My dog has a red, swollen, irritated area around his toe/between his toes

I’m so sorry to hear about this! I know how uncomfortable skin conditions can be for our pets. A picture of it would definitely be helpful in order for us to give the best information we can without seeing it in person. However, having it seen in person would be best case scenario. Some irritation around the toes could be any number of things from a yeast infection, a foreign body, a burn from the hot ground, a broke nail, or something like stepping on a bug that could have stung them. Until you can get him in to see a Veterinarian, the best thing to do is to keep the area clean and dry. You can try to soak his foot in an epsom salt bath to help the irritation and then dry it well afterwards. I would also put an e-collar on him so he cannot cause further damage to the area by continuing to lick at it. If he is wearing an e-collar you could try putting an antibiotic ointment to help but if he can get to the toe I would caution against it so he can’t lick at it. I hope this information helps you! Keep us updated.

Written by a veterinary technician, not a licensed veterinarian, and without examining your pet. It is general information to help you decide what to do next: not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a prescription, and not intended to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Do not start, stop, or change any medication based on it. Your own veterinarian has examined your pet and knows their history, so ask them before acting on anything here. PawsRx has not checked this credential against a state register.

Poor guy. A few things commonly look like this: an interdigital cyst (basically a deep pimple between the toes, super common in dogs that lick their paws), a foxtail or other seed lodged in the skin, a broken nail at the base, or an infection from allergy licking. One thing worth taking seriously this time of year: if you've walked him anywhere with dry grass, foxtails are a real possibility. They burrow inward and won't come out on their own, and the classic look is a single swollen, draining spot between the toes. If that's a maybe, I'd get him seen in the next day or two rather than treating at home. For safe home care in the meantime: a warm water soak for the paw a few times a day, pat it fully dry, and stop him from licking it (a cone helps more than anything you can put on the skin). I'd skip human creams. Most get licked off anyway, and some, like anything with zinc, aren't safe if swallowed. Sounds like a vet visit this week is the right call, since between-the-toes issues tend to smolder rather than heal on their own. Hope he's feeling better soon, and update us with what it turns out to be.

From what you’re describing, it doesn’t seem like it needs an urgent visit to an emergency clinic, but a visit to a regular DMV is needed within the week. He could have a couple different things going on from a skin allergy to possible foreign body like a sticker that got stuck in his foot and the possibility of needing some medication‘s to help him. It’s best if you’re able to keep him from looking at it and try to keep it clean and dry the best you can do you want that area to breathe so you really don’t want to put any heavy ointment on it.