Matted lumps between pads?

[Sue67]

Does anybody else suffer with this?

Just clipped Indy and she had them on all four paws, rock hard lumps of fur between the main pad and the smaller ones, she hated me touching them so they must cause pain, but I think she causes them herself.

She licks her feet and the fur sort of rolls together and sets, at least I think that's what happens.

Any solutions, apart from keeping it clipped - she has major feet issues but these might be part of the cause.

[Miadanu]

Do you wash her pads out after walks? I've noticed that if Merlin has been in mud / water and we don't do this when we get home the fur between his pads will start to harden together. So far we've avoided them becoming matts. Could this be an issue for Indy too?

[Helen]

yep, regularly.   With Jarvis it's clumps of dried mud and fur so it must be like walking around with a stone in your shoe    

I tend to check his feet when we have a cuddle at night now and if he's been on a muddy walk I rinse his paws off afterwards so they don't form.  I cut them out if they escape my inspection with a pair of round nose face and paw scissors.

He only licks or chews at them once they're there - but they can form after one walk  

[jessandme]

I get this with Jess if I haven't done her paws enough recently.   I do think that the answer is keeping the hair short between the pads - I use round ended curved scissors.  It grows so fast though, it is difficult to keep up.  And Jess is pretty unimpressed with me messing around once it has gone lumpy....

[louisedi]

Keeping hair short under feet helps too prevent lumps forming, just think to the poor dog its like walking with a stone in your shoe! not much fun ha x

[sarah25]

Poor thing, Im not surprised she doesnt like you touching them,It's not the dogs fault   You need to keep her fur trimmed close to her pads. I wouldnt advise you to remove the matts with scissors! Maybe a trip to the groomers is needed who could use a very small pair of clippers to remove the matts.

[minimoo]

Poor thing, Im not surprised she doesnt like you touching them,It's not the dogs fault   You need to keep her fur trimmed close to her pads. I wouldnt advise you to remove the matts with scissors! Maybe a trip to the groomers is needed who could use a very small pair of clippers to remove the matts.

i agree and then once they are removed, keep a check on them and you should be able to clip them, i sit and stroke my dogs paws so that they dont just assosiate touching thier feet with being clipped

[Helen]

no decent groomers in this area so round tipped paw scissors will do    No injuries in nearly 6 years of paw inspection 

[aliceandlouis]

I know this particular problem as well. 

I try to wash the paws of my two at least 5 times a week by standing them in the utility room sink (this ups to 14x per week in the winter!) and whilst holding their paws under the water I work my fingers in between the pads, gently breaking up any muddy/furry clumps on the way.  By doing it under water it is a very gentle procedure and all the 'bits and pieces' fall out naturally.  This is for the most part successful in preventing the development of large clumps - (and Helen, I totally agree, it must be like walking around with gravel in your shoe - it is amazing how sharp and hard they can become  ) - but on the odd occasion when they do develop we use blunt-nosed scissors for what in this family is referred to as 'open paw surgery'  .  Both Alice and Louis are fine with this routine - and are much braver about it than our old boy, Harvey, who would pre-emptively howl and scream the place down 

[Helen]

I know this particular problem as well. 

I try to wash the paws of my two at least 5 times a week by standing them in the utility room sink (this ups to 14x per week in the winter!) and whilst holding their paws under the water I work my fingers in between the pads, gently breaking up any muddy/furry clumps on the way.  By doing it under water it is a very gentle procedure and all the 'bits and pieces' fall out naturally.  This is for the most part successful in preventing the development of large clumps - (and Helen, I totally agree, it must be like walking around with gravel in your shoe - it is amazing how sharp and hard they can become  ) - but on the odd occasion when they do develop we use blunt-nosed scissors for what in this family is referred to as 'open paw surgery'  .  Both Alice and Louis are fine with this routine - and are much braver about it than our old boy, Harvey, who would pre-emptively howl and scream the place down 

I agree, the warm water procedure is the best way 

[ladylola]

I use the warm water and massage conditioner in, really helps.