My rescue puppy's paw is swollen. Does she need an emergency vet?

It sounds like Salem's paw has become infected from the puncture wound, you are correct that she does have to see a vet as soon as possible. Given that you are snowed in at the moment, I would keep her quiet and rested, do not allow her to run around or play. Take her out to toilet on a lead only, and bring her right back in when she's done. Do not give her any human medications, especially pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would take Salem into the vet first thing Monday morning.

I cant see anything obviously wrong with the pads like a wound or penetrating injury. Have a really good look and press the paw all over. Don't worry about opening her toes, she will yelp a bit but you need to have a good luck. If she is incredibly sore or tries to bite you stop. It could be that she has simply bruised the paw or sprained a ligament when she was out. If you can't find any wounds or damage on the paw I would let her rest it overnight. You can see if it's any better in the morning. If it's no better or worse, or if you find a sizeable wound or infection, take her to the emergency vet. Otherwise see how she gets on and reduce exercise for a while.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A veterinarian will need to see this swelling but I wouldn’t consider it emergent- just when you can get him in. Without seeing the swelling it’s hard to say what it is. A vet will likely put a needle in the swelling to get cells to look at under the microscope. This is called a fine needle aspirate. Knowing what the mass is will help decide the next course of treatment. It could be an abscess (a pocket of puss) and just need drainage and antibiotics, a cyst that could just need to be monitored or something more serious, like cancer, that needs to be surgically removed. The vet that looks at it will be able to discuss your options once the diagnosis is made. Good luck and kisses to Jake!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you are able to get to a veterinarian right now, I would do so. Waiting until the morning would mean that she is in a lot of pain until then. If you get her seen right now, she can receive appropriate pain medication to help relieve this discomfort. This may be a fractured bone and not having any pain medications until the morning would mean that she is in extreme discomfort until then. I would recommend having her seen as soon as possible so that she is not in pain. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It sounds like Ruger could have traumatized his paw or may have an infection or a cyst there. It's not an emergency but I'd make an appointment to see your vet as sometimes they need systemic medications to get it to heal, since it's difficult to put topical medication on the paw.

It is certainly abnormal. If Lola is eating and drinking normally and has a normal activity level, it could probably wait until the morning. But since I can't do an examination, I can't tell you for sure or not that it is emergent. You will have to use your best judgement.

If the paw is swollen, I recommend to have her seen by her veterinarian. Swelling in the feet is not normal and may not be related to the previous paw pad issue. Hopefully it’s nothing serious. Please feel free to post any additional questions.