my dog is limping has a swollen paw. Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | spayed | 5 years and 6 months old

Poor Tommy! He could have injured his paw or it's infected causing it to be swollen and have him limp. He will need to see a vet for this first thing in the morning. I would rest him tonight and keep him as quiet as possible. You can try soaking his paw in an Epsom salt bath to see if that helps. You may need to put an Ecollar on Tommy to keep him fro licking it further, and I can give you a link on how to make one at home. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The vet can give him pain medications as needed tomorrow, and can diagnose and treat the cause of the swelling. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

It sounds like you've done a great job treating Grizz at home and if it was something simple it would've likely gotten better by now. I would take him in and expect they may need to sedate him to do a proper exam on the paw. Likely xrays are going to be needed as well to diagnose what's causing the swelling and pain. Swollen can mean a fractured bone, infection/abscess, cancer, that sort of thing so I think it's time to get a real diagnosis.

Poor Roxy! I'm sorry to hear that her paw is sore. From the photos, I can't see any obvious cause that would explain what the problem is. It's possible that she may have sustained some kind of trauma to her paw (such as being stepped on, or getting it caught in a door). She could also have been stung or bitten by some type of insect, or may have stepped on something sharp that caused an infection in the paw. If she is acting normal otherwise (eating and drinking, active, etc) you can try restricting her exercise for the next day or two to give her paw a chance to rest - the problem may resolve on its own without the need for any other treatment. If she is still limping after 2-3 days, or if she is holding the paw up completely or seems excessively painful, I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam - she may need x-rays to help determine what's wrong.

My dog is limping and has a swollen paw. What can I do at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | spayed | 5 years and 6 months old

my dog is limping has a swollen paw

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM 64

Veterinarian

Published on April 19th, 2016

Inspect her paw for thorns or other foreign bodies, You can also bathe/soak the paw in some warm epsom salt bath, If the swelling does not go down within 48 hrs you need to take her to a vet for an exam. There may be infection and she might need prescription antibiotics.

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My dog is limping and has a swollen paw. What can I do at home?

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