Guest adriahna Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Hi, all - so, here's my situation. My boy, Brick, has been having on and off lameness trouble with his hind left leg - limping at a trot. He's been to our regular vet twice, with full x-rays of leg and spine - nothing showed up. He was given a steroid shot and Rimadyl, which helped for a couple of weeks - but the limp is back. The vet felt that his back is giving him trouble, even though no abnormalities showed up in the x-rays. He's scheduled to be seen again on Saturday morning. Here's the thing. I was having a look at his feet while dremeling, and noticed that, although there is no swelling, one of his toes is slightly out of alignment on the limping foot - the nail is angled higher than the rest. This rang a bell, and I had a look at one of our grey care books - and sure enough, in the health section, there is a page devoted to ligament/tendon damage, and the visual symptoms of an injured toe. I'm no vet to be sure, but this seems to be the case with Brick. When we go to the vet on Sat, I will be bringing this up - Brick doesn't seem fazed at all by pressure being applied along the spine and spinal region (if anything, he's enjoying it), but he flinches like crazy when I apply any pressure to that toe. Do any of you have any advice before I go - what to ask, or what to do? I'm just hoping that our vet, who's been good so far, will be willing to listen. I do feel a bit awkward as I'm not qualified to determine the problem, but my gut feeling is VERY strong about it's being in his toe. Thanks for reading, and any advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest minzenon Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 If it is ligament damage you can apply bone radial to the toe. Apply with a toothbrush and dont coat the toe just a few sweeps with the brush will do it.(tends to burn if too much is applied). He may have sprung a toe it will take a few weeks to a month to recover. If there is no pinched nerve in the spine then its probably the toe. If you think this to be the case then another trip to the vet will not help. If you think the toe maybe dislocated then the vet maybe able to reset it for you, but normally with dislocations it is easy to see as the toe will not be pointing in the right direction. Bone radial is available from very good pet stores or produce stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest adriahna Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Thanks, minzenon. I read a bit about dislocations, and from what I've found, it doesn't seem to be the case - as you mentioned, it most often seems to be very obvious, and the injured dog is most often in extreme pain. With Brick, the abnormality is slight - but noticeable. I looked around for "bone radial" online for further info - would you by any chance have a link, if there are any specific brands? I haven't found any info as of yet. Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest billys_mum Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I have had so many problems with my boys toe that I have resorted to having his toe amputated. How I wish I had made this desision 2 years ago when his toe problem was first found. Since the amputation he has been a different dog. I found a website where someone had the same problem the address is http://greyhound.homestead.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest selma Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I have had so many problems with my boys toe that I have resorted to having his toe amputated. How I wish I had made this desision 2 years ago when his toe problem was first found. Since the amputation he has been a different dog. I found a website where someone had the same problem the address is http://greyhound.homestead.com Hi Blilly's mom, I'm wondering if you've had any toe situations like this. Very stiff outer front toe, no "spring" in the toe and some hard thickened material around the toe knuckle. All has been x rayed and bones look perfect, the vet thinks it's some ligament damage and build up of fibrous tissue but she's no greyhound expert. The limp is sometimes acute and we rest for a couple of weeks and then it's a lot less, mostly noticable on hard surfaces. This has been going on for a almost a year, I so much am wanting it to heal so we don't have to do an amputation, in your experience, any chance of something like this healing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest minzenon Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 (edited) Sorry its spelt Radiol http://www.vetproductsdirect.com.au/usacad...amp;eq=&Tp= Edited May 28, 2007 by minzenon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GunnyGirl Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Never be afraid to educate yourself on anything having to do with your dogs. Many vets, if they don't have a "holier than thou" attitude will welcome any input you may have regarding your own dogs. What helps is educating yourself as much as possible about dogs in general, so you can ask intelligent questions. Even if you are way off base, they should never put you down or poo-poo your thoughts. After all, you live with the dog 24/7, they can only go on what you tell them and pull from their knowledge and education to make a diagnosis. Sometimes I think they want to find the big thing, when it may be something small or simple. Only seeing the forest and not the tree, so to speak. One of the best vets I've ever had ALWAYS took my thoughts and knowledge of my own dogs into consideration when trying to diagnose a problem. She was my vet for 9 years and came to realize that I was pretty observant and really "into" my dogs. Once in a while, I actually was right about something. So if you suspect anything, don't be afraid to mention it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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