My dog's paw is red, swollen, and hurts. Is it broken? Can I soak it?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Male | neutered | 4 years and 4 months old | 44 lbs
After looking further I think the problem is in his foot. One of his “toes” are looking red, slightly swollen and he is reacting when I touch it. Is it possible for dogs to break a toe or something along those lines? Or he might have got something in there.. I was thinking of soaking his foot in warm salt water?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 2nd, 2019
A foreign body or a fracture are both possible and ideally a check up would be required to determine exactly the underlying cause and give you appropriate treatment options. you can try to salt water bath his paw but if you don't see any results in the next 36hours a check up would be essential.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 7th, 2017
If you noticed arise suddenly, then I would be most suspicious of something like a thorn or grass awn stuck under the skin. These can cause a great deal of inflammation and infection. This would require veterinary treatment in order to remove the cause of the swelling and prescribe the appropriate medication. If this has been slowly getting bigger, then it may be a tumor or an injury that has been licked excessively. None of the causes are an emergency, but all would require a veterinarian to diagnose the problem, so I recommend making an appointment in the next day or two. In the meantime, it would not hurt to soak the foot in warm salt water for 15 minutes. You can also apply ice to help give some relief. I hope that helps and Snowflake gets better soon.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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