My dog's in pain, feet swollen, restless, and acting aggressive.

Hello, thank you for your question about Fozzie. Based on the symptoms that you are describing it is possible that Fozzie could have a cut or foreign material present in his paw or possibly a skin infection. Skin infections can lead to inflammation and irritation of the skin that is often very uncomfortable. Although less likely it is also possible that Fozzie could have a broken bone in his paw. I would recommend having Fozzie seen by your veterinarian so that they can examine the area and look for a possible underlying cause for his symptoms. Depending on their findings they can discuss the need for additional diagnostics/treatments. In the meantime I would prevent Fozzie from licking the area as this can lead to further damage. Hope this helps, good luck!

Poor Fang! He could have a bacterial infection, ringworm, mites, injury, and/or an allergic dermatitis. His toe looks very swollen and I think he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. He might need an antibiotic, corticosteroid, anti-fungal, or other medications to help. Your vet can do a skin scrape, culture, or cytology, if needed, to help diagnose. In the mean time, you could soak his paw in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that helps. Call your vet and schedule an appointment to have him seen.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately I would ask for a blood test that checks the albumin level as if that is low it can cause edema in the legs. He also should have his urine tested and be tested for tick borne disease. He has a mild increase in a liver enzyme that is likely from the phenobarbital. I’m not worried about anything else. But they have not found out WHY he has a swollen leg. I’d request the above. I wish you the best

I am pretty concerned about what you describe. The bloating and edema of the legs would most commonly be due to a low protein level in the blood or right heart failure which causes fluid to leak out of vessels. This can happen for several reasons : heart disease, heartworm disease, liver failure, kidney disease, intestinal disease, and even cancer. This is life threatening and he should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear about Sugar. This could be a number of things including snake bite, bee sting, broken toe/foot, or abscess. I’d recommend seeing your vet as soon as possible for a better diagnosis and the proper treatment. Tonight is ideal. If the swelling continues up the leg or Sugar becomes lethargic, has tremors, or any other worrisome signs, please see an emergency vet immediately. Otherwise, I recommend the following until you can get in tomorrow. Ice- apply an ice pack or frozen veggie bag wrappped in a paper towel or thin cloth. Apply for 5-10 mins every 2-4 hours. This does wonders for both pain and swelling. Epsom salt soak- mix 4 tbsp Epsom salts in 1 cup warm water. Soak his paw in this tonight. This helps with pain, swelling, and if there is something stuck (stinger, thorn, etc). I absolutely do NOT recommend any human pain medications as they are neither safe, nor very effective in animals. They may also interfere with the pain medications that your vet will want to prescribe. Best of luck to you and Sugar!

Ouch! Charlie's sores look like they are very inflamed and likely painful. I would recommend taking him in to your vet to have his skin and paws evaluated. He may need antibiotics for an infection as well as anti-inflammatory medication for pain and swelling. Some dogs need bandages as well to protect their feet when they walk from making sores like this worse and allowing them to heal.

I can see the swelling from the pictures you posted. It appears the swelling goes form the foot all the way to the knee. I see that you live in an area where snake bite is possible. I would check thoroughly for any punctures along the entire leg and see if Diamond is painful in any particular area. If not, other causes of swelling like this could include infection, allergic reaction, trauma, cancer, among others. Sometimes swelling in an entire limb can be caused by decreased lymphatic flow - this can be caused by damage to lymph nodes or a structure under the skin or inside the body that is impinging on the lymph flow. I have also seen swelling like this with a flare-up of a mast cell tumor elsewhere on the body. I agree with your vet; if the medications prescribed to not make a difference, additional diagnostics are warranted. They may include bloodwork, abdominal x-rays, tick testing, or sampling of any small masses found.