My dog is limping, chewing paws, and hairless. Should I see a vet?

Dodger should go see the vet. The chewing on the paw indicates infection, something stuck under the skin, or even a small fracture. The vet can also examine the lump you have found. A mass that gets bigger and small and bigger and smaller could be caused by a mast cell tumor.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This could just be an allergic condition, but looking at the spotty nature of the pads, I would also be concerned that this might be an auto-immune condition called pemphigus, where the lesions are often first noticed on the footpads. Since this has been ongoing for several months, & now she is showing signs of pain, it is time to have your veterinarian evaluate the pads for what is going on. Hope all is well. Take care.

I'm sorry to hear that Murphy is not feeling well. It's hard to know without seeing him in person, but it could be allergies or an infection or possibly something stuck in them like you mentioned. If he is so uncomfortable that he's limping, I would take him to your family veterinarian. They may need to probe the wounds or take a small sample of the surface and look under the microscope to determine what is causing it and then make treatment recommendations from there.

I'm sorry to hear that Zoe seems so uncomfortable! She may have experienced a soft tissue injury (strain/sprain), ligament tear, loose kneecap (luxating patella) or fracture of her hind leg. Your best bet is to take her to the vet to determine the cause of this lameness so that it can be treated appropriately. Keep Zoe restricted to a crate or very small room until her vet appointment to prevent her from running, jumping or playing as this could exacerbate any existing injury. The most common cause of hair loss on her tail and paws is underlying allergies (to fleas, food or the environment). Be sure that she is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Nexgard, Bravecto or Advantix) regularly. Bathe her with a gentle oatmeal-based dog shampoo. If she has sores and papules, there is a chance that Zoe may also have a skin infection caused by her licking/scratching. If this is the case, antibiotics or medicated shampoos may be needed. I hope that she feels better soon!

It looks like he might have chewed a hot spot onto his foot. It may have started with a minor scratch or bug bite or allergies. That itched, he chewed it, which irritated the area, which makes it itch more, and so on. I recommend getting him seen by your vet soon to have his skin checked. After an exam and possibly some lab work, your vet will have a better idea what is going on and how best to treat it.

Poor Tiny - it sounds like he has a lot of things going on! Licking his paws and scratching could be due to seasonal allergies to grass or pollen (very common this time of year), or some other skin condition such as a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Twitching or flinching when you touch his back can sometimes be associated with itchy skin, but could also indicate pain in this area. His limping may be due to his paws being sore and itchy, or he may have injured himself somehow. I would recommend having him checked by a vet as soon as you are able to - he/she can do an exam and some simple skin testing or x-rays if needed to help determine what's wrong.

Poor guy. These are classic signs of allergic dermatitis: licking/chewing at the feet and redness/irritation of the paws and lower limbs. Sherlock likely has an lallergy to something in the environment or certain ingredients in his food. Often-times it is a process to determine what the underlying cause is, but here is some information on how to get started. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952600 While determining the cause of your pets allergies, it is best to get him on allergy medication to help control his symptoms (licking of the feet). The two most commonly used treatments for dog allergies are Apoquel or Cytopoint. Ask your vet about them to gain more information and develop a regimen that works best for Sherlock. In addition, you should look into a medicated shampoo for topical relief. Duoxo calm shampoo is available online and works really well. I hope that Shelock is able to manage his allergies well soon! Best wishes and take care.