What causes reddish-brown fur on my dog's front paw pad?

Coloration of the paw pads can change as a dog ages, and may turn pinkish or brown, especially if old skin has sloughed off or there was an injury that healed. Signs of a problem to look out for include licking or chewing of the feet, redness or inflammation, pain, visible swelling or injury, strange smells, or if the discolored area is painful to the touch or non-weight bearing. These are all signs of something else ongoing such as an infection, allergy, or injury, which should be treated by your vet.

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.

Depigmentation can be normal, but if the skin is also thick or crusty or there are other skin lesions it might also be a sign of an autoimmune skin disease. If Iker has scabs or crusts on his paw pads that aren't obvious in the picture, if he seems itchy or if he has other skin problems I'd recommend having your vet take a look.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Actually dog saliva has a pigment in it that can cause the hair to turn a brownish red color. My guess is that the reason their fur is changing color is from them licking not from the urine. I recommend seeing your Vet to figure out why they are scratching and licking first. It could be from fleas, allergies from environment or food), or an infection. Then after you see the Vet go get them groomed! I hope this helps!

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the photos, the discoloration looks like it is caused by salivary enzymes from chronic licking. This can be due to an underlying skin infection or environmental/food allergies. Your vet can rule out these conditions with some skin samples and possibly a food trial. I hope this helps!

It could be a normal color change, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or from saliva staining from licking the area too much (allergies). Have your vet take a look at it to determine if there is anything abnormal that needs to be treated. If she doesn't seemed bothered by it and you don't see any swelling, redness, or discharge than it may just be normal.