Tenderfoot

Yesterday, as we were getting ready for pool time, I noticed Shadow limping on his right front paw. I looked closely at it and it was pink, puffy and swollen. Ouch!

We did our water work and the cool water helped the swelling a little. I called my friend Lee and she jumped on the internet and diagnosed fungus. Yikes! I took Shadow into the bathroom and he gingerly got into the tub. He knows bath time in the tub and he likes it. But this wasn't a bath, it was a foot soak in Betadyne, a concentrated iodine solution. The water in the plastic pan was not warm because I wanted to help the swelling, not make it worse. If I had a swelling on some part of me, I'd use an ice pack, dog wouldn't really care for that.

I thoroughly cleaned all four paws and saw a pinkness starting on the other three as well. Shadow was very patient and allowed me to clean his feet. I gently dried them and let him out of the tub to stand on a clean, dry towel.

I had bought an aerosol powered spray. I sprayed each foot in turn and then massaged the powder in between his toes. He never winced or showed discomfort (and he didn't bite me, either). Thank you, dog. I did not want him to lick the powder off the paws but he didn't start doing that. I didn't have a "conehead" to put over his head to prevent the licking, but maybe the stuff tasted so awful, he desisted.

This morning, as I took him out, He must have felt some relief, he was bounding around the grass and running through the yard. Upon examination of his tender feet, the swelling was noticeably down and I have to thank Dr. Lee for her suggestions. I applied more spray and he took the application without flinching. Good Dog!