I would just state the truth. You probably took the DAT before you knew much about podiatry. I took the MCAT back when it was just twice a year and almost everyone just studied hard and took it once, but it appears that things have changed. Now, the MCAT is different, but assuming you are trying to gain acceptance for this fall, it's probably still pretty late to try to study for and take the MCAT. Just tell them that. If you believe that you could succeed in many health professions but have recently been learning about and intrigued by the podiatry specialty, state that.
I agree that if a school states that they will accept DAT for admissions, then you should have no problem. I would certainly make sure you know the curriculum and what a podiatrist does and be able to describe a routine day, though. A LOR or two from local podiatrists stating that you spent time shadowing them, seemed genuinely interested, and asked good questions would go a long way to help in your case. You need to convince them you are interested and will apply yourself in pod school.
To do well in a program for 4 years, it takes a lot more dedication than just inspiration or $$$ signs in the eyes. Everyone is excited to start a medical program at first, but the initial inspiration part starts to leave around midterms weeks of second semester [
]. The sleep and study schedules are physically and mentally exhausting, so you really need to be interested in what you are learning. The 1st year spring and the 2nd year summer and fall will usually separate the proverbial men from the boys in terms of GPA or even failing out versus moving on in the program...