My dog has splinters in paw, no vet. How can I treat it at home?

Try soaking it in some warm water with Epsom salt if he will allow it-- this is easiest to do by putting the water and epsom salt in a plastic bag and putting his paw into the plastic bag. If you can do this for about 10 minutes or so, that may help if he has any debris , sticker, grass seed, etc that is embedded in the skin. If he is licking at it, be sure to put an Ecollar (cone of shame) on him. Dry it with a towel then allow to air dry, then you can use this product on it: If it is not improving within a couple of days, take him in to your vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

You can try and bathe his foot in very warm epsom salt solution for ten minutes at a time three times daily, as it may help for a foreign body to come out, if there is one in the paw. You need to check between the toes and pads for a thorn, stone, or any injury. If you can, palpate the toes to check for pain, which would signal either a sprain or fracture. This could also be caused by a snake bite or bite of another animal and now it may be infected. This is about all you can do until you get an appointment with a veterinarian (any vet!). You will need to get help to get him outside and into the car. If this is so bad that your dog is falling, then he should be seen right away by a vet.

Hi! Thanks for entrusting us with Remi's care today! Lameness can be a sign of a few things that range from a muscle sprain to even a fracture. This could be due to this foreign body you described if it caused an injury. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian so that this can be further assessed which will likely include radiographs. Treatment will be dependent on findings though at the very least pain control medications can be prescribed. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This wound appears to be superficial so your initial decontamination with the warm water and soaking it in epsom salt should be enough. I would recommend keeping a close eye on this and making sure the foot does not become swollen and that there is no pus coming from the wound. You can soak the foot in epsom salt solution twice daily until this is healed. If Duke is going to be going outside in the dirt I would recommend putting a booty over his foot or a sock to prevent dirt from getting inside the wound. If there are any changes that indicate infection, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Duke so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Aw, I bet that stings for sure! If the nails were pulled completely and cleanly, they aren't likely to become heavily infected. If there are remnants left behind, they rest needs to be dealt with by a veterinarian so they can grown back in properly. As for the chunk of tissue missing, this has a much higher likelihood for complications from infection. Since I can not see it, I can't say whether or not it needs to be assessed, closed, sutured, stapled etc. You may want to have someone take a look at it. If not, make sure to flush the area with some chlorhexidine solution, keep it clean as possible, make sure that Teddy can't lick the area (use an e-collar), and possibly apply topical antimicrobial ointment. Teddy would likely benefit from some pain medication and antibiotics, but a vet visit would definitely be required to obtain those. Hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You can wash the are with mild soap and water, then dry it well. You can also apply a triple antibiotic ointment to the area once clean. Do not apply a bandage to the area. It should scab over in 24-48 hours. If it doesn't, or you see any green/yellow discharge, there is swelling, or there is pain, I would take Alika to a vet to make sure there isn't an infection. Good luck and kisses to Alika!

Yes you can do some treatments at home. I recommend soaking the feet in a warm betadine solution or other antibacterial soap or solution once daily until the lesions are healed. Skin and foot problems can take three to four weeks to resolve. I don’t put topical cream or ointment on the feet as this encourages licking. I recommend using a cone if Oliver does start licking the feet. If this gets worse then systemic antibiotics are indicated. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Oliver.