Canine Pododermatitis

Canine pododermatitis is a medical term used to describe a skin condition that causes inflammation and infection in a dog's paws. The condition affects such dog breeds as the great dane, boxer, German shepard, English bulldog, dachshund, dalmatian and basset hound. Canine pododermatitis is more common in dogs than cats.

  1. Causes

    • Canine pododermatitis is mainly caused by bacterial and fungal infections that are transmitted through cuts from splinters and thorns lodged in the dog's paws. Other potential causes include parasites, allergies, low thyroid hormone levels or hypothyroidism, medication reactions and cancer. In some cases, the condition is idiopathic, meaning the cause is unknown.

    Signs and Symptoms

    • Canine pododermatitis may affect one or all of the paws, causing such symptoms as fatigue, skin ulcers, lesions, and reddened, swollen, painful and itchy paws.

    Testing

    • To establish a diagnosis of canine pododermatitis, the veterinarian conducts a physical exam of the paws, takes skin scrapings to check for parasites and X-rays to rule out paw fractures and bone cancer. The veterinarian may also take bacterial and fungal cultures, urinalysis and blood tests to check thyroid hormone levels and a skin biopsy to rule out skin cancer.

    Treatment

    • Treatment for canine pododermatitis is administered on an outpatient basis and includes antibiotics, daily foot soaks in salt water, bandaging and a hypoallergenic diet. To prevent the condition, dogs are frequently groomed to remove excess hair between the toes, preventing foreign objects from entering the paws.