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My dog has a blood blister on her paw. Is it serious? What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Staffordshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 11 months and 16 days old | 64 lbs

I noticed my dog had what looked like a small drop of blood on one of her front feet. After a closer examination it looks like a blood blister. Any idea of what it may be and what to do about it?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on September 2nd, 2022

Ouch! That should likely be checked out by your vet in person. Tumors on the toes can aggressively appear and spread like this, and other issues such as burns, blisters, cysts, sores, infections, etc should be treated by your vet. They can take a sample of the affected tissue to look for the cause behind it, and provide treatment options such as removal, antibiotics, medicate shampoos, and more. Until you can get to your vet, it's best to keep the area clean and dry and to keep Bossy from licking at it with an Elizabethan (cone) collar. This can help reduce irritation.

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    Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on August 28th, 2017

    It is possible that there is a small infection from stepping on something sharp, a small tumor, an interdigital cyst, or even something stuck under the skin. I would recommend that you take Stringer to a vet for evaluation. If there is something under the skin (called a foreign body), often it can start to migrate under the skin and continue to cause problems. He would probably benefit from oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Make sure he isn't licking this area as licking will spread bacteria and decrease healing.

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