My dog has paw sores, red skin. Is it an infection? How do I treat?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 2 months old
Hello I have a blue nose pitbull that is 15 months and at this time she has open sores on her paws and redness in her fur mainly around the nipple area. How should I treat this and what is it
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 18th, 2017
The pictures are difficult to see, but it appears that Cookie may have an infection on her skin. It may be caused by bacteria and could be secondary to scratching, fleas, or an allergy. I would get her on a good flea preventive if she's not on one already, but I think she may need to see a veterinarian as these infections sometimes need antibiotics to clear up.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 11th, 2018
I am sorry to hear about Cookie. It is possible she could suffer from flea allergy dermatitis, and a few flea bites and cause severe inflammation and often secondary skin infection. Often these lesions require systemic antibiotics and/or steroids to stop the inflammation and treat the underlying infection. I would recommend taking Cookie to a veterinarian for an examination and to get proper treatment.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has been battling an ongoing paw issue. His paws get red and inflamed between the pads, and eventually boils and pustules form. Then a bacterial infection sets in. I have had him on and off antibiotics for 6 months (Simplicef). 3 week runs of
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Based on your description, I would be suspicious that 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 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
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Recently she had fleas which she hadn't had in years. I gave her a bath and noticed sores and red wounds on her back. The next day I called in for a flea pill. She took it and a couple more days later her wounds are worse. It has scattered on her bo
I am sorry to hear about Cookie. It is possible she could suffer from flea allergy dermatitis, and a few flea bites and cause severe inflammation and often secondary skin infection. Often these lesions require systemic antibiotics and/or steroids to stop the inflammation and treat the underlying infection. I would recommend taking Cookie to a veterinarian for an examination and to get proper treatment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog on his back paw between his toes is red with some brown spots on it. He at times tries to lick the paw or bite the nails
It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog Pookie has a sore/ wound on his upper lateral thigh - appeared yesterday - no known trauma. He had a flea bath and preventative medication applied about a week ago. I cut back his hair to get a better picture - doesn’t seem too painful when be
From the pictures, the skin appears red and inflamed. It does look like it is infected. While this may not be a true emergency, I would recommend getting in to see your veterinarian very soon. Pookie will need the area shaved and cleaned up. Your vet may prescribe an antibiotic for this as well depending. Until you can get to your vet, you can keep the area clean and dry and use a mild soap and water to clean the wound. If Pookie is licking it, you can put on ECollar on her to prevent licking.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
How can I diagnosis it's bacterial or fungal infections inside bini's paw(left paw). I am using antibiotics lexin tablet from past 10 days prescribed by a doctor but it is not much effective. The medicine as written on backside is anti bacterial and
Usually a veterinarian would perform a cytology to distinguish between a bacterial and fungal skin infection - they would take a sample on a microscope slide and examine for organisms. It's also possible that Bini has a resistant bacterial infection, or she might have another underlying disease process like an autoimmune disorder contributing to her symptoms. In your picture her foot does not appear classic for a fungal infection. You may want to follow up with your vet to discuss further testing and treatment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Does a dog lick the site of skin infection?? I saw Babu licking his foot, when I went to observe it I saw that the area has become white (furless) with some of it has a reddish spot? Is it a skin infection?
Hi, and thanks for your question. Even though a picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching (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!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello,my dog has a problem with redness on her paws,this is happening since this August and it started with back left paw and continue to spread on right back paw and first left paw to this day. We took her to the local vet but we he would say it's
It looks as if your dog has been chewing her paws excessively. This could be due to something that is stuck in the toes, something that caused an irritation like an insect bite or sting, or most commonly an allergy. Dogs can have allergies to things in the environment like dust, pollen, and grass, etc. They inhale allergies and it makes their skin very itchy, breaks down the body’s natural skin barrier, and causes infection. Your dog needs a medication to help block the itch sensation and may need an antibiotic to help with infection. Some of the best medications for this include a drug called Cytopoint, which is an injection, and Apoquel, which is a pill she could take daily. I would encourage you to find another vet and talk to them about the possibilities of an allergy in your dog and inquire about these drugs. I have seen them help lots of pets with a similar condition. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi can you help me? My dog has a red paw and is hot to touch, one nail in particular. I think it may be an infection, but I am not sure!! She is a four year old Springer spaniel
Even though a picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. 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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Good afternoon, i have a female mixed breed (lab/terrier) dog who seems to have some sort of infection on her paws. And now her left eye is also looking sort if infected
I'm sorry to hear that Maya seems to have an infection. Infections can occur between the toes and between the paw pads, often as a result of underlying allergies. This can lead to redness, discharge, and itchiness of the affected area. Foot soaks with antiseptic solutions, such as diluted chlorhexidine or diluted betadine may be helpful. However, some paw pad infections also require oral antibiotics and anti-itch medication, requiring a trip to the vet. The main concern at this point is that Maya's left eye is now looking abnormal. Eyes are fairly delicate structures, so any changes like redness, discharge, or squinting, should be addressed urgently. It is possible that her eye changes could be related to irritation from underlying allergies, but corneal ulcers or trauma to the eye (often self-trauma from scratching) are also possible. I recommend putting an e-collar (cone) on Maya to prevent any scratching or rubbing of the eye, and then taking her to the vet urgently for evaluation
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, My self Mriganka Bain, having Saint Barnard. she was well but in the last few days, she is suffering from skin disease. She is just 3 years old. Can you please suggest me any medicine.
It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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