My dog's paw got worse after antibiotics. Should I call the vet now?

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.

If you haven't been back to the vet since starting antibiotics, I'd recommend going back so they can see how it looks now. You definitely need a vet visit before finishing the antibiotics, since it's not looking healed up. It's possible the wound needs different bandaging methods, different antibiotics, or even surgery to help heal. Good luck!

Poor girl. I do feel that culturing this area would be best, that way we know what antibiotic is needed to rid the bacteria present for sure. Especially after being on the same antibiotic for 28 days already. Re-infection of an area is also likely if the pet continues to lick at it. Therefore, if the infection is completely gone, you have to then treat the pets itch. If we are licking our feet due to allergies, then the underlying allergy should be addressed by keeping her on allergy medication. Discuss with your vet about the options of either Cytopoint injections or Apoquel to help manage her allergies. Also soaking her paws in Chlorhexidine solution 3% diluted 1:10 with water daily can help soothe her paws and remove any allergens she picks up on her feet from outside. Chlorhexidine wipes can also be purchase and used to help with this. In the meantime, I would opt to go with a stronger antibiotic prescribed by your vet, perhaps Simplicef should be tried, until you can decide on further testing/treatment. I would also highly recommend having Bini tested for thyroid disease, which can cause chronic skin infections, lethargy and weight gain in dogs. I hope that this helps and best of luck with your pet Bini and her apparent allergies. Take care! : )

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The antibiotics are probably not working because there is another underlying problem such as allegies. Or perhaps it is not healing because Bini is licking at it constantly. I’d recommend an E-collar at all times for at least 7 days and talking with your veterinarian about adding a course of steroids to decrease swelling, inflammation and pain. If this really is a resistant bacteria, topical antiseptics such as chlorhexidine or betadine will be more effective. Soak the foot in a diluted solution of one of those once to twice daily for 5 minutes, then dry very thoroughly. Best wishes to you and Bini!

A skin biopsy and bacterial culture swab must be taken to define underlying cause specifically and decide appropriate treatment. This presentation may be caused by a resistant bacteria (so a different antibiotic will be needed) or an autoimmune disorder (so a different treatment will be given). 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.

It looks like it could be an infected interdigital cyst, and if it’s happening in the same place it could be a resistant bacteria. There also might be foreign material like a stick in the area, or it could even be an infected tumor. Tabby might need a culture, or she might need to have this lesion removed. You may need to travel to see a different veterinarian if you feel like you’re not getting the care Tabby needs.

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.