What is the black stuff between my dog's toes and what causes it?

A common cause for color change on the feet of dogs is from a yeast infection. Yeast can grow on the skin around the nails and between paw pads and is very itchy. The dog then licks and chews the area which will also cause saliva staining, which turns the hair a reddish-brown color. The most common cause of a yeast infection on the feet of dogs is allergies. Allergies could be to a food protein, the environment, or fleas. Other less common causes of the issues you have described would be bacterial infection or immune-mediated disease. I recommend that Hadley be checked by a vet so that the appropriate medications or allergy treatments can be used. While you are waiting for the appointemnt, you can try using a pet product that contains chlorhexidine (an antibacterial agent) and ketoconazole (an antifungal/antiyeast agent) to treat topical infections. I like this one: Mal-a-ket Shampoo Formulated for Dogs.

It looks like King has a skin infection. This is called potodermatitis and can be caused by allergies to food or something in the environment, irritation from salt on the ground in the winter, and many more causes. You can try soaking King's feet in Epsom salt bath twice a day for a couple days and also placing an e-collar on him so he's unable to lick at his feet. If they are still red and he still wanting to lick at them after a couple days of this I would recommend taking him to his veterinarian because he probably is in need of some medication to stop the itching, as well as antibiotics. Good luck to you and King!

Hello, sorry to hear about Cosmo. The site looks like it has salivary staining, so if has been licking/chewing at his feet he may have developed a skin infection which could be either bacterial, fungal or both. The best way to differentiate between them is by taking a sample from their skin and looking at it under the microscope. The prednisone can make him more susceptible to skin infections. If he continues to lick, you should determine why he is itchy and treat that cause concurrently with any skin infection he may have at the area. Your veterinarian can give you advice on which medications to use and which allergens are common in your area. Best of luck!

Hello. This is a very typical presentation of a dog with Atopy, an inhalant or contact skin allergy. Your veterinarian can recommend several different manners in which to address this problem, including medicated shampoos or oral/injectable antiallergy treatments. It is curious that we commonly only see this in 1 foot, but the irritation can develop anywhere on the body. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is either a tumor, or infection. Infections are common in this area, because things like thorns and grass awns can get stuck in-between the toes. Tumors are a possibility in this area as well. We worry about certain types of tumors on the toes, because they tend to spread easier than others. Since Toby is also acting lethargic, I am more worried about cancer, or a systemic infection. Considering this, it's best to have Toby seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible in the next day or two. The vet will be able to quickly narrow-down the cause of this and start providing treatment to make him feel better. They will also be able to give you various diagnostic and treatment options. I hope that helps and Toby feels better soon.

This is called pododermatitis. There are interdigital cysts between the toes that can get infected. I recommend soaking the feet in a warm epsoms salt twice daily to draw out the infection. Also use a cone to prevent Opie from licking his feet. If the sores are not drying up and healing then he should get a veterinary exam and mostly likely they will prescribe a course of antibiotics. Feet can take several weeks to fully heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Opie.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least in the picture, there is no evidence of a mass or anything like that particularly concerning. This could potentially be allergies causing him to lick at his paws. The main causes of allergies are fleas, ingredients in the food or something in the environment. If he continues to do this, it would be ideal to have him evaluated by your veterinarian to start to work him up for allergies and to potentially start him on medications to decrease the itch and potentially treat a secondary infection if found on exam. Good luck and have a great night!