My dog's paws are swollen with sores. Is it mange? What should I do?

Hello. I cannot say for sure what this is without a hands on exam and some simple tests, but your veterinarian would be able to solve this for you pretty easily. Mange in a puppy this young is not common, but a simple and quick skin scrape would determine if it is mange. More likely, it is a skin infection- this may be bacterial or fungal. Your veterinarian can also check this. Fungal infections can be very contagious (Ringworm), so it is important that you have this puppy looked at as soon as possible. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bodie, it sounds as if he has had a rough three days. Bodie's lesions on his paw could certainly be related to an underlying environmental or food allergy that resulted in the development of a severe superficial and possible deep pyoderma, which can be difficult to treat if the bacteria present are resistant to normal antibiotics. Other potential causes could include fungal infections (depending on your location), and neoplasia (cancer). For lesions that do not respond to typical therapy with antibiotics and anti-itch medications (such as corticosteroids, Apoquel, Atopica), it may be necessary to perform a culture/sensitivity of the lesions to determine what type of bacteria present (if any) and what antibiotic it is sensitive to, or even a biopsy which could help rule-out certain fungal infections or neoplasia. I would recommend having Bodie re-evaluated by a veterinarian if the sores do not resolve to determine what the appropriate next step will be.

It’s possible Jaxon may have mange or a bacterial skin infection. Oral flea/tick preventatives such as Nexgard, Bravecto or Simparica that you can often get from vaccines clinics such as vippetcare.com or Vetco.com will treat mange. Topical neosporin cream twice daily for 10-14 days may help with bacterial infections although prescription steroid/antibiotic/anti fungal ointment from you vet will likely work much better. If the lesions do not improve within 1-2 weeks of giving Nexgard and applying neosporin twice daily, a trip to your vet for in person assessment /diagnostics is recommended. There is also a possibility that Jaxon may have a fungal skin infection which is transmissible to humans. For this reason and others, if you are able to bring him to the vet for an assessment, it is best! Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on the pictures you have provided, the problem could be associated with an allergy, infection or a immune-mediated disease. I would recommend trying a product called malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the area until resolved. You may have to see your veterinarian to discuss alternative treatment options such as steroid therapy or immunomodulatory therapy to treat and immune-mediated disease. Feline plasma cell pododermatitis can appear like this and treatment is suppressing the immune system and antibiotic therapy. 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

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without being able to examine her. This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Hello. This kitty is definitely experiencing some discomfort in the paw. It does look a little swollen to me. It may be related to the overall skin condition this cat has which looks like mange, or there could have been a previous injury leaving the cat with some soreness in the paw. If the mange is in the paw, then this would cause the problem. If you can have this cat examined, a proper diagnosis can be made & the right treatment started. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.