My dog keeps licking a red sore between her toes. What should I do?

This may be from an underlying allergy or from a foreign body such as stick or splinter or a bite. Soak it in warm water to help for now. Ideally you want to stop her from licking it as this makes it worse but I know that is hard to do. If you can place some neosporin on it and apply a baby sock this will help the medicine soak in and stop her from licking it. You can do this until you can get an appointment at the vet for further medicine and to make sure it does not need to be lanced and flushed

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.

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!

It could have an allergic component or be an interdigital cyst. A closer physical exam and possibly x-rays of the paw would be recommended. Ruling out a foreign body (grass seed, awn, foxtail, etc) or tumor would also be recommended. If your veterinarian will not pursue a more definitive diagnosis, consider a different vet in the practice or a different clinic entirely. Discuss allergy testing, hydrolyzed diets, food elimination trials and even antihistamine use with the vet. It looks like Cleo will need antibiotics once again anyway. Use an e-collar (cone) to prevent licking which can delay healing and may introduce infection.

It sounds like Cleo's sore has become infected if it's red and full of puss. She could have injured herself, or could have licked the area raw due to irritation. She will need to see a vet for antibiotics for the infection, there are no home remedies for that, and I would have her seen by a vet in the morning. For tonight, you can soak her paw in an Epson salt bath for five minutes.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What toy are describing could be a sore from a puncture secondary to a thorn or something sharp, a bug bite or ingrown hair. I would recommend applying a topical medication such as zymox topical ointment and apply to the area until resolved. If there is no improvement or the area worsens then I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this for further testing and treatment recommendations. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

That red bump in between the toes is suspicious for a grassawn/foxtail. I suggest you have her examined by your vet (not an emergency). In the meantime, you can try soaking the foot in warm Epsom salt water (10 minutes 3 times per day) to hopefully draw out any foxtail that may be under the skin.