A dog's feet face a lot of wear and tear and, unfortunately since they are always exposed to the elements, they can be subject to infections. There are a number of different causes of infection. A dog could develop a foot fungus from stepping in something or a bacterial infection by cutting his paw and getting it dirty. Regardless of the cause you should act quickly to prevent the infection from spreading or worsening on your dog's foot.

Visit a veterinarian

Make an appointment with your veterinarian if you suspect your dog has an infection in his foot. An indicator of an infection will be if your dog limps, cries, avoids putting pressure on his foot or is defensive when your try to look at it. Your vet will clean your dog's foot and confirm that he has an infection. If it is serious, he may give your dog a shot to immediately get some antibiotics in his system. He will likely give you a prescription of antibiotics, a fungal or antibiotic cream and a solution to clean the dirt from your dog's feet.

Protection

Take measures to protect your dog's feet while he is healing. It will be important to try to prevent dirt from getting into your dog's feet, aggravating his infection. Place dog booties on your dog when you take him outside. These special booties can be purchased at a pet store and will protect your dog's feet from the elements. He may try to take the booties off so put them on him right before you go outside and take them off as soon as you come back in.

Clean

Clean your dog's feet. Your veterinarian will likely give you a cleansing solution to clean your dog's feet and help fight the bacterial or fungal infection. It will be easiest to apply this solution via a spray bottle. Start by wetting your dog's feet to rinse off any dirt or dust. This can be done in a bathtub or kiddie pool. When his feet are thoroughly rinsed, spray the solution onto his feet, paying special attention to the area between his toes and under the pads of his feet. Follow the instructions on the bottle regarding whether to rinse the cleanser or leave it on his feet.

Prevent licking

Prevent your dog from licking and irritating his infected feet by offering him plenty of items to chew on. Flavored bones will likely serves as the most distracting items to keep you dog from licking his feet.

Source:

Dogs and Paws.com: Dog feet infections