Gambit is going in to the vet today for his paw. It's very red and sore. I am so worried. He has always had red paws, the vet said probably because of allergies. He also has very red nails which have started developing this year, like he's bleeding from the nailbed out, but the vet said it wasn't a concern because the area AROUND the nailbed seemed ok. Now Daisy's nails are turning red. I wonder if it's the food - or?

Anyway, Gambit has been limping for a few days and when I went to wipe his paw today with a towel because our backyard and the area around our house where he walks is very muddy, he screamed and pulled away. I felt like a beast. So we are going to the vet.

This is a big issue for me - the paw wiping. On the one hand, I feel terrible rubbing at his sensitive little toes every time he comes in from a walk or the backyard. But our neighborhood is all under construction and the street and the grass is filthy with mud and dust, and our backyard is more mud than grass most times of the year, so I just HAVE to wipe. I used to use baby wipes on his feet which were great at taking the mud off, but I began to suspect that that must be hurting his little feet getting wiped like that a half dozen times, so I switched to a soft towel, which doesn't take off as much dirt but is nicer on his little tosies. But his feet still look very red and inflamed, and I hate that I have to wipe them so much.

Any suggestions on keeping tidy toes? I tried dog shoes for him - once. Lasted about 5 seconds.