Pup
Philosopher
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2004
- Messages
- 6,679
I know, I know, they do. Just ask a vet. But hear me out. 
I'm talking about on a normal everyday basis, compared to people like me.
I walk barefoot a lot. Usually it's me barefoot, my wife with shoes, our dog on a leash and our cat tagging along, in meadows and light woods. Every few days, I'll step on something thorny, which pricks just enough to make me stop and pull it off my foot, no blood, no injury, forgotten immediately. That's the same as the dog stepping on something, shaking his foot or biting to get it loose, and going on.
But maybe once every few weeks, a tiny thorn tip will break off in my sole. There's no pain and I don't even notice it for a couple days until it starts to get infected, then I notice a tender spot, get a sterilized needle, work the splinter out, put on some antiseptic ointment, and within an hour or two it feels as good as new.
But the dog and cat have never needed that done, never seem to fuss over their feet, and they're less careful where they walk than me.
Why? They're mammals too, and their soles don't seem much different from mine. I mean, we're not talking about hooves or anything.
--Are their feet so tough that thorns can't even enter far enough to break off? If so, can human feet ever get that tough, or is it a species-specific thing?
--Or, if they get a splinter, does it not get infected and therefore never hurt until it comes out on its own, just like it doesn't hurt me the first couple days? But I thought the basic mechanism of infection was common to all mammals, to naturally isolate or force out foreign bodies.
--Or, do they get splinters which get infected and eventually come out on their own and they just ignore the pain till it's over? The pain is mild enough that that's possible (I don't limp or anything so you'd never know by watching me) but it's hard to believe they're going around ignoring a background level of pain that spurs us to action.
--Or, some other explanation?
And yes, I know I'm weird. I've had a tetanus shot, and know all about the latest research on hookworm and such, so I'm more interested in how dogs and cats avoid this minor splinter problem month after month, than being told how strange I am to walk barefoot.
I'm talking about on a normal everyday basis, compared to people like me. I walk barefoot a lot. Usually it's me barefoot, my wife with shoes, our dog on a leash and our cat tagging along, in meadows and light woods. Every few days, I'll step on something thorny, which pricks just enough to make me stop and pull it off my foot, no blood, no injury, forgotten immediately. That's the same as the dog stepping on something, shaking his foot or biting to get it loose, and going on.
But maybe once every few weeks, a tiny thorn tip will break off in my sole. There's no pain and I don't even notice it for a couple days until it starts to get infected, then I notice a tender spot, get a sterilized needle, work the splinter out, put on some antiseptic ointment, and within an hour or two it feels as good as new.
But the dog and cat have never needed that done, never seem to fuss over their feet, and they're less careful where they walk than me.
Why? They're mammals too, and their soles don't seem much different from mine. I mean, we're not talking about hooves or anything.
--Are their feet so tough that thorns can't even enter far enough to break off? If so, can human feet ever get that tough, or is it a species-specific thing?
--Or, if they get a splinter, does it not get infected and therefore never hurt until it comes out on its own, just like it doesn't hurt me the first couple days? But I thought the basic mechanism of infection was common to all mammals, to naturally isolate or force out foreign bodies.
--Or, do they get splinters which get infected and eventually come out on their own and they just ignore the pain till it's over? The pain is mild enough that that's possible (I don't limp or anything so you'd never know by watching me) but it's hard to believe they're going around ignoring a background level of pain that spurs us to action.
--Or, some other explanation?
And yes, I know I'm weird. I've had a tetanus shot, and know all about the latest research on hookworm and such, so I'm more interested in how dogs and cats avoid this minor splinter problem month after month, than being told how strange I am to walk barefoot.
