Cactus Spine in a Dog's Paw

Just like a human foot, a dog's paw takes the beating of its physical activities, but unlike humans, dogs don't wear shoes to protect the pads of their paws. When a foreign body such as a cactus spine gets stuck or embedded into a dog's foot, it causes a great deal of pain for the animal.

  1. Symptoms

    • In many cases, a cactus spine stuck in your dog's foot is easy to spot: It is sticking out. However, cactus spine can easily become embedded into the dog's paw, especially if the dog walked between the time he received the injury and the time you examine the paw. A dog with a cactus spine in his paw most likely limps and cries out in pain. Dogs often excessively lick an injured area.

    Tools to Carry

    • Most likely your dog encountered cactus spine while out on adventure in the desert with you. By carrying a couple of small tools along you can immediately address this type of injury. A hemostat with a curved edge, a coarse-toothed comb and a tweezers are excellent choices. The curved hemostat gives greater angle access while a coarse-toothed comb can be used to pull spines out.

    Dog's First Instincts

    • Your dog's first instincts will be to try to protect the injury. When animals are hurt, they no longer function in the friendship mode that humans normally enjoy. This is particularly true of dogs. Your dog most likely will try to bite at the cactus spine. Removal is painful for your dog and your dog does not understand that you are trying to help. Restraining your dog will limit any further injury to the dog as well as prevent you from receiving an accidental bite.

    Treatment

    • Cactus spines can cause deep wounds that puncture below the skin's first couple of layers. The dog's paw will be sore for several days to a week. Applying an antibiotic ointment is essential as the interior layers of the skin are exposed to potential infection. As with any other wound, a cactus spine puncture should be kept clean to promote quick healing. If you are unable to completely remove the cactus spine, take your dog to the veterinarian. Leaving the spine in the paw will only result in further infection.

    Booties

    • Dog booties are an efficient way to protect an injured paw during the healing process. Trouble is, most dogs don't like them and often gnaw at them. It takes time for a dog to learn to wear booties. However, if you invest some time and effort in training your dog to accept the booties, they can provide some additional protection when hiking or hunting in the desert.