Red, Shiny, Inflamed Bump on Top of Dog’s Paw

September 1, 2014

Hi Elaine,
Your dog has a 'hot spot' on his toe. This is caused by some initial irritation, perhaps a small cut, or insect bite, that he started to lick. The more he licked it, the more itchy it became, so he licked some more. The more he licks it, he causes more irritation, and prevents it from healing.

You will need to put an E-Collar on him to prevent his mouth from contacting his foot. Putting a sock on his foot will not work. He will chew off the sock, and the sock will keep moisture trapped in his foot. (Toe pads have sweat glands on a dog's foot.)

Once he has the E-Collar in place, ('soft' E-collars are nice and more comfortable for an active dog like a Jack Russell), you will be able to wash his foot, in some COOL water with some mild baby shampoo. His foot will need to be washed two times daily. This will remove all surface bacteria to prevent infection.

Rinse and dry the foot well.

Give him the homeopathic remedy ARNICA, (Arnica montana), a remedy for inflammation, bruising and 'afraid to be touched'. Arnica 30C or 200C, dissolve one pellet in a 2 oz glass dropper bottle of Spring Water. Succuss or shake the bottle 20 times by hitting it against the palm of your hand, before each dose. Give 1/2 dropperful by mouth, THREE times daily for the first 3 days.

Keep the E-collar in place 24 hours per day for the next 3 days. If the redness, swelling is NOT improved in 24-36 hours, please take him to a holistic veterinarian for a more detailed exam of his foot.

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

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DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

my dog had one in the exact same spot on her right paw and now is developing a matching one on her left paw. My vet calls it an "inter-digital cyst" and it seems to be caused by the way she walks.

I've discovered that she has arthritis in her shoulders which causes her to walk with her front paws internally rotated. Consequently, the pressure she places on the glands in her paws has created irritation and cyst development.

We tried soaking in epsom salt; we tried antibiotic spray; we tried oral antibiotic. On Tuesday, she's going in for surgery to have the glands (and cysts) removed. I hope after she recovers, she will be able to walk without pain again (she's been putting on weight, which hasn't helped matters)

Elaine, did the online vet's recommendation work for your dog?

July 31, 2015

Dear Anonymous,
Elaine submitted her question last September 2014, and I have not received a response. I am not sure how her dog is doing.

Thanks for your question. I'm happy to help, but we only accept new questions from subscribers (the original question above was from a subscriber).
Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Dr. Carol Jean Tillman