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Sore, red dog paws after running: How to treat? Is coconut oil safe?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 year and 2 months old | 10.6 lbs

My dog has some redness/soreness on her back paws. I think we might have been outside for too long yesterday she ran a lot in our driveway. She’s been licking at it constantly today. I don’t have any solution other than to wash it and apply some coconut oil. But will it help and be safe? I couldn’t get clear pics but I tried

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 21st, 2018

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to say for sure what is going on with the paw pads due to the pictures being blurry but I suspect the paw pads are blistered. I would recommend resting snowball for the next 7-10 days and soaking her feet in warm epsom salt water for relief. You can add 1tbsp to 1 gallon of warm water and do this twice daily. Make sure you dry her feet very well after. If you see any signs of infection such as swelling, pus, etc. then I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at her so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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