My dog's paw is red and he's licking it. What home remedies help?

Hi there and thanks for posting! While using Vagisil on inflamed paw pads is certainly a unconventional treatment, I'm happy to hear his paw had gotten better and not bothering it. If you notice the paw worsens or the redness comes back, I would recommend he sees his veterinarian as he may need to be on antibiotics if an infection is present. Best wishes to you and BoDeen!

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!

Hello. This is a very typical presentation of a dog with Atopy, an inhalant or contact skin allergy. Your veterinarian can recommend several different manners in which to address this problem, including medicated shampoos or oral/injectable antiallergy treatments. It is curious that we commonly only see this in 1 foot, but the irritation can develop anywhere on the body. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Overall Lina’s paws look normal. They are a little read between the pads but may pass if she was recently active. If they still look red in 24 hours or she is licking them, you can soak them in an epsom salt bath for 15 minutes. If the redness continues I would have a vet take a closer look. Kisses to Lina!

Dogs over-lick for a few different reasons, so it's difficult to say what's causing it. Bobby may be over-licking the area because it's sore from an injury, has something like a thorn is stuck under the skin, or is infected. 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) 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 twice a day. 2) Ice the foot for 15 minutes once a day. 3) Tape a sock over the foot to prevent licking. You can also get some anti-lick sprays at the pet store to spray on the paw. Once the skin looks normal and/or Bobby stops trying to lick, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Bobby gets better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least in the picture, there is no evidence of a mass or anything like that particularly concerning. This could potentially be allergies causing him to lick at his paws. The main causes of allergies are fleas, ingredients in the food or something in the environment. If he continues to do this, it would be ideal to have him evaluated by your veterinarian to start to work him up for allergies and to potentially start him on medications to decrease the itch and potentially treat a secondary infection if found on exam. Good luck and have a great night!

Poor Maxx. Allergies are no fun, you can try a few at home remedies, but if he doesn't get relief he honestly may need a veterinary visit. Antihistamines can be hit or miss in dogs but you can certainly try Benadryl twice daily if it gives him some relief. You can also soak his feet in lukewarm Epsom salt solution once or twice daily. Malaseb shampoo may help if there is any yeast or bacterial infection component to his itching. When using the medicated shampoos I typically recommend lathering them up, especially affected areas and allowed to soak for up to 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing. If you have a crate or someplace Maxx can hang out while sudsy that helps. And for dogs that will not leave their feet alone I strongly recommend getting an E collar. Sometimes you have to break the cycle of the scratching and licking before seeing any improvement. If there are open sores or very raw areas I would recommend trying to do a veterinary visit as that indicates secondary infection and will likely need systemic treatment as well. I hope Max gets some relief soon thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.