Allergies and pink paw pads
Pets can have an extreme reaction to environmental substances and foods. Dogs experiencing an allergic reaction can have dry, itchy, and pink discolored paws. You can read the linked article to learn how to moisturize your dog’s paws properly if the dryness is getting out of hand.
Allergic dogs suffer from persistent itchiness (pruritus), causing them to gnaw and lick their paws aggressively. Intensified paw licking only heightens paw irritation, swelling, and discoloration. Atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, or food allergies can cause secondary bacterial and fungal diseases.
In addition to the excessive licking due to itchiness, you’ll also observe hair loss, sneezing or wheezing, and head shaking. Allergic dogs shake their heads because they likely suffer from ear inflammation or infections. You’ll also notice hives, diarrhea, and vomiting if your pup is experiencing an allergic episode.
Bacteria and fungi naturally exist on your pup’s paws and bodies but are kept at bay by a healthy immune system. An imbalance in the microbiota leads to debilitating bacterial and yeast infections because of the overgrowth of harmless microorganisms, turning them into harmful microbes.
Your dog may have a foul, cheesy stench if the paws are infected. The nails and paw pads can also discolor, turning pink, yellow, or red. If this is the state of affairs, prompt medical intervention ensures a speedy recovery through antibiotic and antifungal medications.
Atopic dermatitis (skin inflammation due to allergies) is a common cause of canine pododermatitis. When your pup runs through paddles of still, stale water, bacteria enter your dog’s paws through wounds and punctures. Skin infections manifesting on the paw pads are easy to cure, provided treatment starts in the early stages of the disease.
Cysts are pockets in tissues containing liquids or solidified substances that can terrorize your pup’s wellbeing. Cysts result from blocked ducts or clogged hair follicles. They can occur between the toes, and web-toed breeds like Chinese Shar-Peis, English Bulldogs, and retrievers are susceptible to them.
Abscesses are pus-filled swellings that can occur in the paws. Cysts and abscesses lead to limping and can cause the surrounding paw skin to change color. Excision of the cysts or abscesses by the vet almost always results in complete recovery. Surgical blade removal is a common treatment for subcutaneous cysts.
Monthly nail trims keep the nails at a safe and comfortable length. If your dog’s nails are too long and they contact hard surfaces, they put more pressure on the nail bed, making it hard for your pup to walk. Failing to trim the nails can cause overgrowth into the paws leading to painful ingrown nails.
Long nails are also likely to get caught up in the carpet, plants, or other objects, causing ripped nails. Broken, torn, and ingrown nails can cause discoloration on the paw pads until they heal. Trimming excess hair from paws promotes healthy pads because the hair can trap disease-causing dirt and debris.
What Color Should a Dog’s Paws Be?
Newborn pups have pink paw pads that change color with use, which means a lot of walking. Over their first six months, a puppy’s paw pads gradually turn black from running around. The blackened areas represent tougher layers of skin to protect the tender, sensitive pink layers.
The process isn’t always comfortable for your furry companion. Think of it like developing calluses on your hands, it takes a lot of time and effort to build up resistance.
Of course, every dog is different, and a lot depends on the surfaces they walk and run on. Grass is easier on paw pads than cement or gravel.
Many dogs always have some pink parts on their paws. The pink areas represent the most sensitive parts on their paw pads and the most susceptible to injury.
What Colour Should a Dog’s Paws Be?
Puppies are born with pink paw pads, but these gradually change colour when the puppy is around six months old.
Most paw pads become black or dark brown as more layers of tough skin build-up. This isn’t always the case, though. Adult dog paw pads can be pink, black, brown, or tan.
Many dogs also have multi-coloured paw pads. It’s common for there to be small patches of pink on a paw pad, for example, despite the rest of the pad being black or brown.
The final colour (or colours) is determined by genetics and rarely changes during adulthood, although exposure to mud or grass can cause staining.
Tip: Be aware that a puppy’s paw pads can be extra sensitive while changing colour.
Dog Paw Problems: 7 Most Common Issues and What to Do About Them
Are you wondering why your dog’s paws are pink and black? The simple answer is that pink and black may just be the natural coloration of your dog’s paws. It’s common to see pink and black paw pads in puppies that are growing tough outer skin for rougher terrain. It can also be an indication that the paw pads on an adult dog are ready to come off.
There are several other reasons why a dog’s paw pads turn pink. It could be due to an allergic reaction of one kind or another, infection, lesion, or a host of other issues that may crop up due to various different situations to which your dog may have been exposed.
The condition of a dog’s paws is important due to the fact that they spend most of the time on their paws when standing, running, and/or walking. A dog’s paw pads make it possible for them to grip surfaces, provide insulation to their feet, give them balance, and are shock absorbers for their legs and feet when running or jumping.
When the paw pads of your favourite pet suddenly begin to turn pink it is very likely the animal will be in a lot of pain which will negatively impact their ability to place their full weight on their paws and walk normally.
It is important you read on to see some possible reasons stated below why your pet’s paw pads are in such a state.
An allergy is hypersensitivity or unusual sensitivity to a substance such that when it is breathed in, ingested, or comes in contact with the skin it provides a strong reaction from the body. Beloved pets, such as dogs, can also suffer from different sorts of allergies.
Usually a dog suffering from some type of allergic reaction will have itchy paws, and will often try to get some relief by licking, biting, or chewing on its paws.
In addition to this, the animal will probably have other accompanying issues such as skin and ear infections as well problems with the anal gland. It really is a vicious cycle of sorts because too much licking by the dog will cause more harm and inflammation.
Experts and authorities who provide animal health care will tell you that food and grass are often responsible for a host of allergic reactions by dogs. The inflammation shows up more easily if the dog’s paw pads or fur are light in colour.
When you notice such reactions, a good first response is to eliminate all grains from their diet. This is because grains have been known to be a major cause of allergic responses in dogs.
An allergic reaction tends to be a bright pink or a rusty red discolouration and will result in the dog licking and chewing both feet obsessively, unlike cases of injury which will usually affect only one foot.
Dogs suffering from allergies usually lose hair around their mouth and nose from constant licking or chewing and may end up limping if the pain increases.
Furthermore, the animal’s paws will be more prone to developing fungal and bacterial infections as a result of the licking and chewing. When your dog licks its paws excessively, it is a sign that all is not well and the pet should be taken to your vet as soon as possible for an examination. Avoid a hefty unforeseen vet bill by signing your fur baby up for pet insurance from the get go.
Fungal infections in dogs are not as common as bacterial or viral infections but can be just as serious and debilitating. Generally, fungal infections can be contracted by dogs from the environment, other animals, or due to the overgrowth of fungi naturally present on their own bodies.
Fungal infections such as yeast dermatitis will usually affect the skin between a dog’s toes and other skin folds. This is what often causes the redness, brown discolouration, itching and slimy discharge seen in dogs around their paws and toenails.
Yeast infections often present themselves as a secondary infection to a much more fundamental condition or problem known as atopic dermatitis. The indicators that the dog’s health has been compromised shows up much more on the paw pads and feet than on other parts of the body. Atopic dermatitis, which is a form of inflammatory skin disease in dogs, is often related to allergens present in the environment.
Blood, as well as skin test results, carried out on your dog by your vet will show the specific allergens causing atopic dermatitis. The good news is that this condition can be easily managed so it should be treated as quickly as possible in order to ensure that Fido’s good health is restored.
Ringworm, which is a common fungal infection in dogs, is found in the soil. Usually, your pet will contract the infection outdoors at places like dog parks. The best way to diagnose this condition accurately, in order to treat it properly, is by having your vet perform a fungal culture of the hair or skin cells of the dog or do a microscopic examination of a hair sample.
Bacteria, which is normally present in a healthy dog, is kept under control by the animal’s immune system. An imbalance resulting in a bacterial infection is an indicator to the fact that there is a fundamental hidden problem.
This state of affairs could probably be due to atopic or allergic dermatitis. A major culprit is a condition known as interdigital furunculosis or abscesses (localized infection of the skin) between the toes. This shows up as a painful blister filled with pus, affects the webbing between a dog’s toes and is caused by a deep bacterial infection.
These dog types have short bristly hairs on the webbing between their toes. What often happens is that the short hair shafts are easily forced backward into the hair follicles while the dog is walking.
These ingrown hairs then cause inflammation on the skin leading to secondary bacterial infections. In addition, if foreign matter such as a splinter or the rough edge of a piece of metal gets lodged in the skin the hair shaft can become infected.
Interdigital furunculosis or furuncles are very painful and usually will make the dog lame or limp on the affected foot or feet, as the case may be. It usually occurs on the front foot and several new furuncles may come up as others heal.
This is because a bacterial infection is the root source of the problem. Treatment for such a condition, which is broad based and comprehensive, may range from draining the paw pad or foot of pus, application of antibiotics, soaking the paws in warm water, and, as a last resort, surgical excision or correction of the webbing on the dog’s foot or feet.
Furthermore, bacteria which naturally occur in the water and soils of freshwater, saltwater, and estuarine environments can enter the animal’s body through cuts and punctures on the dog’s paw pads.
Walking your pet on extremely hot surfaces like pavement and asphalt roads can make them suffer burns on their paw pads. When a dog’s paw pads are burned they will look swollen, blistered, and have a red or pink colouration.
Burns can result in a serious medical condition and your dog should be taken to a vet for prompt medical attention in order to arrest the situation as quickly as possible.
A good rule of thumb to apply is that any surface too hot for you to walk on barefoot is also too hot for your dog or pet. Always try to touch the surface with your hand in order to feel the intensity of the heat before allowing your dog to walk on it.
If you cannot hold your palm to the surface for 10 seconds or more, then it is safe to say the surface is too hot for your dog to walk on.
Cysts, lumps, and growths can show up on your dog’s paws and in between your pet’s toes. Cysts; which are actually pockets of fluid or other material beneath the skin, or comedones; which are clogged hair follicles, are common occurrences on the webbing between the toes of a dog.
This usually causes the dog to limp and gives rise to leaking sores between the toes of the animal. Whenever you observe this on the toes of your pet you should contact your vet as quickly as possible in order to treat this condition appropriately.
Treatments range from having the dog undergo a biopsy in order to properly diagnose the cause of the anomaly to the application of laser therapy and suitable antibiotics.
As you have seen in this article, there are many possible explanations as to why your dog’s paw pads have turned pink. It is good to be on the lookout for any major changes to your dogs paws and gait and it is a good idea to check them over before or after every walk to avoid exacerbating any issues that may have arisen.
In order to determine why your dog is having an issue with their paws and ensure appropriate treatment, it is always a good idea to take them to the vet to be examined when they are showing persistent discomfort or major changes like bright pink paws.
What other common issues would you like to see us highlight? Drop us a comment and let us know!