My husky's dew claw is pink and he keeps licking it. What's wrong?

Poor Bjorn! It sounds like he may have allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or even some type of mange - these are all common causes of excessive itching and redness affecting the paws. Epsom salt baths were a very reasonable thing to try - but since they aren't helping anymore, I'm afraid it's definitely time for a vet visit. Your vet can do some simple skin tests to help determine what is causing the redness and itching, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat the problem depending on what is found.

Loki’s paw is clearly bothering him. It could be he injured the paw, have a foreign body, or a growth. I’d have this checked out by a vet on Monday. To stop him from licking until then, put an Ecollar on him. You can make one at home or buy one at a pet store.

Ouch! Poor Roman. It's possible he may have an infection going on in the nail bed, or an abscess (infection under the skin) or other issue going on with the toe itself. If he won't let you touch it, bringing him into your vet is best. They can safely sedate him so that the foot can be completely examined, any infection cleared out or nails trimmed back/removed, and medication given to help with pain and infection. Until you can get to your vet, keeping him resting and preventing him from licking at the foot by placing an Elizabethan (cone) collar on him may help.

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach. That area looks infected to me. That could be related to Loki licking and biting the area. Sometimes though there's a foreign object trapped under the skin like a grass seed or piece of wire. I recommend to have Loki examined in the next few days to have this addressed. In the meantime, there are some things you can do at home which may help. 1. Stop any licking (since this can make it worse) - Loki should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. - Remember that the collar must come out past his nose in order to be effective. 2. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry. -This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells. 3. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day to the red areas. Make sure the skin is dry before application. -Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Neosporin is fine to use. *wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards when handling this wound. 4. Restrict his activity. Since it's on the paw, it can be traumatized by activity. So for now, I recommend minimal to no walks, no running or jumping. Avoid walking on rough surfaces (like dried grass). If the wound gets dirty, you can wash it. I do not recommend to bandage paws. They heal best when exposed to the air and bandaging often encourage infection in paw. I hope this helps and that Loki heals up quickly! Sincerely, Dr. Elizabeth

It does look swollen and irritated. You could soak her paw in a warm Epsom salt solution for 5 minutes for a few days and see if that helps. If not, she needs to be examined and treated by a vet. She may need an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory .

It sounds like Loki is experiencing multiple issues and because of that, I recommend to have him examined. Just like people, there are many things that can make pets feel sick and it could range from something simple to something serious. Licking his genitals more can indicate pain, an infection, urine crystals and several other problems. Regarding his paws, they look dry and I think I see the redness (though the color on the photo may be off). Watch him closely to make sure he is not excessively licking his paws which can indicate infection, allergies or autoimmune condition. For dry skin, you can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Just like you indicated, this could be due to a foreign body getting stuck in the digit though other things like a deep infection or even a growth cannot be ruled out. It could even be secondary to her licking at it. For this reason, it is important to rule those out. I recommend a visit to your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!