My bulldog has worsening paw growths. Is it hyperkeratosis or cysts?

Infectious skin diseases are certainly high on the list of possible causes here, especially fungal diseases. Cancer would not spread to everyone in this manner, so that is low on the list of possibilities. I probably would've opted for a punch biopsy however, which can offer more insight into what this is. Also a bacterial culture should be considered. Mange doesn't typically present in this manner, but with a punch biopsy you can help rule this in or out. A needle biopsy unfortuantely will only let you know if there are cancerous cells or not. I do hope that you are able to get to the bottom of this mysterious skin problem in all of your pets and also yourselves. Best of luck and take care.

Oh wow that does look painful. Lesions on the foot/footpad are most commonly either from chronic irritation, immune mediated, a symptom of disease elsewhere (such as hepatocutaneous syndrome from liver disease), allergy (although this looks quite severe for that), vasculitis, or cancer. I would recommend that your girl be seen for bloodwork, needle sampling of the lesions on her head, and likely skin biopsies of her feet. This is th best way to get to the bottom of this painful process for her and get the correct treatment prescribed. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Zues - those lesions are quite prominent! Recurrent interdigital (between the toes) lesions can be frustrating and can be caused by a number of different issues, including atopy (environmental allergies), food allergies, bacterial infections, yeast infections, mange, autoimmune issues, or even cancer. In many cases, secondary bacterial infections occur when dogs lick or chew at their feet, meaning that the bacterial infection happens on top of another cause, like allergies. This might explain why the antibiotics helped initially, but the lesions then recurred. At this point, it sounds as though more diagnostic testing is needed. Your vet will likely want to do some skin cytology (examining some cells under the microscope) to check for signs of bacteria and/or yeast, a skin scrape to check for the mites that cause mange, and may even recommend taking a biopsy so that a pathologist can evaluate the affected tissues. Depending what those tests show, your vet may then recommend trying allergy medications (such as Apoquel or Cytopoint), a prescription hypoallergenic food trial, or other medications. I understand how frustrating this issue must be and wish you and Zues all the best!

In your second picture it does look like Val might have a skin growth that could be a papilloma or wart, or might be something like an adenoma. I doubt that is the ultimate cause of her signs since both legs are affected. Her toes look red and I'd be suspicious of a secondary bacterial or fungal infection. Mites are possible and would show up on a skin scrape. Allergies might also be triggering these recurrent infections. I wouldn't recommend any home treatments especially since this is recurrent - I'd recommend talking to your vet to see what they would recommend as the next step.

For some dogs, developing hyperkeratosis is a matter of genes: Labrador and Golden Retrievers, Dogues de Bordeaux, Irish and Bedlington Terriers are all known to develop this condition. When hyperkeratosis develops as a result of inheritance, it generally occurs in the first year of a dog’s life. In contrast, idiopathic hyperkeratosis develops for unknown reasons, generally occurs in older pets, over the age ten. Aside from inherited or idiopathic occurrences, hyperkeratosis can occur as a symptom of one of these following problems: Leishmaniasis: Caused by a parasite frequently carried by sandflies. Canine Distemper: This virus is relatively rare now, due to vaccinations given to puppies. When distemper strikes, it can cause all sorts of symptoms, among them hyperkeratosis, typically on the nose. Zinc Responsive Dermatosis: Hyperkeratosis can occur as a result of zinc responsive dermatosis, a skin disease that occurs when dogs do not properly absorb zinc. Pemphigus Foliaceus: One of the most common autoimmune skin diseases diagnosed in cats and dogs, it causes pustules and hyperkeratosis to form on the paws. This disease can be diagnosed with a biopsy, and is treatable with immunosuppressive drugs. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for hyperkeratosis. That said, the condition can be managed -- the treatment goal is to reduce symptoms, by softening and removing the hardened skin on paws and muzzles. The most important first step of treatment is to determine if another disease is causing hyperkeratosis as a symptom, and begin the treatment process for that disease. To treat the hyperkeratosis directly, bring pets in for frequent vet appointments, where the vet can carefully trim and cut away the excess keratin. If your vet and you both feel comfortable with the idea, it’s possible that your vet can train you on the proper process for this puppy pedicure. Other treatments involve wet wraps, soaks in propylene glycol, and other topical solutions.

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.

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Frankie has been dealing with skin issues! Skin problems are unfortunately very common in English bulldogs, and they often have an underlying allergic cause. Epsom salt soaks and antibiotic creams can help if the problem is mild, but if it has been tried without improvement, it sounds like Frankie will need systemic antibiotics as well as medications to help reduce the inflammation and itchiness, which will require a vet visit. The vet can also recommend a suitable hypoallergenic diet to rule out a food allergy. These diets will need to be continued for 8 weeks straight with no other treats or table scraps, to fully rule out a food allergy component. I would continue to soak Frankie's feet in Epsom salts twice a day for 10 minutes, and apply the antibiotic cream after each session. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her if necessary to prevent licking of the feet. I hope this helps, and that Frankie feels better soon!