
- Thickening and hardening of skin on foot pads (as well as around the nose)
- Splitting or cracking of the skin in these areas - sometimes oozing pus or blood
- Crustiness
- Loss of hair
- Pain upon walking or running
- Itching and constant licking
- Changes in nail growth
- Gait changes due to painful walking or abnormal nail growth
- Swelling of any of the paw tissue
- Lesion development on pads
- Hereditary diseases and conditions
- Viral diseases
- Autoimmune abnormalities
- Bacterial infections
- Cyst development
- Various types of inflammatory responses
- Various types of pododermatitis diseases and conditions
- Bacterial and fungal (or yeast) infections - This type of thickening usually found secondary to underlying disease like hypothyroidism, Cushing’s, allergic reactions, autoimmune disorders, symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy (an immune-mediated disorder affecting the canine claws) and neoplasms (tumors)
- Acral lick dermatitis or granulomas - Believed to have a multileveled set of causes: emotional and environmental stresses (boredom, separation anxiety, confinement, loneliness) as well as some more important conditions like those listed above in addition to parasites, trauma, foreign bodies and hypersensitivity of food and their environments
- Disorder of keratinization due to zinc deficiency - Stems from either an inability to absorb zinc from foods or a lack of appropriate amounts of zinc in the canine’s diet, resulting in crusting, scaling, redness and eventually lead to hyperkeratosis of the foot pads
- Pemphigus foliaceous - Probably the most common autoimmune condition in dogs; it is idiopathic (no known cause) or can be drug induced and can affect any breed, gender or age of canine (causes many similar skin reactions as noted above - hyperkeratosis is frequently the only sign noted in afflicted animals)
- Hyperkeratosis - Foot pads which are thickened, hard and cracked; they are usually normal at birth but present by the age of 5 or 6 months and can be familial or idiopathic (no cure but can be managed)
- Various types of pododermatitis - These are various types of deep paw infections which are secondary to an underlying condition like bacterial, fungal, parasitic infections, foreign bodies, immune disorders, food allergies, trauma, cushings and hyperthyroidism
- Canine distemper - This is a rare occurrence these days with the new vaccines but can cause a whole host of problems when contracted by a canine
- Nutrient supplementation if your pet is found deficient
- Creams, ointments and lotions to help soften the hardened tissue
- It might include periodic cutting or trimming away of the hardened keratin on the paws of your pet
- It could mean administration of medications for thyroid issues, diabetes, bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections
- Change of the dietary regimen of your family pet
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