharp stone such as a flint can easily cut the paw.

Our Dobes often used to cut there pads when young, they toughen up in time, salt water good, but I use some dettol in some warm water in a bowl to wash the muck out.

10 months old and they no longer suffer with poorly paw syndrome.

My cavalier also suffers with bad feet cuts and poor nails.
I wash her pads in salt water and also dettol, the cut is still not healing.I got her three years ago and her paws werelike it then only much worse.
Has anyone any suggestions to her problem as she is limping quite badly on one paw. The vets just say wash it in salt water.

yep as dougie pit stated paw wax my boxer cross was always splitting his pads and my vet recommened paw wax . i keep it at home now just in case its needed for the girls . poor puppy i hope its paw heals real soon .ps we have no snow either just the odd touch of frost im using paw wax at moment due to frost

Hi folks,
Thank you ever so much for your suggestions Dougiepit I will try to get some pawwax today and try to avoid astro turf as burnt pads sound painful!!

Fluffybunnyfeet i think you might well be spot on about the sharp flint as we seem to have a lot of the stuff here in Norfolk and the park we walk in is an open set of different fields and some are quite rough so I expect he did it on 1 of the rough ones .

He's been pretty good with it and hasn't bothered it too much (my SIL suggested TCP instead of dettol as he wouldn't like the smell & would leave it alone - nobody told Louie he wouldn't like it and the house now stinks!!:smt078 so I'm off to get some dettol today)

have you tried savolin cream my vet recomened that for my mums jr it seems to be working best time to put it on though is nite time as he :smt019 it of so best do it when he really tired . hope it helps and she is running around on all fours in no time