My dog has a recurring swollen lump between his toes he keeps licking. What to do?

Apparently the lump is either itchy or painful, or your dog would not be licking it constantly. Lumps between the toes or pads can be caused by a foreign body , such as a thorn or grass ear, being stuck in the skin and causing infection. It could also be an infected interdigital cyst, or a tumor. I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian on Monday to have the paw examined and the foreign body removed/cyst evacuated or treated or the tumor biopsied, whichever applies. Your vet can prescribe medications to reduce pain and clean this up in such a way that it may not bother your dog so much. If you have an e-collar at home, put it on Monty so he cannot lick the area and aggravate the condition.

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that VooDoo has a bum foot. Irritation and infection from licking can very well cause swelling and irritation like this, and KetoHex alone probably won't be enough to get the swelling down if he's still able to lick it. I highly recommend that you put an e-collar (also known as a cone) on VooDoo so that he can't get to the paw. I know it's rough on them, but they don't know not to lick, and he'll just wind up making his paw worse and worse. That being said, if the swelling doesn't go down after he hasn't been able to lick it for a while, I suggest re-visiting the vet to see if there could be anything stuck in the skin of his paw, like a tiny thorn. I have seen swelling like this caused by a foreign object in the past, and sometimes they can be very hard to see. The vet may also be able to prescribe some anti-inflammatories that will help with the swelling and pain (do not give anything over-the-counter as they could be dangerous to VooDoo). It is also possible that the swelling is being caused by a tumor, but considering VooDoo's age, I highly doubt that this is the case. Good luck, and I hope that VooDoo's foot feels better soon!

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.

Swelling could be secondary to the licking or the cause for the licking. I would recommend you have your vet check it out. Allergies are probably the most common cause of licking the feet, but it can also be caused by fleas, bacterial or yeast infection pain in the foot or joint, a sticker or something under the skin, etc. After an exam, the vet may do a cytology or x-rays to see what is going on. Until Justice sees the vet, you may want to prevent licking by using an e-collar, since licking it may cause damage and infection in the skin.

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.

I would recommend that Spoko have this bump checked out. It could be anything from a skin tag or wart that gets irritated because he licks, to an infection or foreign body (something stuck under the skin), to a small tumor. After examination, a vet may decide to collect a small sample of cells to look at under a microscope to hopefully determine the cause so that an appropriate treatment plan can be created. While you wait for his appointment, try to keep Spoko from licking the bump; he may need to wear an e-collar/cone to prevent this.

Thank you for the picture of Jameson's toe, it's very helpful. It looks quite red and swollen in the picture. There are a number of things that could cause this, such as a foreign body like a foxtail, an infection, an injury, or even a cancerous growth. He's licking it a lot and favoring it because it's painful to him. Unfortunately there are no OTC pain relievers you can give him, as many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. He needs to see a vet to have this diagnosed and treated, and I would give his vet a call now to get him an appointment. It would be best for him to see his vet asap. I would also put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking it, you can buy one at a pet store if you don't have one at home already. I hope this helps!