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My dog's paw scab is swollen and red. What's wrong and what can I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed

Hey there, I was just wanting some advice about my dog. I noticed a small scab on the top of her paw about two days ago, it looked normal and like it was healing properly, but I've just noticed that it's starting to look a bit swollen and red. I haven't noticed her licking or biting at it, and it doesn't seem to hurt when I touch it. Is this something I should be concerned about? And is there anything I can do to help her?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on March 21st, 2018

This presentation could be due to a trauma (possibly presence of a small foreign body) 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.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 21st, 2018

    It may be infected already, but it's difficult to know what's causing it. It could have been a traumatic lesion (i.e. cut his paw on a fence), or there could be something like a thorn stuck in the skin. These types of lesions tend to develop infections in the skin despite the cause and I think it will be fine to try and treat this at home for now (even though we don't know the cause), but would recommend a visit to the vet if: 1) It doesn't get better in 2 weeks 2) It gets worse in the next week Here are my recommendations: 1) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least twice a day. 2) Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Caddy from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape above and below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep Caddy from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the toes/foot starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. Another strategy to keep the bandage on, is taping a clean sock over the bandage. These types of lesions tend to take a long time to heal, so don't be surprised if its not completely healed until a month later. Once the skin looks normal and Caddy stops trying to lick, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Caddy gets better soon.

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