Redish bump between dogs toes

Question
Hello I have a three year old Australian Shepherd male. The other morning I went to feed him and noticed he wasn't walking on his left back foot at all. I looked at his paw and between two of his toes there is a hairless bump that is apparently causing him pain. I would like your opinion on what it may be and or what I can do to relieve his pain. He was abused by his former owners and is very skittish around new people,he won't even go near men, so taking him to the vet would be a big deal for him. If there's anything I can do to avoid that or make it easier for him please let me know. Thanks for your time.

Answer

grass seed in paw It sounds as though your dog may have a grass seed stuck in the skin between his paws, this grass seed will continue to travel through the skin causing infection and the longer it is left the harder it will be for the vet to find it. Finding grass seeds once they have travelled under the skin involves an anaesthetic as it can be painful and a tedious procedure.
I have attached a picture of a typical grass seed in paw of a dog. It is important that the dog goes to the vet sooner as otherwise the grass seed may travel very far into the paw/leg.
good luck