Dog's paw swollen from pine needle. Should I take him to vet?

Question

My dog got a pine needle stuck between his toes and by the time I found it, his foot was swollen so that it was separating his toes pretty bad. It is still swollen a lot a day and a half later. Ive been cleaning it with peroxide and apply Neosporin. I'm wondering if I need to take him to a vet or if I'm able to care for him myself. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 6 months old | 20 lbs

Destini R. Holloway, DVM · Accepted Answer

Poor guy. The paw is likely having an severe inflammatory response from the pine needle, and potentially an abscess has formed here. If this is an abscess (bacterial infected pocket), then it needs to be drained by your vet and then Diesel needs to be placed on oral antibiotics, and pet friendly anti-inflammatory medication to get this to heal. Applying topical Neosporin and hydrogen peroxide will not likely cause this to resolve unforutnately. In fact, hydrogen peroxide shouldn't be used, because in pets it can cause the normal skin cells to die off. I would recommend taking him in by tomorrow at the latest to get this treated appropriately. I hope that Diesel is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Take care.

Dog's paw swollen from pine needle. Should I take him to vet?

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