My dog's paw is red, irritated, and losing hair from licking. Help!

Thank you for posting your question regarding Cody. The pictures are definitely helpful in getting the full picture of what is going on. There is hair loss and the skin is inflamed and reddened in the pictures. If he is biting / licking at his feet and they look like this, he may be dealing with allergies. Does Cody come into contact with grass? If he does, he may have a contact allergy with the type of grass that is growing this time of year. Epsom salt soaks probably won't help a huge amount but they also won't hurt. The soaks may provide some relief while the feet are soaking. The primary problem probably won't be addressed with epsom salt soaks alone. I would suggest administering Benadryl over the counter. You can give 1mg per pound of body weight, so Cody's dose would be approximately 50mg every 12 hours if he is indeed 50lb. There are multiple causes of allergies but if it is isolate to the feet, I think a contact allergen leading to the above mentioned symptoms. Your veterinarian will be able to send you home with better products to relieve the symptoms further such as sprays and oral medications if the benadryl is not working. There are specific anti-itch drugs available now and injections that are quite safe to use. I would also suggest natural supplements such as Omega 3 fish oil (Welactin for canines), Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent is another great natural oil product and a shampoo such as Duoxo PS to bathe Cody twice weekly until the symptoms are gone. Hope this answers your question and if you have any other concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me for further help.

That paw does look inflamed. If your home care is not working after a week, your pup needs to be examined. Bacterial and yeast infections are common in the paws. It could also be skin mites or allergies. Likely Odin will need some oral medications. He should also be wearing an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent any further licking. I hope this helps.

If BoDeen is only licking one paw then he may have something between his toes that is causing a problem. I will usually recommend soaking the foot in Epsom Salts (following the instructions on the box for making it up) for 5 minutes then just drying it well. That can be repeated twice daily. You should also try to figure out a way to prevent him from licking at the foot and to protect it. I like a light boot like TheraPaw Boot ( https://www.therapaw.com/therapawboot ), but you may also be able to find something at a local pet store that would work. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

These look to be inflamed and irritated not infected so antibiotics are unlikely to cure and may make the condition worse if the underlying cause is not addressed. Allergies, mites and yeast overgrowth would be quite common and I recommend a vet check to determine the best possible action

Poor girl. You should try to dry this area well with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water first. And then you can try a hot spot spray from your local pet store. If this is just one area, then there was likely some kind of trauma to the skin. If there is no improvement with the area within 48 hrs or so, then it is best to get her seen for stronger medications/antibiotics. I hope that this helps and best wishes with Shiva's wound. Take care!

Gently clean it with warm water and antiseptic soap. Put an Ecollar on Dj to keep her from licking at it. You can buy one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep an eye on it, and if it gets swollen, warm to the touch, red, or you see pus, then it's infected and he has to see a vet. Best of luck. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

It is much easier to give advice if we can see the actual paw. Since I can't see it I will do my best to help you. I suggest you use this product 2-3 times per day and also get him a "cone" collar to keep him from licking it. No matter what you put on it, if he continues to lick it, it will not get better. If after 5-7 days there is minimal to no improvement then he should see a vet. You can probably pick both of these things up at your local Petco. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-ecollars )