My dog's paw has red sores, hair loss, and swelling. Why won't it heal?

Question

Swelling to ankle and paw. 3days later loses hair on pay and has red raised sores. Weep but no pus. Seen by 2 vets. Sores still there. Took antibiotics and had allergy shot. Swelling gone but paw still has red sores. Pet's info: Dog | American Bulldog | Male | neutered | 6 years and 7 months old | 110 lbs

Summer Walker, DVM, MS · Accepted Answer

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bodie, it sounds as if he has had a rough three days. Bodie's lesions on his paw could certainly be related to an underlying environmental or food allergy that resulted in the development of a severe superficial and possible deep pyoderma, which can be difficult to treat if the bacteria present are resistant to normal antibiotics. Other potential causes could include fungal infections (depending on your location), and neoplasia (cancer). For lesions that do not respond to typical therapy with antibiotics and anti-itch medications (such as corticosteroids, Apoquel, Atopica), it may be necessary to perform a culture/sensitivity of the lesions to determine what type of bacteria present (if any) and what antibiotic it is sensitive to, or even a biopsy which could help rule-out certain fungal infections or neoplasia. I would recommend having Bodie re-evaluated by a veterinarian if the sores do not resolve to determine what the appropriate next step will be.

My dog's paw has red sores, hair loss, and swelling. Why won't it heal?

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