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My dog's paw is red, sore, smells bad, and he's limping. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

My dog has a small red sore on his left paw which he licks constantly and now has started limping and I smell a strong odor coming from him it’s like the smell of garbage. I’m just curious as to what it could be. He did have a small branch stuck in that paw in which I finally noticed and removed so wondering could that be the cause?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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

Veterinarian

Published on July 24th, 2019

This presentation could be due to a trauma with a primary or secondary localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). From the pic it looks more like an hot spot. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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