Weird pads on dogs feet?

[shivvy]

My pup might have quite weird feet but I am not entirely sure! She has 4 pads on each foot as normal, however her middle/front 2 are not totally split ie they look a bit like webbed pads. From the nail toward the centre of the foot the pads are separate until about three-quarters of the way where they are joined. Are they not supposed to be entirely separated from each other?!

[Noweia]

This is actually quite common, I can say this with a laugh as I only noticed that myself a few months ago!!!!

[fredpuli47]

You haven't got a Newfoundland or 'Newfie' cross, have you?(LOL. You'd soon know: they're usually black and grow to about 10 stone, 140lbs and 27 inches at the shoulder). The Newfoundland always has 'webbed feet'.So not only is the condition not abnormal but in at least one breed has been encouraged (Newfoundlands are famous as dogs for rescuing people in water and are amazingly strong swimmers. The webbed feet must help the swimming)

[shivvy]

Thanks Noweia and fredpuli47.
She is far from being a newfoundland as this photo might show!
<img src="http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn146/shivvy_photos/Bella074.jpg" border="0" alt="Bandana belle">

I suspected that 'water' dogs such as spaniel or newfoundland might have those types of pads but I have never seen them. My little mutt doesn't show too many signs of having a newfoundland (or similar) heritage so I was just wondering!

[woofgang]

Oh bless! what a cutie! Just for info, weimaraners have webbed feet, as do our current weimaraner GSP crosses...

[shivvy]

Thanks woofgang.
I think I always presumed that dogs webbed feet meant that the pads were divided into 4 parts but that the parts/pads had webbing in between them. Is that incorrect?

[woofgang]

our dogs who have had webbed feet have webbing that stretches right down the toe

[Noweia]

You are correct - dogs with 'webbed' feet have more skin in between the toes, rather than the pads joined together at the base, which is what you have described in Bella.

[shivvy]

Yes Noweia - it is like her middle two pads have not fully split.
So she is still a bit of an oddity then (apart from her looks)?!

[ruthann58]

she is beautiful

[blackcat77]

She looks absolutely gorgeous! Who needs to look at the feet when they can look at a face as sweet as that!!

[shivvy]

You are all so kind.
I also think she is a sweetie but then I'm bound to aren't I?!
Who needs a pedigree pup when you can get a bitsa/heinz/cross like her in a rescue centre? She even comes with her own little quirky feet!
I will try and take a snap of her pads tomorrow and load them on here to see what anyone thinks.

[Noweia]

I only noticed a dog with pads like that a few months ago, and I thought it was strange until I started checking every dogs feet. It's actually quite a common thing to find, I'd just never noticed it before.

[corgidogz]

Good for you, Shivvy getting your pup from a rescue centre. I'm from Australia and I suppose it is the same worldwide where pet shops have many cross breeds that probably come from puppy farms. e.g. labrapoodles. And these cross breeds aren't cheap either. You have saved a life and found a friend for life. Congratulations.