Has anybody got any tips for dealing with interdigital cysts besides using antibiotics over and over again? They seem to recur with monotonous regularity on one of my Labs. I have tried soaking the foot in a solution of hot water and epsom salts several times a day. Does anybody know of any other home remedies I could try? I did read about something called friars balsam???

We had a fit of interdigital cysts for a while. We soaked in Epsom salts, did the antibiotics, and bathed in Chlorhexiderm shampoo. They only finally went away when we got a handle on my dog's allergies. Her allergies were the cause, and it was because her allergies made her lick a lot and create that moist environment for staph overgrowth on her feet. I don't think the cysts themselves are necessarily a sign of allergies (dogs can lick for other reasons), but I would definitely want to ask you if your dog is licking the feet a lot. If so, you might have to try to redirect the behavior or even resort to an elizabethan collar.

I had a pup that got them at around 1 year old.,right after we took her in for her hip xray. I researched and came up with this condition is an autoimmune issue treated with a variety of drugs including pednisone. Since we are not a big fan of pred. I chose to research more.Mean while we tried all the other remedies...antibiotics, soaking ect. But nothing seem to work. I found 1 place that discribed using Metronidazol. So we did that for 45 days(till the cyst were completely gone) and the cysts went away and have never come back. The pup is 2 years old now and is still clear.

Just keep them soaked with Clearasil or Listerine-it smarts a bit, I'm sure, but it works. I've found my male gets these just prior to my girl's coming into heat..a stress-enduced process? Have tried everything-an Elizabethan to prevent licking is also a big plus-even over night.

I was told that dogs with splayed feet were prone to these types of cysts, you can do surgery to remove the problem area and I did have one girl who consistantly had them and would put her on cephalexin each time and then decided to not do anything to it and guess what? Once I stopped treating it they went away for good, I think the body needs to build up immunity to the bacteria that's there so they don't get them anymore.
Aloha,
Jackie

Jackie, when you stopped treating them how long did it take for them to go away? Did you find your dog was very lame on the affected foot. I feel bad not taking him to the vet continually especially when he seems so sore but nothing the vet does seems to work anyway.

It took about a year before she had no more reoccurances and no she was never lame on the feet that got those cysts or I wouldn't have just let it go, wouldn't let my dog be in pain ever!
Aloha,
jackie

Inject the cyst with a Betadine flush. Voila- it's gone.

I quess we can all give advise as to how to get rid of them. But the real issue is why did the dog get them in the first place?

Sara, do you straight Betadine or a mixture?

Not sure what she uses..but I do straight Betadine...let is sit for a second...then I follow with a warm water rinse. It really does make it disapppear.