My dog has a paw infection. Should I try home remedies or see a vet?

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

I am so sorry to hear that Google has an infection on his paw. Thank you for providing a picture. It looks like Google is licking or biting the sore area. It is very red and inflamed which is often a sign of tissue trauma cause by the dog itself. I would advise trying these tactics for the next 48 hours; Place an ecollar on Google so he cannot get to the sore paw and damage further Bathe the area with warm water once daily and leave dry and open Place a cool compress on the sore paw twice daily for a few minutes Some owners find that benadryl can help provide relief from itchiness for their dogs, which may help make Google more comfortable https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ If the paw does does not improve over the next 48 hours I would advise taking Google back to the veterinarian for a course of anti inflammatory medications and potentially antibiotics. Thank you for using petcoach!

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.

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!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Clover. Poor girl! This could be caused by an injury, an infection (fungal or bacterial), allergies, or a nutritional deficiency. She should see her vet for this problem to diagnose what is causing it, but it's not an emergency so you can wait until tomorrow. Clean the paw pad, and examine it closely to see if there is any foreign material in it. When you clean it, use warm water and an antibacterial soap. Apply a bandage, and make sure it's not too tight. Put a sock over her foot and bandage to protect the bandage and to keep her from chewing at it. You can secure the sock to her leg with some medical tape. Keep the area clean and dry, and take her into the vet tomorrow. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lucy! If you think it is infected it is best to have your Vet examine it and provide oral antibiotics. At home you can soak the foot in Epsom salts and apply a triple antibiotic ointment around the nail base twice daily. Lucy should also wear and E-collar at all times to prevent licking the toe. If there is no improvement in 5 days she should see your Vet. If it gets worse in those 5 days then sooner. I hope this helps and I wish Lucy a speedy recovery!

Some skin infections can take 3 weeks of antibiotics to clear. However, if its not gotten better, it may be a bit more complicated. As you mention, allergies may indeed be part of it. Eosinophils may indicate that there's an allergic component, so if you aren't addressing the allergies specifically. it may help to do so. Your vet may talk to you about trying some prednisone or apoquel to treat underlying allergies, and this may be very helpful. Weekly baths with a gentle non irritating shampoo may be helpful. I really like this one: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-shampoo-with-vitamin-d3 Best of luck, thank you for using PetCoach!