Expert: Jannie Balliett - 10/9/2008

Question
hi i have a female 6yrs and male boxer 9yrs. For the last 3-4 yrs the male will get sores in between his paws about every 3-4 months. i have taken him to a vet several times for this .It starts out on one paw and in 2-3 wks will go to his other paws. The vet has done skin scrapings, blood tests, thyroid test they all come out negetive. They would like to do allergy tests but i dont have the money. They think its a "virus" . They usually subscribe a steroid Termaril-P and a antibiotic Ceflex or more recently Simplicef 200mg.(14 pills @ $70.ouch) I have also given him a steroid shampoo If i dont treat it the sores will fill-up with pus.I am at a loss as I wish I could find out what causes this as i hate to keep given him drugs. Please help as "Derk" is like a son to me . PS the female never gets this and they are together 24-7.

Answer
It's interdigital cysts. They aren't really cysts, but that's what they're called. They are really furnuncles and are painful nodular lesions located in the interdigital webs of dogs. Histologically, these lesions represent areas of nodular pyogranulomatous inflammation—they are almost never cystic.

There are ointments to put on it, and the first site below explains treatments.

Go to a vet that knows what he/she is doing.

Almost every dog has this at least once in his lifetime.

Usually it is caused by dewy grass early in the morning when going outside to pee, and later in the night.

I put baby booties on my female Boxer in the morning and at night. That stopped it in its tracks.

They are painful for the dog, and extremely hard to clear up.

Get to a vet that knows-- call around and tell the receptionist what it is and ask for medicine for it. An ointment.











Read this and feel free to Google "interdigital cysts"

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/INTERDIGITAL-FURUNCLES.HTM

http://www.seefido.com/canine-dog-health/html/dog_interdigital_cyst.htm

http://lowchensaustralia.com/grooming/intercysts.htm

http://pet.justanswer.com/vet/7jir-cysts-filled-sacks-paws