My puppy has a paw cyst that gets inflamed in snow. What to do?

She may have seasonal allergies or could be getting some foreign material caught between her toes when she goes out in nicer weather. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further licking or chewing. Have her examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. Antibiotics can help with infection, antihistamines may decrease allergies and pain medication may provide additional relief. Continue the foot soaks if they help.

I would take your vets advice and give this a chance to heal, if you find that it is no better within a week or is getting worse I would have it examined again as there could potentially be a source of irritation such as a piece of grass seed.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The wound and swelling could be caused by a foreign body, like a splinter or a piece of grass seed that penetrated under the skin. If there is no improvement to antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications, Hjalmar should have the swelling lanced and flushed under sedation.

It looks a little red and inflamed so it could be an infection. You could soak his paw in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that helps. Otherwise, have your vet take a look at him as he may need an antibiotic to treat the infection.

This is an interdigital infected cyst. You can soak it in warm water with epsoms salt to help get the area to drain. Generally I treat these with antibiotics and prevent licking by using a restraint collar. With treatment this should heal in a week or two. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Baxter.

It could have an allergic component or be an interdigital cyst. A closer physical exam and possibly x-rays of the paw would be recommended. Ruling out a foreign body (grass seed, awn, foxtail, etc) or tumor would also be recommended. If your veterinarian will not pursue a more definitive diagnosis, consider a different vet in the practice or a different clinic entirely. Discuss allergy testing, hydrolyzed diets, food elimination trials and even antihistamine use with the vet. It looks like Cleo will need antibiotics once again anyway. Use an e-collar (cone) to prevent licking which can delay healing and may introduce infection.

A swollen area could indicate an abscess, a grass seed trapped under the skin or a skin cancer. Your pet needs to be examined by the veterinarian for appropriate treatment, he needs to wear an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent further licking and you need to stop all walks, running and jumping. I hope this helps.