Pressure area padding for small pets

If, despite your best efforts at prevention, your small pet appears at risk of imminently developing a pressure sore, it is wise to pad the area, if at all possible.

You want a padding that is “breathable” and which ideally holds in no moisture. You cannot use any adhesives on the fragile skin, and of course you don’t want anything so bulky or obtrusive that your pet gnaws it off (and ingests it!). Dressings cannot fit snugly, either, as you don’t want to take a chance on further impairing the circulation.

You will have to assess the pressure area for location, size, and severity. Depending on what factors are involved, some ideas you may wish to try:

Wet tea bag soaks  

Orange and black pekoe teas (plain old teabags) contain tannin, a substance which will slightly toughen the unbroken skin (think “tanning hides”). Wetting the tea bags, gently squeezing them so they are wet but not drippy, and then holding them on the affected area twice a day for ten minutes will help toughen the skin. You can read a book or rub your pets ears while you hold the tea bag in place.

Padding the area

Moleskin is available at most drugstores and larger grocery stores. It can be cut to any desired size and provides a light padding.

Lambswool can be found in the foot care section at most pharmacies and is extremely soft and breathable.

The foot care section of a pharmacy or grocery will also have corn plasters, or corn pads, little rubbery disks about an eight of an inch thick, with holes in the center (to allow room for the corn). The holes can be carefully enlarged with a scissors and the corn pad can be placed over very small pressure areas providing there is some healthy skin/fur to place them on (do NOT stick the adhesive side to your pet, however!).

Holding the padding in place

The problem with any padding is that you cannot use adhesives on the fragile skin; and sticking, say, moleskin to the surrounding fur is usually unsuccessful as it does not stay firmly in place and may cause a matt. Either of the following products will hold the padding in place without the use of adhesives:

Vetrap is a sort of fabric tape that sticks to itself with no adhesive. It can be used solo as padding for an affected limb, or used as a “tape” (wrap) to hold other padding in place. It comes in flashy colors and can be ordered online through Amazon.

Pharmacies and groceries carry a similar product marketed for humans as “No-Hurt” tape (Rite-Aid) or “Comfort Tape” (Meijer’s).

The best of all possible padding is being modeled in the slideshow below by my mobility-impaired rabbit, Oreo. Oreo is sporting a hand-crocheted legging-style padding tube, complete with matching bootie. 

I measured Oreo’s foot and affected leg, and sent the information to my awesome, talented sister who quickly crocheted two sets of padding for Oreo. The tube protects the pressure area on the inside of Oreo's “knee” and the little bootie fits over her foot and pads the furless areas on the side of her foot (and she looks fabulous). This is working extremely well; neither she nor her friend Cookie has paid any attention to the legging, and within 24 hours the pressure area was significantly less red. The padding tube does not impair her mobility in any way, and is washable. Extra padding can be had by putting a little lambswool in between the reddened area and the legging.

Where to find this stuff:

Best place to get hand-crocheted padding in Dayton: find a relative or make a new friend who crochets (or even knits), or learn this skill yourself.

Meijer brand self-adhesive tape (“Comfort Tape”) can be purchased for $2.99 for a roll, or you can spend $3.69 for the 3M brand.

Lambswool can be purchased at Rite-Aid – a generous bag is $4.99 in the foot care department.

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