German Shepherd with cuts on rear legs and torn front carpal pads

by Larry
(TX)

Would appreciate your thoughts. My GSD Immo loves to play fetch/ball. We're talking serious ball drive, I'll "ChuckIt" and he'll go after it as fast and hard as any dog I've ever seen.

But somehow he manages to cut his back legs while playing, usually a not too serious cuts on his rear legs. This weekend he also tore up a front carpal pad, the pad above the foot and below the knee and that obviously really painful.

I can't figure out how either is happening, I think it's when he's running flat out and his feet hit his legs but am not sure. Has anyone else experienced this?

We're on grass and dirt, and it's not his foot pads that are getting cut but on his leg and on the big pad above that. What I can do to help protect those areas?

Thanks in advance...Larry