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Why is my dog's paw red, oozing, and losing hair from licking?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Alaskan Malamute | Male | neutered | 3 years and 5 months old | 110 lbs

My dog has been licking at his paw for a month now and I had looked at it previously and didn’t see anything and thought he was licking it because of boredom but now I’ve noticed it’s lost all the hair and I can see it better. It’s now red and looks like it has clear ooze coming out of a small open area. I had soaked it in apple cider vinegar 50-50 with water and put coconut oil on it but wondering if I need a topical cream?

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on April 8th, 2020

That paw does look inflamed. If your home care is not working after a week, your pup needs to be examined. Bacterial and yeast infections are common in the paws. It could also be skin mites or allergies. Likely Odin will need some oral medications. He should also be wearing an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent any further licking. I hope this helps.

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    Answered By Amber W

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on September 12th, 2017

    It's difficult to say for sure from those pictures but it looks like Scooby has an infection between his toes. Infections in this area can be caused by yeast or infection and will sometimes occur secondary to allergies. You should use an e-collar to prevent Scooby from licking his foot. You can try to clean the area by soaking it in a diluted Nolvasan solution. However, if it is not resolving in a few days I would suggest taking Scooby to your veterinarian. He may need antibiotics or medication to reduce inflammation. If the area gets any worse or if a lump is present associated with the lesion I would definitely recommend taking Scooby to your vet sooner rather than later. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on August 6th, 2019

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is most definitely an infection though it is not possible to tell if it is fungal or bacterial just by looking at a picture. This requires an exam. This is likely due to an underlying allergy. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

 There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

 Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!


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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 18th, 2017

    Poor Roo! Yes, it looks like he has an infection between his digits which can be caused by bacteria and/or yeast. He really needs to be treated by a vet as he will need an antibiotic, corticosteroid, and/or other medications to treat. You could soak his paw in a warm Epsom Salt soak 2 times a day and see if that helps. Try to find a vet that can see him sooner than 2 weeks so he can begin treatment.

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