My husky has a swollen toe and is less active. What's wrong?

Lucy could have a foreign body such as a grass seed or foxtail causing the swelling, could have broken her toes or torn a ligament, or could have an infection. If she doesn't want to walk on it and they are very swollen, she will need to see a vet for this. The vet can diagnose what is causing the swelling and can treat her for it. I would take her into a vet tomorrow. Tonight, try soaking her paw in an Epsom salt bath, and I would put an Ecollar on her to keep her from chewing on them. You can make one at home: http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

That swelling may indicate something stuck under the skin and causing severe inflammation (like a piece of glass or a grass seed) or something like a broken toe. Less common would be something like a sprain. At home you need to restrict Olivia's activity so no walks, running or jumping. You also need to prevent any licking by having her wear an elizabethan collar. Unfortunately, there may not be much else you can do at home. You can apply a cool (not cold, just cool) compress 3 times a day for 5-10 minutes. If there is an infection or a break, this requires medical care. I recommend to play it safe and have Olivia examined by the veterinarian. Certainly, if she is continuing to limp after 2 days of rest or if she is getting worse, it's time to have her examined. This is the best course of action to accurately diagnose, treat and to make her feel better. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It does look swollen and irritated. You could soak her paw in a warm Epsom salt solution for 5 minutes for a few days and see if that helps. If not, she needs to be examined and treated by a vet. She may need an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory .

Poor pup! Your dog's foot could be swollen from an infection, injury, foreign body, or broken bone. You can try soaking his foot in an Epsom salt bath to see if that helps with the swelling. Rest him tonight, taking him out to toilet on a lead only, and bring him right back in when he's done. Have him seen by a vet in the morning if his foot is still swollen. The vet can diagnose what is causing the swelling so it can be treated.

She could have an infection, fracture, or foreign material in her toe. She should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. Your vet can take an xray to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. She may need an antibiotic for an infection or she may need a splint if a fracture is found. If you can't get her to a vet and it looks like she could have an infection, you could soak her paw in a warm Epsom Salt solution and see if that helps.

Pipi could have a soft tissue injury, a dislocated bone or even a broken bone. I recommend having your veterinarian do an exam and maybe an X-ray to diagnose her. She may need rest, dog anti inflammatory medication or even a splint. I would not splint it yourself as that could accidentally affect her growth plates and cause long term issues. Do not give any human medication as it can be toxic to dogs.

It would be hard to say without an exam in person and an X-ray to rule out broken toes. Since Ellie is limping and in pain, it would be best to bring her to the vet to confirm what the injury is, and provide her with pain and other medications as needed. Until you can get to your vet, strict kennel rest with leashed potty walks only can help reduce pain and stress to the toe/joint until the cause is figured out.