My dog's paw is inflamed and he's limping. Is it a foxtail or abscess?

It may be that the abscess is now developing underneath on the ventral area of the paw pads. This could be due to a foreign body reaction, commonly caused by a penetrating injury on the paw pad or in the interdigital space. Some pus could come out from the lump you are showing. 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 (if any).

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The wound and swelling could be caused by a foreign body, like a splinter or a piece of grass seed that penetrated under the skin. If there is no improvement to antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications, Hjalmar should have the swelling lanced and flushed under sedation.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sunny may be licking his paw due to trauma or a wound that is painful - dogs can sometimes have pieces of grass or small twigs stuck between the toes. Infections or allergic reactions can also occur on the feet, either to a cleaning agent or certain foods. I recommend having Sunny seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine exactly what is going on, especially because he seems uncomfortable. His vet may recommend topical or oral antibiotics, foot soaks, or a diet change. I hope all is well!

Hi. That looks like a mass on that foot. It could be benign, or malignant. It is hard to tell from this picture. It could even be something as simple as mole/wart like mass. The way to know would be to have him examined by your veterinarian and have the perform a cytology. A cytology is looking at the cells of these masses at the microscopic appearance of cells, studying them especially for the diagnosis of abnormalities and malignancies. Good luck.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to make out exactly what this is based on the pictures, but it appears to be an ulcerated sore that has opened up on the paw pad. I would recommend having this looked at by your veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. This sore could be a mass or an infected wound. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

This could be due to an infection and possibly a foreign body reaction. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. 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!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is no tick in the picture that I can see, or crater from a tick bite. The lump could be a few different things. Most likely is an abscess (pus filled pocket) from a puncture wound and possible "foreign body", something like a grass seed stuck in the foot. The other possible causes are a bug bit of some sort that has caused a local reaction, such as a bee sting or ant bite, or it could be that Dante broke the toe and it is swollen. If he is not putting weight on it, then it means it is quite painful. I would recommend having him into the vet, as it is most likely an abscess, and those can cause bone infections if not treated. Your vet might be able to just treat it by lancing it and providing pain relief and antibiotics, but x-rays or surgery might be required as well. Best of luck with Dante.