My dog's paw is red and she keeps licking it. Vet or home care?

Poor girl. This looks like a little abrasion. I would just make sure there is no swelling since it it hard to tell from the photo. Look at the other leg for comparison. If there is no swelling present, then you can simply clean this area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water and then let it air dry and apply some "hot spot" spray from your local pet store. Just ask an associate to help you find it in the store. This should heal well. : ) Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Take care!

Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further licking. You can soak the paw in an Epsom salt foot bath for 10-15 minutes daily. Make sure the paw is completely dry afterwards. A soak in diluted chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) may also provide some relief.

It's hard to see with all the hair, I assume I'm looking at the top of her paw and it's between two toes. This may not be a traumatic injury, it could be a place that she has licked and scratched because she had a small wound or an insect bite or other irritation between the toes. I recommend keeping it clean with a warm damp washcloth and mild soap, make sure to rinse it completely and apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to keep the skin moist and avoid cracking. I would get it seen by your vet as soon as you can but, as long as she seems otherwise fine, I don't feel this is an emergency.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. 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.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. 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. 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!

If BoDeen is only licking one paw then he may have something between his toes that is causing a problem. I will usually recommend soaking the foot in Epsom Salts (following the instructions on the box for making it up) for 5 minutes then just drying it well. That can be repeated twice daily. You should also try to figure out a way to prevent him from licking at the foot and to protect it. I like a light boot like TheraPaw Boot ( https://www.therapaw.com/therapawboot ), but you may also be able to find something at a local pet store that would work. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Poor Luca! I actually recommend to use an Elizabethan collar instead of a sock. The sock will hold in moisture and it will make the area more humid which will encourage more bacterial or yeast growth then allowing it to air out. Keeping these lesions open to the air is much better. Have Luca wear the collar anytime he is not being directly supervised. Wash the paw daily with an antibacterial soap and rinse. You can continue the Epson salt soak every other day (rinse well afterwards). After it is dry, you can apply the spray. Make sure to keep his feet clean and dry. Until he is checked out by the vet on Monday, keep the trauma to the paw minimal so no running, jumping and keep his walks minimum and avoid abrasive surfaces such as overly dry grass and rocks. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.