Why are my French Bulldog's toes red and swollen? Allergies?

Ouch! Charlie's sores look like they are very inflamed and likely painful. I would recommend taking him in to your vet to have his skin and paws evaluated. He may need antibiotics for an infection as well as anti-inflammatory medication for pain and swelling. Some dogs need bandages as well to protect their feet when they walk from making sores like this worse and allowing them to heal.

Ouch! Chopper's paw looks quite inflamed and uncomfortable! Some of the more common causes of swelling between the toes are related to contact allergies, ingrown or infected hair follicles, or immune system disorders. Peroxide can be beneficial to clean out an open wound once, but can actually delay tissue healing if it is used repeatedly. In the future, I would avoid using peroxide. Due to this degree of swelling and discomfort, Chopper should be examined by his vet. I didn't see any pustules in the photos, but his vet will need to closely look for these during exam, as they can indicate the presence of infection. Chopper may also need oral or topical anti-inflammatory medications or anti-itch medications to allow his foot to heal. Repeated licking is only irritating his skin further and could lead to a skin infection (if it isn't already present). Try to put an e-collar (cone) on Chopper until you can take him to the vet to prevent further skin damage. I hope that he's on the mend soon!

Breeds like French bulldogs are prone to irritation and skin infections in the jowl area. The overhanging lips creates a perfect environment for bacteria. Sometimes this can become itchy. Pets can also develop allergies to foods or certain toys or even food bowls. I recommend to call your veterinarian. They may need to check Marlowe for an infection. They often carry medicated wipes for owners to use at home to prevent irritation and infection. Also make sure to clean his toys, food and water bowls once a week with hot soapy water and rinse well. Make sure his food and water bowls are metal or ceramic. Best of luck.

Sammi may have allergic skin disease causing these red areas. Often allergies are combined with secondary yeast or bacterial infection between the toes. This can be very itchy and painful. Take Sammi to the vet for a diagnosis and proper treatment. She may need to be on antibiotics and allergy medication like Apoquel or prednisone to help with the pain and swelling. Hope that helps!

Poor Marni. If I'm understanding correctly that this isn't the first time this has happened, that sounds like classic skin allergies, which French Bulldogs are prone to. Basically, when dogs have allergies (usually to something in the environment like pollen or grass, but it can also be a food or fleas) they get skin issues such as ear infections and skin infections. The treatment is treating the infections, and then figuring out what they are allergic to and either suppressing the body's allergy response with medications or avoiding the allergen. Now if this is the first time, it's possible she got some water in her ears and her vulva is infected because of the way it's shaped (also very common in French Bulldogs). So I would recommend a vet visit to see what infections she has going on a great treatment, and also to make a long term strategies for getting any allergies diagnosed and under control. Wishing you and Marni less itchy times ahead!

This could be due to a bacterial, fungal infection or possibly the presence of a foreign body. Ideally that small red lump in between fingers should be disinfected and lanced. If persistent infection is present despite antibiotics, a bacterial swab should be taken for culture and sensitivity testing. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

 There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

 Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!