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How to treat dog paw sores at home when vet care isn't an option?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 3 years and 9 months old

Is there any at home treatment for interdigital furuncles? Oliver has allergies. We went to the park a few weeks ago and he was running through some piles of cut grass. The next few days I noticed the furuncles. We can’t afford to go to the vet right now because we just spent $300 on annual shots. They don’t seem to bother him too much he’s not limping and licks them seldomly. Thanks.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on October 24th, 2017

Yes you can do some treatments at home. I recommend soaking the feet in a warm betadine solution or other antibacterial soap or solution once daily until the lesions are healed. Skin and foot problems can take three to four weeks to resolve. I don’t put topical cream or ointment on the feet as this encourages licking. I recommend using a cone if Oliver does start licking the feet. If this gets worse then systemic antibiotics are indicated. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Oliver.

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    Answered By Dr. Davis

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 23rd, 2018

    For home treatment I recommend soaking the paw in warm water with either betadine solution in it or chlorhexidine. Keep the paw in the solution for 5 minutes twice daily. This should draw out the infection. If she is licking the foot then use a cone since licking will slow down the healing. This may take a week or two to improve. If you are not seeing improvement or it starts affecting all of the feet then a course of oral antibiotics will heal this more quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sweaty.

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