Abscessed Paw?
Last night after taking Finnigan for a walk I noticed that the innermost toe on his right paw looked like it was sticking out and seemed to be a bit red in between toes. Upon closer inspection I found that the area between that toe and the next was very swollen and under the toe between the pads was red and swollen and had a small bump almost like a pimple. The only possibilities I could think of were bug bite, abscess or broken toe. He was acting normal; running around and wanting to play but at bedtime I noticed him licking his foot.
This morning I called the vet to make an appointment (which isn't until 4pm and it's 8:30am now) and my father-in-law stopped by and decided to look at his paw while he was there and when he looked at the area between his pads he found it wet. When he applied slight pressure it started oozing. It seems like it was abscessed and has broken open. I don't know what else it could be nor do I know if whatever caused it is still in there. I'm still taking him to the vet at 4pm but I was curious if this sounds like an abscess to the rest of you and if anyone knows what I should expect the vet to do.
This morning I called the vet to make an appointment (which isn't until 4pm and it's 8:30am now) and my father-in-law stopped by and decided to look at his paw while he was there and when he looked at the area between his pads he found it wet. When he applied slight pressure it started oozing. It seems like it was abscessed and has broken open. I don't know what else it could be nor do I know if whatever caused it is still in there. I'm still taking him to the vet at 4pm but I was curious if this sounds like an abscess to the rest of you and if anyone knows what I should expect the vet to do.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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Sounds like an abscess to me! He'll drain it all the way and put some antibacterial goo on it. He might try to get you to buy said goo, too. Just get some neosporin from your preferred pharmacy. You'll want to keep it clean, drain it, and be sure it gets a good dose of neosporin every day until it starts to clear up. My cat got no less than 10 giant abscesses (not at once!) when he was a kitten, and that's all our vet did. Eventually Dad just started doing it himself.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Sounds like an abscess to me also. I would take him in too but if you have peroxide....I would put a little in a cup and stick his foot in it. I am sure they will have you apply some triple antibiotic. I just like the peroxide!
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Permalink Reply by Alice on
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I thought about putting peroxide on it before I left for work but didn't know if that would burn or what. Also wasn't sure about neosporin. If he licks neosporin is that harmful? I didn't end up doing anything to it because I wasn't sure what the correct thing to do was and I was already running late for work. Finn may be prone to problems but he's never had any open woulds before so this is a first for me. Hopefully it'll be fine until I get him to the vet at 4pm.
Any idea if they will want to put him on antibiotics?
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I would guess they would not use antibiotics unless it looks like a puncture wound. Peroxide is very safe and it won't make him sick if he were to lick his paw! It does not burn...I use it on myself and my dogs...it cleans well! I think he'll be fine and since it's already draining it has released some of the pressure!
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Thanks, I won't worry too much then about making him wait until 4pm and now I know to reach for the peroxide next time. :)
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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I thought what peroxide is really good for is killing the anaerobic bacteria (Clostridia) that cause tetanus, gangrene, etc. Oxygen kills them, that's why they can only live in deep puncture wounds. Trouble is, how can the peroxide get down into a deep puncture wound?
Triple antibiotic petrolatum-base ointment (Neomycin/polymyxin/bacitracin?) Neosporin is my favorite for myself -- the grease keeps the wound from drying out, so it heals much faster -- but I hold it in place with a band-aid. A dog will just lick it off. I read here somewhere that the water-based anitbiotic cream is better for pets because it soaks in and they can't lick it off as easily.
Nowadays they sell a double antibiotic, due to some allergy problems with one of those three.
I've always wanted to talk to a vet about this sort of pet first aid.
Oh -- for a paw, maybe you could smear it with Neosporin, and put one of those Pawz booties over it.
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Honestly I can't tell you what germs peroxide kills! It takes care of a wide variety of things including Samonilla(sp in food.. I figure it never hurts to apply and you are right John that will not get into a puncture wound but neither will neosporin and yes the neosporin will coat the sore and possible prevent germs from entering. I just try to start with the most simple for washing. It won't hurt though and may help at least till he can get to the vet. At the 1st sign of any wound I always use this and either I have been lucky or there haven't been many germs as it has worked for me. Yes, soap and water can also be the best treatment as we tend to overdo nowadays. Antibacterial soap is not the best way to go either.
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Permalink Reply by Nichole and Shelly! on
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It sounds like an INTERDIGITAL CYSTS my bulldog gets them every once in awhile, we normally dont take her to the vet for it. If you just keep it clean with some baby wipes and some neosporin and give him a spoon fully of plain yogurt with his kibble that will clear it right up!
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from what I can remember its an infected hair follicle ......... i think ...... from dirty paws
She doesnt lick the neosporin at all, but we dont put that much on just enough to lightly cover the infection, the yogurt is what you really want.... I dont know why but it works the best last time we didnt have any neosporin so we just gave her some yogurt and we where going to get the neosporin the next day but it had already cleared up just from the yogurt.
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One might put a Pawz bootie over the paw, or even a condom -- you'd want to wrap the condom with vet-wrap or something to make it last and obviate indelicate explanations to the children... :)
I like those Pawz booties for sore feet on hikes, and they might work for something like this too.
Al had a dime-sized flapper on his center pad once, I washed it, but it healed fine very quickly with no other treatment.
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We are back from the vet and he said it is a bacterial infection either caused by stepping on something that created a puncture wound or whatever he stepped on is still in there. So is this the same as an abscess?
Anyway, there is the area under the toe between the toe pad and the big paw pad (not sure what they are called) that is red and had the pimple-like bump where it started oozing from and then there is the dime sized lump on the top side of the paw between two toes. Basically the vet said if the object is still in there, they would have to explore surgically but he'd rather not do that if it's not necessary. He wants to start with foot soaks and oral antibiotics. He is to take 150 mg of Clindamycin every twelve hours (which amounts to two a day for 15 days). He said some dogs need it for longer than that even. We are to soak his foot once or twice a day for 10 minutes at a time in a mix of warm water and our choice of shampoo, epsom salt, peroxide or Betadine (this was his first choice). If after all this it doesn't clear up, surgery would be the next step. He did not say anything about applying a topical such as neosporin.
Like I said before, I hate giving antibiotics because of the tummy problems it causes but we'll try to combat that with daily probiotics. We have some Fortiflora left from when the vet had us give him that before so we'll use those packets up but then what is a good probiotic? Usually we would give yogurt but I don't think you are supposed to give dairy with antibiotics. Petsmart sells some, are they any good?
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