An infected paw typically shows some combination of redness, swelling, and discharge, but the specific appearance depends on the type and severity of the infection. In mild cases, you might notice small red bumps or pimple-like spots. In more serious infections, the redness spreads quickly, the paw feels hot to the touch, and you may see pus or foul-smelling fluid oozing from between the toes or around the nail bed.
Redness, Swelling, and Heat
The earliest visual sign of an infected paw is usually redness that goes beyond the normal pink of healthy skin. A mild bacterial infection often starts as a few small red bumps in one area, similar to pimples. As infection progresses, the redness expands outward and the tissue swells noticeably. The paw may look puffy compared to the other paws, and touching it will reveal warmth that isn’t present on unaffected feet.
Swelling can be diffuse across the entire paw pad or concentrated in a specific spot, like between two toes or around a single nail. When you press gently on the swollen area, it may feel firm or squishy like a small water balloon, depending on whether fluid or pus has collected beneath the skin.
Discharge and Its Color
The color of any discharge tells you a lot about what’s happening. Clear or slightly blood-tinged fluid typically means inflammation without heavy bacterial involvement. Cream-colored or yellowish discharge signals active bacterial infection. Green or yellow-green fluid, especially around the nail bed, often points to a more established or deeper infection. Foul-smelling discharge of any color is a red flag that the infection is serious and needs prompt veterinary attention.
You may not always see discharge on the paw itself. Sometimes the first clue is crusty, matted fur between the toes or dried residue on the paw pad where fluid has drained and dried.
Infections Between the Toes
The webbing between a dog’s toes is one of the most common sites for paw infections. Interdigital cysts (also called furuncles) appear as raised red bumps or nodules nestled between the toes. They’re painful, and dogs will often obsessively lick or chew at them. These cysts can rupture on their own, leaking clear fluid if uninflamed or cream-colored pus if infected.
The outer toes tend to be affected most often because of the mechanical pressure they absorb during walking. If you spread your dog’s toes apart gently and see angry red lumps, raw-looking skin, or oozing sores in the webbing, you’re likely looking at an interdigital infection.
Nail Bed Infections
Infections around the nail (paronychia) look different from those on the paw pad or between toes. The skin where the nail meets the toe becomes swollen, red, and tender. Pus can build up under the skin at the base of the nail, sometimes forming a visible white or yellow pocket. In advanced cases, the nail itself changes: it may develop ridges, turn yellow or green, become dry and brittle, or even detach from the nail bed entirely.
Yeast infections in this area have their own signature look. Instead of pus, you’ll often see a rusty brown discoloration of the nails and a greasy, sometimes smelly residue in the nail folds.
Abscesses on the Paw
An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms under the skin when bacteria become trapped, often after a puncture wound, thorn, or embedded foreign object like a foxtail seed. Before it ruptures, an abscess appears as a sudden, painful swelling on the paw. The skin over it is red and taut. After rupturing, it becomes an open, draining sore that leaks thick, foul-smelling material.
Foreign bodies like foxtails or splinters create a particular pattern: a small entry wound that doesn’t heal, sometimes with a narrow drainage tract that weeps fluid. The surrounding tissue swells, and if the object stays embedded, the infection can worsen to the point of causing fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite as the infection spreads beyond the paw itself.
How Your Dog’s Behavior Changes
Visual signs are only half the picture. An infected paw changes how your dog acts. The most obvious behavioral shift is excessive licking or chewing at the affected foot, sometimes to the point of interrupting normal activities like eating or playing. You may notice limping, reluctance to put weight on the paw, or difficulty with stairs and jumping. Some dogs whimper or pull away when the paw is touched. Hair loss around the paw from constant licking is another common clue, especially when the infection has been developing for a while before you spot it.
Mild vs. Emergency Signs
Not every infected paw is an emergency, but certain signs mean you shouldn’t wait. A mild infection, like a single small red bump with no discharge, can often be monitored briefly. But rapidly expanding redness, skin that looks dark or blackened, foul-smelling discharge, or extreme pain when touched all warrant urgent veterinary care. If your dog also develops a fever, stops eating, or becomes unusually lethargic, the infection may be spreading beyond the paw into the body.
What Treatment and Recovery Look Like
A veterinarian will typically examine the paw closely and may take a small sample of any discharge or skin cells to identify whether bacteria, yeast, or something else is driving the infection. This helps determine the right treatment approach.
Bacterial paw infections generally require at least six weeks of oral antibiotics. Deep infections can need 8 to 12 weeks of treatment. Fungal infections are treated with antifungal medication on a similar timeline. During recovery, you’ll likely need to keep the paw clean and dry, limit your dog’s activity, and prevent licking with a cone or boot. The swelling and redness should start improving within the first week or two of treatment, but finishing the full course of medication matters even after the paw looks better, because stopping early increases the risk of the infection returning.