How to Know If a Dog Broke Its Paw

Dogs are very vulnerable to paw injuries. Usually a paw injury is a cut on the pad or something actually being lodged into it. It can be hard to determine if your dog has a broken paw or just an injured pad. However, there are certain signs that you can look for to determine if a dog broke its paw.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Observe how the dog walks. If the dog is limping, take note of which paw it is trying to stay off of.

2. Examine the injured paw closely. If there is long hair on the paw, carefully cut it so you can get a better look at the paw. Look for any type of debris on the pads. Thorns, glass shards and small stones are common objects that cause foot injuries. In severe cases, you may see the dog's bone sticking out. If you do not see anything, then you know this is not the cause of limping.

3. Touch each section of the pad. If the dog yelps or shows signs of pain when the pad is touched, it may have a broken paw. Keep in mind that this could also simply mean it has a bruise.

4. Touch the top of the paw. If there is a broken bone, the dog will yelp or whimper. Touch the bottom of its leg and slowly work your way up. A broken paw can cause discomfort in the entire leg. If it shows signs of pain when the paw and any part of the leg is touched, it likely has a broken paw.

5. Take the dog to the vet if it has all of these symptoms. The paw and leg should be put in a cast for the broken bones to heal properly.

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