The Patient
Willow, a 14 year old female spayed Bichon Frise, came to see me after she was found standing in some wet epoxy resin during a floor construction project in the home 5 days previously. The owners had originally taken her to the ER where they had tried to remove as much of the foreign material from her feet as possible.
The Case
On examination, all 4 feet had varying amounts of dried epoxy resin stuck to the foot pads, interdigital spaces, and fur around the feet. The owners had been slowly trying to remove the adhesive using foot soaks, Epsom salts, and clippers. Sadly, Willow's feet were now very red, ulcerated, and painful. She was having trouble walking and would intermittently hold one of her feet up off the ground. She was incessantly trying to lick her feet to help remove the material. Here are a few pictures of her feet during the visit:
The Treatment Plan
I have sadly seen this happen twice in my career and there is no easy fix. There is no solvent for the epoxy once it dries and since the product was so tightly adhered to the skin and hair, it was nearly impossible to remove without hurting her. To complicate the issue, Willow had a pre-existing kidney condition that would make sedating her more risky. I recommended that the owners continue to work slowly to try to peel away the epoxy using their fingers and clippers as necessary. Epsom salt foot soaks seemed to be helping soften the adhesive so the plan was to continue that multiple times a day. I also started her on an oral antibiotic since she now had evidence of a skin infection on her feet and also a pain medication to be given twice daily. I also sent a topical antibiotic and steroid spray to help heal the skin from the outside. I encouraged the owner to purchase dog booties to both protect the feet while she walked but also to prevent her from licking them and further damaging the healing skin. As time moves forward, the hair will grow which will allow the material to be removed more easily.
The Outcome
This ordeal will take several weeks to resolve. The moral of the story: do not allow pets near construction projects that involve epoxy resin applied to the ground. Take extra precautions to prevent this from happening to your pet!
The Drake Center for Veterinary Care is an AAHA-accredited animal hospital located in Encinitas, CA. The Drake Center loves being a source of information for all pet owners across the country however if you have any questions regarding pet care and do not live in Encinitas, CA or surrounding cities, we encourage you to contact your local veterinarian.
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