My dog keeps licking his red paw. What can I do before the vet?

Poor Austin! He could have an infection there, he may have been injured, there could be a foreign body, or he could have allergies. Ultimately he will need to see a vet for it, as he sounds pretty uncomfortable, so I'd take him into the vet in the morning. Tonight, you can try an Epsom salt bath for his paw to see if that helps temporarily. I'd also put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking it more. You can make one at home, and I will put a link below on how to do it. Best of luck. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Poor baby. I would recommend getting him an ecollar cone to keep him from licking, cleaning the area with a moist washcloth, and applying a.teiple antibiotic. I would then give your veterinarian a call tomorrow for an appointment to be checked out. Good luck

Hello, thank you for your question about Baxter. Based on your description and the photo provided I believe that Baxter can wait until Monday to be seen by a veterinarian. In the meantime I would try to prevent him from licking at the area and try to keep it as clean as possible. If you have one you can use an e-collar to prevent him from getting at the area. Alternatively you could cover his foot with a sock (if you use this method try to keep the sock clean and dry, it may need to be changed). Additionally when Baxter goes outside I would recommend covering his foot (especially if the ground is wet) to prevent dirt and debris from getting to the area. You can use a plastic shopping bag or a bootie for this purpose. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian on Monday so that they can examine the area and determine if it is infected/irritated and prescribe Baxter any medications that they feel are warranted. Hope this helps, good luck!

Ouch, that's a big enough tear it should be seen by your vet. At the very least they can clip back the hair, thoroughly clean it, and then provide you with pain medications and antibiotics for Ave so it doesn't get infected. Until you can get into your vet, it is best to keep the foot clean and dry and to NOT let him lick it. Licking will introduce bacteria that will cause further inflammation and potential infection. You can use an Elizabethan (cone) collar to keep him from doing so. I would also limit all activity to leashed walks only for potty breaks to prevent him from putting more weight on the injured pad which can lead to more pain.

I would recommend taking Maru to a veterinarian. It is hard to determine if that was a puncture wound, an abrasion from licking or a growth. After a physical examination, the veterinarian can determine if it is something to be concerned about. Until you can get Maru to a veterinarian I would recommend placing an Elizabethan collar on Maru to prevent him from licking at it. I hope Maru feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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. 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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sam. He needs an E-collar to prevent him from licking his paw. If the lesion does not resolve, he will need to see his veterinarian. He could have a foreign object trapped under the skin in his paw. A piece of plant material is common. It could also be a small mass between his toes. I would leave the bandage off to let it dry out and see if it heals once he is no longer able to lick. I hope this information helps!