Swollen Dog Paws in Tulsa, OK: Causes and Treatment
Swollen paws are common problems for dogs. They aren’t usually serious conditions but can be extremely uncomfortable and painful if not taken care of. Swollen dog paws are often caused by stepping on sharp objects, getting paw, or toe in between a door, insect bites and constant chewing on foot.
More cases may be paw bleeding, sloughing of paw pads and sturdy walking. Treatment can help, depending on the cause of the inflammation.
Reasons for a Swollen Paw
There are several things that can cause your dog’s paw to swell. One of the most common reasons are objects such as toys, small stones and thorns that can be caught up in the toe or between the pads. Dogs do love a run outside, and because they are always active, they can step on an insect like spiders or bees that can cause pain in their paw or step on sharp thorn plants. Walking can even be a reason for a swollen paw. When you take your dog for a walk on a hot day, they can get their paws burnt on the sidewalk or road, which would later cause a severe pain.
Other reasons for a swollen paws are constant licking and chewing of paw, a broken toe or nail, allergies, bacterial or fungal infections, tumors or heart problems. It’s important to visit your veterinarian if you notice your dog in pain or that they have a swollen paw.
Symptoms for Swollen Paws in Dogs
Issues regarding your dog’s paw would be easy to identify, since they depend on their paw to be active or to walk. If you notice your dog leaping or walking strange, check their paw and see for any swollen paws. Some symptoms may include:
- Biting nails
- Bleeding from paw
- Leaping
- Cracking of the paw pad
- A foul odor
- Constant biting of the paw
- Constant licking of the paw
- Paw appears red
- Warmth of paw
- Lameness
- Sloughing paw pads
Breeds More Likely to Get Swollen Paws
Although it’s common for all types of dogs of any breed or gender that can develop a swollen paw, some breeds of dog have the potential to develop diseases or disorders that can lead to inflamed paws. Here are some examples of paw disorders that cause in swelling to the specific breed:
Familial Footpad Hyperkeratosis
- Labrador Retriever
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Irish Terrier
- Golden Retriever
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Bedlington Terrier
Idiopathic Sterile Granuloma of the Feet
- Boxer
- English Bulldog
- Collie
- Dachshund
- Weimaraner
- Golden Retriever
- Doberman Pinscher
- Great Dane
Zinc-Responsive Skin Disorder
- Alaskan Malamute
- Siberian Husky
Possible Causes for a Dog’s Swollen Paw
Many situations can lead to your dog’s swollen paw. Here are some that may include:
Bacterial or Fungus Infection
Bacterial infections are a disorder that can cause the dog’s paw to be itchy, swollen, irritations and often produce a foul odor.
Tumors
They can be visible and can cause serious pain and difficulty for dogs to walk. Visit a vet if you notice anything odd on your dog’s paw.
Allergies
Environment, type of food, all sorts of contact can somewhat show on your dog’s skin, usually the paw.
Environment
Dogs can get swollen paws by hot blazing suns, walking with no rest or walking on places with small stones and sticks.
See Where Your Dog is Swollen
It’s important to know where exactly the pain is occurring on your dog’s paw. The location of the pain can be an explanation or a hint of what caused the unbearable pain. Let’s look at each part of the dog’s leg and identify what’s causing our pet’s pain.
Pads
If the pads of your dog’s paw are swollen, check if they are painful. If so, they might have burnt themselves will walking on hot asphalt. If the pad is not painful but crusty, it might be caused by a genetic footpad, disease, an infection or even lupus.
Legs
If you see any swollen area on the leg region. It probably caused by lesion or trauma. The swelling in the foot region might be secondary and only because of injuries find in the higher limb.
Toes
Toes are easily exposed to anything that can cause injuries and swollen paws. If your dog’s leg or pad is okay, feel the toes and feel if it’s tender. Your dog might have torn a nail, or got bitten by a spider or insect, or might have fractured its toe. If so, call your veterinarian for medical treatment.
How You Can Care for Your Dog at Home
Swollen paws can be very painful for your dog, and you would want to give an immediate treatment to prevent worse causes and reduce their pain. Here’s what to do to care for your dog at home:
- Check for any objects caught in between or in the middle of their paw.
- Check for any insect bites, like spiders, ants, or bees on their paw.
- If you have detected an object, try to use tweezers to carefully bring it out.
- After you have brought out the object from their paw, run a warm and soapy to wash their paw to avoid infections.
- If you could not find any objects trapped in the paw, check for any objects attached to the leg that might cause swelling.
- If your pet has burned themselves by walking on hot asphalt, soak their paw in cool water for a few minutes. This would reduce the pain.
- If the paw hasn’t gotten better after some treatments, you should immediately visit the vet.
Natural Treatment for Swollen Paws
Here are some treatments you can try at home to treat your dog’s swollen paws.
Betadine Wash
This is used whenever your dog’s paw has an object trapped in it, you could wash your dog’s paw with warm water and betadine solution after you have taken out the object.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has its many medical benefits, including reducing swollen paws. If your dog has a yeasty smell on its paw, you could soak your dog’s foot into a diluted solution and air dry without rising.
Epsom Salt Soak
One of the best treatments to use for a swollen paw with an unknown cause is soaking your dog’s foot in water with 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt. You should keep it soaked for 15 minutes.
Soak in Warm Water
If your dog’s paw is scaly and rough, it’s best to soak the foot in warm water.
Call Animal Emergency Center
That’s it! Now you can easily identify the cause of your dog’s swollen situation and help treat it at home to avoid more pain. If the causes of the swelling are unknown to you, call Animal Emergency Center at 918-665-0508 and get professional treatment.