My dog has a crusty paw pad sore. Do I need a vet or can I treat it?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to make out exactly what this is based on the pictures, but it appears to be an ulcerated sore that has opened up on the paw pad. I would recommend having this looked at by your veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. This sore could be a mass or an infected wound. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and I am happy to help. That lesion could be a few things including an injury- like a scrape or infected puncture wound, or flatten skin mass or something like a resolving boil or ingrown hair. If Odin seems comfortable and the area doesn't appear blister-like, swollen or painful, you can try home care. If it looks like anything I just named, he should go to the veterinarians office between now and Monday. At home there are some things you can do which may help to heal the sore. The first thing you need to do is stop the licking (since this can make it worse). Odin should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Remember that the collar must come out past his nose in order to be effective. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day. Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Make sure the skin is dry before application. Neosporin is fine to use. Since it's on Odin's foot, he needs to rest and avoid trauma so only short, controlled walks. Also avoid rough surfaces like dry grass which may cause further irritation. If the spot is not much better in 1 week, if it gets worse at any point or if the lesion is not completely healed within 2 weeks, Odin needs to be examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These lesions tend to heal rather quickly. As long as there is no actual deep cut (which I cannot appreciate in the picture), you may be able to treat him at home. To speed up the healing process, you may proceed with diluted epsom salt soaks every 8 hours for 3 days. If not improving or worsening, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Make sure to dry up his pads well after soaks. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without being able to examine her. This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This should be fine to monitor at home for now. I would just make sure to keep the area clean while it heals. It should not require any antibiotics or topical creams. If the paw pad begins to swell or there is drainage at the area of the injury, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Royce so that the most appropriate treatment can be administered. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

Try soaking it in some warm water with Epsom salt if he will allow it-- this is easiest to do by putting the water and epsom salt in a plastic bag and putting his paw into the plastic bag. If you can do this for about 10 minutes or so, that may help if he has any debris , sticker, grass seed, etc that is embedded in the skin. If he is licking at it, be sure to put an Ecollar (cone of shame) on him. Dry it with a towel then allow to air dry, then you can use this product on it: If it is not improving within a couple of days, take him in to your vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This wound appears to be superficial so your initial decontamination with the warm water and soaking it in epsom salt should be enough. I would recommend keeping a close eye on this and making sure the foot does not become swollen and that there is no pus coming from the wound. You can soak the foot in epsom salt solution twice daily until this is healed. If Duke is going to be going outside in the dirt I would recommend putting a booty over his foot or a sock to prevent dirt from getting inside the wound. If there are any changes that indicate infection, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Duke so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.