My dog keeps licking paw, hot spot. Can't afford vet. What now?

I'm sorry it appears that Stella has hot spots again. Unfortunately coconut oil does nothing for them, and cream for athlete's foot is for a specific fungus. This will also not work either. Please be careful about using "remedies" found on the internet. These are typically posted by people who have absolutely no veterinary training at all, and some of these remedies are dangerous, even deadly. I would have her seen by a vet again. I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends to afford the vet, and I can give you some resources that may help as well. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one can help you. Best of luck.

I am sorry your pets aren't doing well. This is a common area to scratch with flea or food allergies. It is a good idea to have all of the dogs on a good quality monthly flea preventative. Some dogs will also require a special diet and maybe even special medications, like Apoquel, for continued itching. It will be hard to rehome a dog with an undiagnosed medical issue. You may start by talking with your vet about rescue groups or no-kill shelters in your area that could help with finding a new home for Gizmo. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/.../trouble_affording_pet... https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant.../ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary.../

These look like hot spot areas that are often caused by some sort of trauma to the skin or fleas. I would suggest a high quality flea preventative such as Nexgard, Comfortis, Simparica or you can try OTC Advantix. However the hot spot areas may need a vet visit to resolve. You can try an over the counter hot spot spray from your local pet store. Here are some financial resources if you do require the expertise of your local vet to get this to resolve. carecredit.com redrover.org I hope that your pet Ellie gets these skin lesions resolved soon. Best of luck and take care.

It is possible that Brandy does have allergies or mange causing those spots, but they could also be due to ringworm. This does require a visit to the vet, as the medication to treat any of these diseases are available by prescription only from the vet, but I can give you a number of resources at the end of my answer that may help you afford a vet. I would have Brandy seen by a vet tomorrow if possible. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. To afford a vet: You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. I hope one of these resources helps you afford a vet for Brandy!

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question. That is quite swollen, and I'm concerned that could be a malignant growth. This is something that definitely have to be checked out by a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope this helps!

Poor Summer! It's very concerning that this large lump has gotten significantly bigger suddenly, as well as it's being hot. Shaking is a sign of pain. I'm not sure when she was spayed, but if she was spayed after her second heat, she could have a mammary tumor. It could also be an infection in the area. This is something that has to be seen by a vet now. I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends to afford a vet, and I can give you some resources that may help. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope one of these resources helps you, please take her into a vet now.

These type of lesions can have many causes. Dogs often get these hot spots (aka acral lick granulomas) for a few different reasons, so it's difficult to say what's causing it. Stitch may be over-licking the area because it's sore, or it has an infection. In fact, these types of lesions tend to develop infections in the skin despite the cause. I think it will be fine to try and treat this at home for now (even though we don't know the cause), but would recommend a visit to the vet if: 1) It doesn't get better in 2 weeks 2) It starts to bleed or there is a break in the skin Here are my recommendations: 1) Clip the hair around the area with electric dog clippers and expose all of the sore skin. 2) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least once a day. 3) Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Stitch from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape above and below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep Stitch from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the toes/foot starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. Another strategy to keep the bandage on, is taping a clean sock over the bandage. These types of lesions tend to take a long time to heal, so don't be surprised if its not completely healed until a month later. Once the skin looks normal and Stitch stops trying to lick, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Stitch gets better soon.