My dog has a red, irritated paw pad and is limping. What helps?

Ouch, poor Oakley! Gently wash his paw with warm water and antiseptic soap. Bandage it and put a sock over his foot to keep the bandage clean and dry. Change the bandage daily and keep an eye out for signs of infection. They include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. If you see any of those signs, take him into the vet for antibiotics. He's limping because he is in pain, so rest him for now. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on leash only, and bring him right back in when he's done. Please do not give him any human pain medication. Many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Poor Potato! Yes, I would gently clean her paw with water water and antiseptic soap, then bandage it, and put an Ecollar on her. Do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Change in the bandage daily, and if she is still limping after 48 hours, or the bump gets bigger, have her seen by a vet.

Poor Layla! If she is still limping I would make an appointment to have her seen by your vet. She may have injured her nail(s) as you described, or she may even have some soft tissue swelling/ irritation or a fracture. If there is a stick/ splinter/ other foreign object in her paw the vet can help remove it and treat it to help prevent infection. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to Layla without consulting with your vet. I recommend keeping her in a crate or in a room where she can't run/ jump on anything and only taking her out for very short bathroom breaks until she is no longer limping. Make sure she's on a leash so she can't run and make things worse.

Poor Chia - yes she has pulled the hard part of her nail off and the photos show she must be painful as she is holding her foot off the ground. I expect she'll try to lick the area which can make things worse so try to prevent her doing this by putting a sock over her foot, using an e-collar or cone if you have one. For first aid you can apply/ clean the toe by soaking it in a bowl of warm water with a couple of teaspoons of salt in - which is antiseptic. You can cover her foot with a dog shoe or boot which are sold at pet stores. For pain I recommend taking her to see her vet tomorrow. Please do not give her any human pain medicines which can be toxic to dogs. The nail will grow back slowly but the red area will be sensitive and sore for a few days until it dries up.

Hello, and thanks for your question. It's difficult to tell in the picture where the injury is. I'm possibly seeing a small area with minor irritation on the edge of the metacarpal pad (the larger pad behind the toe pads), almost like a rug-burn type injury... If that's the case, it will be a bit sore until the tissue starts to heal, but there isn't much to do other than monitor for infection and protect it from further injury. You can apply a topical ointment such as neosporin, and sometimes they're more comfortable if you apply a sock or bootie when Blitz goes outside. Avoid long walks and running off leash for a week or so, especially on abrasive surfaces such as concrete or gravel. Monitor for redness, swelling, or discharge that might indicate infection. If you see any of these, or if Blitz seems uncomfortable enough to need pain medication, then it's best to bring her in to the vet. Of course, if there's further injury besides the suspected "rugburn" or scrape I described above, don't hesitate to question again with a description of the injury you're seeing, and maybe a close-up with an arrow to the injury in question... Hope this helps!

You can clean it daily with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution and dry it thoroughly afterwards. Anything you apply will likely be lucked off unless you use an e-collar. It may have been abraded on rough surfaces inside or outside his enclosure. Since he is limping, he is likely painful and should be seen by your veterinarian. Pain medication can be administered or dispensed if indicated. If possible, the paw should be protected until it heals. This may require a bandage/bootie, coming indoors, an e-collar (cone) or a combination of the three. Your veterinarian can determine the best course of treatment after an exam.

If you can keep her from walking or running around by putting her into a crate, for example, and can so make her rest, then this will likely alleviate some pain. However if the pain increases or your dog appears to be very painful, you will need to take Saki to an emergency veterinarian for an exam, diagnosis and pain control. We cannot legally recommend medications here, I am afraid.