Why are my dog's paw pads red, blotchy, hot, and causing limping?

It could have been a thermal injury if the sidewalk was hot on recent walks. If you haven't taken Vinny on any walks recently, then I would recommend having him evaluated by a vet, some types of infections or autoimmune diseases can cause sloughing of the paw pads. Continue to make sure that Vinny doesn't lick at all. Don't try to pull of the dark part, as it is protecting the more delicate tissue underneath - it will fall off on its own. If you take Vinny outside, use dog booties to protect the pads. Don't apply any ointment unless directly advised by your vet.

Beans-I love that name!! It certainly does look like Beans is having some sort of reaction. It is difficult to tell from the pictures if this is something that has just developed (an acute issue) or if it has been going on for a while. You can gently bathe Beans' paws with warm water incase he is experiencing a contact reaction to something outside. If the redness and irritation continues I would recommend having Beans seen by your regular veterinarian. They will be able to perform a thorough physical exam and discuss some other options with you. An allergy to something in the environment (such as grasses, dust etc) or a food allergy would be high on the list. Some environmental allergies can be managed with medications such as antihistamines and steroids, some also respond to special allergy injections. Food allergies can also manifest as skin issues (itchy, red feet is a common symptom) and can be managed through changes in diet.

Red skin can be caused by several things including parasites, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy, contact allergies or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica or a skin scrape. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Contact allergies are addressed by keeping pets away from things they are allergic to. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the redness should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Luka wear an elizabethan collar if needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. This is a very typical presentation of a dog with Atopy, an inhalant or contact skin allergy. Your veterinarian can recommend several different manners in which to address this problem, including medicated shampoos or oral/injectable antiallergy treatments. It is curious that we commonly only see this in 1 foot, but the irritation can develop anywhere on the body. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ouch, poor Meeko! It's good that you have an appointment for him. Allergies or infection such as yeast/bacteria can definitely cause redness and swelling like that. If he's limping from pain, keeping him on kennel/bed rest with leashed walks only can help reduce pressure and irritation. I'd also keep the feet as clean and dry as possible and use an Elizabethan (cone) collar to keep him from licking as continued licking can worsen irritation and any infection present.

The change of color could be as a result of constant licking. This could be due to an allergy, fleas, an infection or mites. If it's been a while already it is recommended to have it checked by a vet in order to rule out parasites first, then a treatment for allergy or infection can be started.

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.