My dog has a lump between his toes. Is it an interdigital cyst or emergency?

Apparently the lump is either itchy or painful, or your dog would not be licking it constantly. Lumps between the toes or pads can be caused by a foreign body , such as a thorn or grass ear, being stuck in the skin and causing infection. It could also be an infected interdigital cyst, or a tumor. I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian on Monday to have the paw examined and the foreign body removed/cyst evacuated or treated or the tumor biopsied, whichever applies. Your vet can prescribe medications to reduce pain and clean this up in such a way that it may not bother your dog so much. If you have an e-collar at home, put it on Monty so he cannot lick the area and aggravate the condition.

If he is walking well and not painful and there is no discharge then you can watch it to see if it changes. If he licks it or it changes in size and has a discharge then he does need to be seen but not as an emergency. It can sometimes be from a grass awn or puncture or bite

It sounds like Oreo has developed an interdigital furuncle/cyst. Sometimes they can be treated medically with steroids and antibiotics but sometimes require surgery. I would head to your vet at your earliest convenience.

While an interdigital cyst is a possibility, it cannot be diagnosed based on visual observation alone. The other possibilities to consider include: foreign body, benign tumors such as histocytomas, malignant tumors such as mast cell tumors, or a simple bacterial or fungal infection. I would advise you to have it evaluated by your veterinarian. Ask about a fine needle aspirate to remove cells in order to determine if they are cancerous. And apply an E-collar to prevent licking.

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 appears to be an interdigital cyst. Typically they get infected easily and are usually the result of allergies or a puncture or foreign body such as a grass awn or splinter. You can try to soak it in warm water but you normally have to do antibiotics to clear it or have it flushed out.

Hi there and thank you for your question! Until you can take Honey into see her veterinarian, I'd recommend keeping it clean and dry. Mild soap and water wash if needed. You can keep an ecollar on Honey if she is licking or chewing at her paw. The ecollar will help prevent her from bothering it further. I hope this helps and good luck at the vet's tomorrow!