My dog's paw infection is getting worse: what home care can I do?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Answering your questions: 1. It does look like infection. It is not uncommon to see skin infection or small abscesses in this area in dogs. 2. The best way to go will be cleaning the paw twice a day with iodine solution. Also, you need to clean it after each walk (could be just with water) You need to dry the paw after each cleaning with a towel. You should make sure that your Simba is not licking the paw, you may have to use a head collar. Apple cider vinegar is not going to help, there is no need to use it. 3. If this treatment is not effective and there is no improvement within 48hrs, you should take Simba to your local vets. Good luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are no at home remedies for infections as the treatment is based on the specific infection affecting the patient. For that reason, whenever there is a paw infection, it is recommended to proceed with a visit to your veterinarian. They would be able to treat the infection locally and systemically with antibiotics and to see if other things like anti-inflammatory medications are indicated. Good luck!

Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily for 5 days. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). If the wound does not heal in 5 days a check up would be required. 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!

I'm sorry this happened but you must understand this is a very serious wound and should be treated by your local veterinarian. She should be on oral antibiotics. No matter is what is applied to this topically, it will not heal if she continues to chew at it. You will need to either keep it bandaged (provided she does not chew the bandage off) or get her a cone collar like this one until it is healed. Be sure to get the appropriate size. The collar must go past the end of the nose or she will still be able to chew at the wound. ( https://www.amazon.in/Generic-Elizabethan-Healing-Medical-Protective/dp/B01LZHVWWF/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1524316661&sr=8-3&keywords=elizabethan+collar+for+dogs ) You can try this wound spray. I still suggest you have a veterinarian look at this wound to prescribe some more effective treatment than what you can provide at home. ( https://www.amazon.in/Himalaya-Scavon-Spray-100-ml/dp/B01NGYKEPQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1524316862&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=oxytetracycline+spray+dog ) Try your best to keep flies and other insects away from the wound or she may get maggots. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Archie seems to have a case of pododermatitis, an inflammatory condition sometimes associated with allergies. It may, indeed take a few days for the antibiotics to kick in. Hopefully, he is on an oral antibiotic, but I will also recommend a topical one, as well. This would involve bandaging up the foot so the antibiotic does its job. You can talk to your vet about some pain medication too. In the meantime, soak the foot in warm water & dilute betadine or 2% chlorhexidine. 1/4 cup of the solution in a cup of water should do it. Try to soak the paw for 5-10 minutes 3 times a day, rinse & dry the foot. This will help in the healing process. Hope Archie is doing better soon. Take care.

I am very sorry that Kamilio's paw is so sore! Thank you for providing pictures. With that level of swelling, redness, and hair loss I am very concerned about he infection present. I am sure it's very painful for Kamilo. The first step is to make sure that Kamilo has an e-collar on so he can't lick or bite at the area. When spots are painful or itchy, dogs often want to bite or lick, but this causes increased tissue damage and higher likelihood of infection. You can also try a warm compress for 5 minute intervals throughout the day to ease the swelling and pain. I believe you should continue to the antibiotic course your vet prescribed. I would advise a recheck with the vet however. I am not sure how his paw looked two weeks ago, but this doesn't look like it is healing well. The infection may need a different antibiotic, anti-inflammatory medication, and pain relief. there is also the chance that there is a forgein body stuck inside the paw such as a migrating grass seed. I am so sorry for you and Kamilo and I hope it feels better soon.

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach. That area looks infected to me. That could be related to Loki licking and biting the area. Sometimes though there's a foreign object trapped under the skin like a grass seed or piece of wire. I recommend to have Loki examined in the next few days to have this addressed. In the meantime, there are some things you can do at home which may help. 1. Stop any licking (since this can make it worse) - Loki should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. - Remember that the collar must come out past his nose in order to be effective. 2. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry. -This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells. 3. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day to the red areas. Make sure the skin is dry before application. -Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Neosporin is fine to use. *wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards when handling this wound. 4. Restrict his activity. Since it's on the paw, it can be traumatized by activity. So for now, I recommend minimal to no walks, no running or jumping. Avoid walking on rough surfaces (like dried grass). If the wound gets dirty, you can wash it. I do not recommend to bandage paws. They heal best when exposed to the air and bandaging often encourage infection in paw. I hope this helps and that Loki heals up quickly! Sincerely, Dr. Elizabeth