Dog or cat with a cut paw pad
Clean with saline or clean water, apply firm pressure with a clean cloth for 5 minutes, bandage and head to a vet for anything deeper than a graze.
Recognise the signs
- Limping or holding the paw up
- Visible blood trail or pooling
- Licking persistently at one paw
- Cut, flap or hole in the pad surface
- Embedded glass, grit or thorn
- Swelling between toes
First aid steps
- Calm the pet and lift the affected paw — muzzle a dog if pain is high.
- Rinse the wound with clean water or sterile saline to remove grit.
- Inspect for embedded objects — only remove if loose and easily lifted; leave deeply embedded glass for the vet.
- Press a clean gauze pad or cloth firmly onto the wound for at least 5 minutes without lifting.
- Wrap the paw in a non-stick dressing, then a layer of cohesive bandage (vet wrap), firm but with two fingers' room at the top.
- Cover with a sock or boot to keep clean and dry, and head to the vet.
Do NOT
- Do not apply human antiseptics like TCP, Dettol or Savlon directly — many are toxic if licked.
- Do not use cotton wool directly on the wound — fibres stick.
- Do not bandage too tightly — paws swell quickly and circulation can be cut off.
- Do not let the pet walk on grass, soil or wet ground without a covering — infection risk rises sharply.
When to phone the vet immediately
- Bleeding that soaks through bandages or does not slow after 10 minutes of pressure
- Cuts deeper than the surface of the pad, or any flap of pad lifted
- Visible glass, metal, or other embedded foreign body
- Spurting bright red blood (arterial bleed)
- Bites from another animal (always need vet check and antibiotics)
- Burns or chemical exposure to the pad
Signs that can usually wait for a routine appointment
- A small superficial graze (no bleeding through after 5 minutes pressure, no visible flap, pet weight-bearing comfortably) can be cleaned, dressed and rechecked at home over 24–48 hours, with vet contact if not improving.
Common causes
- Broken glass, sharp stones, metal on walks
- Garden tools, fence wire, rusty nails
- Hot pavements (burn rather than cut)
- Ice and frozen ground in winter
- Self-inflicted licking trauma on an existing minor cut
What the vet will need to know
- How and where the injury occurred
- Time of injury
- Estimated depth and length of cut
- Any embedded material
- Vaccination and tetanus status
- Whether the pet has lameness elsewhere
Aftercare
- Keep the bandage clean and dry — change as advised, usually every 2–3 days.
- Use a buster collar (cone) to prevent licking and chewing the dressing.
- Short lead walks only on dry, clean surfaces until healed (typically 10–14 days).
- Watch for signs of infection: redness, swelling, foul smell, discharge, fever.
Prevention
- Scan walking routes for glass and metal, especially after weekends and bin days.
- Use protective boots in winter for grit and ice salt, in summer for hot pavements.
- Keep the garden free of broken plant pots, wire and tool offcuts.
- Trim long fur between paw pads — it traps grit and ice.
- Carry a small pet first aid kit with vet wrap on every walk.
Frequently asked questions
How long do paw pad cuts take to heal?
Superficial grazes typically heal in 7–10 days. Deeper cuts that needed glue or stitches usually take 10–14 days, with up to 3 weeks for full strength. Pads are slow healers because of constant pressure and movement.
Can I superglue my dog's paw cut?
Veterinary tissue glue exists, but household superglue is not safe for skin and should not be used. A vet may use medical-grade glue, stitches, or a combination depending on depth and location.
Should I bandage every paw cut?
For anything more than a tiny graze, yes — to keep dirt out and stop the pet licking. Bandages must be loose enough to slide two fingers under at the top, and changed regularly. Tight or wet bandages cause more harm than no bandage.