blister

[ARMYMAN1985]

I have a minature dashund that everytime i let him in the back yard he digs and barks for hours trying to get something out of the ground. Today i brought him in the house and found that he was limping a little. I notice what looks like 2 small blisters. My questions is it something i can fix or must i take him to the vetto get him well again.  

                                                                      Thanks

[Jaybay]

Yes, definitely wash those feet!  If she has broken blisters, keeping her feet clean will be even more important.  A little peroxide followed by an antibiotic ointment can help prevent infection.  The problem is keeping the dog from licking off the ointment.  Bitter Apple spray is available over the counter at any pet store for these problems.  Some dogs act like nothing is there; and others won't even put their noses near it.  Depends on the dog.

How old is your dog?  I've found that all 4 of the dogs I've ever owned went through a digging phase from about 1 year to 3 years of age.  Many dogs will dig out of boredom, so if you aren't walking your dog regularly, that alone will help a great deal.  Walking out of his territory is a great deal different than having a run around the yard.  Dogs who are frustrated with their daily existence and don't have enough physical and mental exercise can adopt obsessive behaviors like digging.

Keep an eye on the blisters, and don't let him dig until they're fully healed.  Once he's healed, take a long hard look at his life and see what you can do to tire him out so he doesn't obsessively bark and dig.

If he has a favorite digging spot, putting his poo in the hole will keep him from coming back to it.  If he's digging all over the yard, that's a sign of a very frustrated dog.

[ginger899]

PS (I forgot to put this in my post) Do check whether it is a toxic plant or root he has come into contact with. If you think it is, take him to the vet.

[ginger899]

Oh boy! He's been having a little too much fun, digging at whatever he's into! He has either really worn out his feet (I'm guessing the blisters are on his feet?) with all that crazy digging, or he has encountered some toxic plant/root/etc wich has brought up the blisters.
If you leave a dog to dig and have fun, unfortunately, some of them will get a bit obsessed about it, and dig till they can't walk!! He needs a little stopping from doing too much of that, and I would suggest no more digging certainly while he has the blisters. He probably smelt a rat or mouse, and is determined to excavate the hole. He doesn't know it goes down to Australia! My dog used to get obsessed with mole-hills, but I stopped her as she didn't know when to quit, and I was afraid she would get curvature of the spine if she kept it up every day!
The blisters will most likely heal naturally. But please keep a close eye on them, and if they burst, they will be really painful for him to walk on. Then you might need some  antiseptic ointment from the vet. You could bathe his feet with saline solution. For wounds with my dog, I use Echinacea herbal tincture, let down with a little water as a safe antiseptic, to prevent or treat any infection. That works very well.