My dog has an oozing, painful paw blemish. Vet or home care?

Question

After showering my shih tzu joey I discovered a cyst like blemish on the top of his paw. It was oozing puss and a little blood. He's been chewing on it so it hurts when he walks. I'd like to know if I should let it go away naturally or take him to the vet. Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 15 lbs

Jeffrey Milner · Accepted Answer

If it is bothering Joey enough to cause him to lick it, the first thing you need to do is prevent him from continuing that type of behavior. The best thing you can get for this is an e-collar or cone. While it makes them look ridiculous, they are effective at preventing self-mutilation and worsening infections. You can also make home made ones, which are illustrated for you on You tube. If you are truly dealing with a cyst like structure, these tend to increase in size until the point of rupture, they drain, and then they refill. It is impossible to tell what this is based on this picture, but it certainly might be a cyst. The best way to ascertain the origin of the lesion is with a biopsy or a fine needle aspirate. While a biopsy is certain the gold standard, it is much more invasive and costly than allowing your vet to obtain a needle aspirate. The aspirate will get your vet some cellular material to view on the microscope that will at least give him an idea of whether or not the lesion is something that he/she should be worrying about it. Whether or not this is the route you go with, the area is likely mildly infected and causing Joey some pain. He would probably benefit from antibiotics and pain management. Hope this helps and that Joey gets well soon!

My dog has an oozing, painful paw blemish. Vet or home care?

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