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Doxie cairn3/26/2023 ![]() ![]() If either problem flares up, whether it’s just itchy feet, or an intergidital cyst as well, a standard treatment, as described above, is usually enough to sort it out. Most often, it’s a plant or a pollen that the dog’s feet come into contact with, but it’s rare to be able to specifically identify one particular causative agent The best treatment approach is to take a general approach, keeping a dog’s feet as clean as possible, with regular footbaths. As in nearly all cases, it was impossible to find a specific cause, and we just put down to a non-specific allergy. When this was first diagnosed, when he was a young dog, it was important to rule out a number of causes, including parasites, food allergies and specific bacterial infections. ![]() It’s usually just one of his front feet that’s affected, but it upsets him a lot when it happens. Tuffers is prone to both types of foot problems – pododermatitis and interdigital cysts. The classic way of doing this is to use a plastic Elizabethan collar, sometimes referred to as “the cone of shame”. This only serves to make things worse, so it’s usually necessary to use some method to stop them. Interdigital cysts tend to recur and they can be very uncomfortable: for many dogs, they are a life-long issue.įor both conditions, it’s important to stop affected dogs from chewing their own feet: they tend to do this repeatedly, licking and biting themselves. Sometimes anti-inflammatory tablets are also given. Treatment is similar to the general itchy feet, with antibiotics and regular cleaning. The cyst then bursts, with fluid oozing out. This gradually gets bigger, starting off like a small frozen pea then swelling up to the size of a grape. When the soft skin of the foot becomes red, sore and infected, sometimes a cyst-like blister develops. Tuffers’ second problem – interdigital cysts- is also common, and it’s related to the first issue of pododermatitis. Treatment involves antibiotics to clear up the infection and soothing sprays to take away the itchiness, along with regular washing to keep the feet as clean as possible. ![]() This makes the feet even more itchy, with bacterial infection moving in and making things worse: the is red, sore, infected areas of skin on the underside of the dog’s feet. When this happens, the feet get itchy, and dogs start to lick and chew the irritated areas. ![]() The soft skin in between the pads of dogs’s feet is sensitive, and when it comes into contact with anything irritant or allergy-provoking, it can become red and sore. The first problem is common in many dogs: the technical name for itchy feet is “pododermatitis”. He is prone to two related foot problems: first, the undersides of his feet are sensitive, and prone to itchiness, and second, from time to time, he develops so-called interdigital cysts. Tuffers has always been a healthy dog, with just one weakness: his feet. These days Cairn Terriers are just kept as pets, and if you want a small, robust breed with a big personality, they’re a good choice. Cairn Terriers are known as one of Scotland’s earliest working dog breeds, named because they are from the Scottish Highlands, and they used to run from cairn to cairn, over the tops of mountains, hunting and chasing small prey, especially rats. He has the coarse, wirey coat that’s typical of his breed. Tuffers is a well named dog: he’s a tough little terrier. ![]()
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