My diabetic dog's infected toe is bleeding. Is it an emergency?

Poor Coco! Diabetic pets can be prone to skin ulcers and other wounds, just like diabetic people. It can also be hard for these lesions to heal without help, since diabetes suppresses the immune system and decreases circulation to the paws and toes. I would recommend taking her to the vet in the morning to have this spot checked, since she may need oral antibiotics to treat it because of her diabetes. In the meantime, you can try soaking the affected paw in a bath of warm water and Epsom salts to help prevent the skin infection from getting worse.

This presentation could be due to a trauma (foreign body lesion/abscess) or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. This is not an emergency but needs to be seen as soon as your vet is open during normal hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Chewy. Poor boy, that is quite a bump. That looks pretty red and irritated, and I see he's missing fur around it, which tells me he's been licking the area a lot. It's clearly bothering him. This could be a cyst, an abscess, or it could potentially be a growth that is either benign or malignant. I don't like the appearance of it, and think it's best you take him into a vet today to get this diagnosed. Once it's diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options. I hope this helps!

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with MuShu. It looks like the toe has made great progress on the antibiotics, so stay the course on the antibiotics & hopefully the toe infection will be resolved once the antibiotics are finished. If not, do stay in contact with your veterinarian in case another round of antibiotics are required. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to an infection or a traumatic injury for example. It is difficult to know without being able to examine her. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to start antibiotics if needed. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the picture! Due to the red fur staining it is evident that Babi is licking the toe. It is also pretty swollen. The first step is to prevent the licking by using an Elizabethan collar (cone) or donut. I do think it would heal faster if you saw a Vet. There is likely a bacterial and or yeast infection of the nail bed. Having oral antibiotics and antifungals and something to stop the desire to lick will speed this process up for you both. I hope this helps and I wish Babi a speedy recovery!

These type of injuries are often due to a puncture between the toes. Sometimes the thing that punctures the toes stays under the skin. This commonly happens with thorns and grass awns. In both cases, an infection develops under the skin and will not heal until the source of infection is removed. Lioh's injury does appear to be infected from what I can see in the photos and it will be best to take him to the vet for treatment. For now, you can try doing a twice daily foot bath with Epsom salts to help decrease the swelling and help treat the infection. Just make sure that he doesn't drink the Epsom salt water, or it will make him sick. I hope that helps and Lioh gets better soon.