Why does my dog have a circular hole in his paw? Tick or cut?

Hello! That looks like some type of puncture wound on Lobo’s foot. Often this is due to stepping on/running into something sharp. Sometimes it can be related to a grass awning (called a foxtail) working its way into the skin. It can also represent a fungal infection or the emergence of a fly larvae. Lesions like this should generally be examined by the veterinarian since further treatment and antibiotics may be needed. I recommend to get Lobo into the veterinarian within the next few days. In the meantime, protect the area from licking bye have having him where an Elizabethan collar at all times. You can wash the area gently with soap and water and rental. You can play Neil Sporn to the wrong area twice a day once the far is dry. In the meantime, protect the area from licking by having him wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. You can wash the area gently with soap and water and rinse well. You can apply neosporin to the raw area twice a day once the fur is dry. Keep the area clean and dry. Don’t let him play in the dirt or dry grass. Regular walks are fine but avoid dog parks in other areas like that. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

It is possible the ingrown hairs caused a cyst or abscess to form which then drained/ruptured leaving a hole. If she is licking the paw, place an e-collar (cone) on her. Keep the paw as clean and dry as you can. Foot soaks in Epsom salt or diluted chlorhexidine may help with inflammation or infection. Monitor for redness, discharge, lameness or lethargy. If it does begin to improve in a day or so, have her examined by your veterinarian.

This presentation could be due to a trauma 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 may 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 (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This hole is probably where a small abscess, cyst, or skin infection was located that now has drained. Please don't use alcohol as this burns in open skin and is painful. It is always safe to soak a paw in warm water and epsom salt solution to clean and draw swelling out of any kind of wound, so when you take the sock off in a few hours, try that. If she is not licking the area, you don't need to wrap it. Try the epsom salt soak several times daily for a couple days, and this should allow the wound to close and heal on its own without further intervention. Good luck!

You could soak the paw in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that help it to heal. She may need an antibiotic to prevent an infection so she may need to be examined by a vet, especially if the cut does not heal or you notice any swelling or discharge. If she has ticks than she should be treated with a flea and tick prevention, like NexGard, Frontline, Revolution, etc.

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.

Weird! This looks like a small puncture wound from playing outside or with another animal or could be from where a tick was previously located or a minor spider or bug bite. Without seeing it in person, it is difficult to say for sure. First, I would make sure he is unable to lick it. If he can, I would put a cone collar on him to prevent this or it will never heal. You can also put a little Neosporin on it twice a day to help it heal. If it has any pus coming from it or it isn't healing, I would have your vet take a look to ensure he doesn't need any oral antibiotics or other treatment. I hope this helps!