Neyla's Latest Toe Visit

[NeylasMom]

Don't have much time, but wanted to get this out here tonight so I'll have plenty of non-cancer suggestions awaiting me in the morning. Neyla did her course of clindamycin, along with 2 low-dose aspirin twice a day and we saw some significant improvement. Under my vet's advisement, I lowered her to 1 aspirin twice per day. This weekend (a few days after both changes) her toe started swelling and she started limping again. I upped the aspirin again and off to the vet we went first thing this morning. in the waiting room, I noticed that her entire foot and the bottom portion of her leg were swollen. The vet took x-rays, which didn't show anything definitive. Plenty of inflammation and a bump on the outside of the offending toe. She mentioned the possibility of a bone biopsy but said she wanted to send the x-ray off to Dr. Canapp. I also asked her to send a copy to Dr. Radcliffe.

 

In the meantime, we're putting her back on the aspirin and starting her on a 10-day course of Baytril (giving pepcid for her stomach ) and I'm trying not to think about cancer. To be honest, it didn't necessarily present like cancer to my vet, and I would have expected it to worsen much more quickly if it were, not to mention that the swelling seems to have returned a few days after we stopped the antibiotics, but once cancer is on the table, it's hard not to worry.

 

Does anyone have any ideas of what could be going on? Obviously, bad infection is already on the table (but her temp is ok). I suppose it could still be a soft tissue problem, but that seems unlikely to me (there was no one incident before this started, she just woke up one morning limping). There was what looked like an old hairline fracture, but it was a toe over. Ideas? Or feel free to just tell me it's not cancer. Thanks.

 

 

[turbotaina]

It's not cancer. Feel better?

 

Seriously...no idea what could be going on but *most* cases of OSA in greyhounds will present in the proximal radius or distal femur, not the toe. Not saying it can't happen, just not likely. And since this has been an ongoing issue for a very long time now, I, too, would have expected it to advance more aggressively if it were cancer (at least if it were osteo). Have they considered an autoimmune issue? I wouldn't think that would be it, but just throwing it out there...

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

My first thought is Valley Fever in the bone but you live in MD and I don't think VF is found in "snow" states. Whatever the problem is I hope it gets fixed real quick. I know how worried you must feel!

 

[LuvAPuppy]

is the bump a bone bump? if not, what about an infected foreign body? something like a thorn or a wood sliver wouldn't likely show up on films. it could explain the response to the abx and then the recurrence when the abx are discontinued...

[lothianjavert]

Here's hoping that it's just a nasty localized infection.... :hope

[Cynthia]

Do you have the new edition of 'Care of the Racing and Retired Greyhound'? There are lots of photos of Neyla's toes in there! And no captions that say 'toe cancer.' So that's NOT it. Poor Neyla, hope this can be solved soon.

[NeylasMom]

is the bump a bone bump? if not, what about an infected foreign body? something like a thorn or a wood sliver wouldn't likely show up on films. it could explain the response to the abx and then the recurrence when the abx are discontinued...

 

Not sure what the bump is. It looks like a bone bump, but it also appears as if there's a smaller one on the neighboring toe so they could be something totally "normal". This is all somewhat complicated by the fact that these are crooked old beat up toes that were possibly broken during her racing career.

 

Anyway, we initially suspected a foreign body. I thought potentially a piece of glass, b/c I had broken one before this happened, but it seems unlikely since I cleaned up well and their pads are so tough. Still, it's a possibility. I will at least give these antibiotics a chance to run their course before seriously considering a biopsy.

 

FYI, this is NOT the toe that we originally had trouble with. That was her right foot, this is her left and has been going on for no more than a month. The poor girl now has to weight bear on her "bad" toe, but thankfully the 100 mg of Tramadol/day seem to be enough to control her pain in her right foot. Meredith, I'll mention autoimmune to my vet, it isn't something that we've considered thus far. Also going to email Dr. Kellogg and see what she has to say.

 

Thanks for the no cancer cheers. I'm feeling better about it today, b/c rationally it really doesn't seem like it. It just hits you hard anytime it's even a consideration. Still anxious to get it ruled out though!

[patricia]

Sending my many prayers that this is just an infection of some type.

[turbotaina]

FYI, this is NOT the toe that we originally had trouble with. That was her right foot, this is her left and has been going on for no more than a month. The poor girl now has to weight bear on her "bad" toe, but thankfully the 100 mg of Tramadol/day seem to be enough to control her pain in her right foot. Meredith, I'll mention autoimmune to my vet, it isn't something that we've considered thus far. Also going to email Dr. Kellogg and see what she has to say.

 

Crap. Didn't realize we were talking about the other foot, I was hoping that one had resolved. Man! Come on, Neyla, let your feet get better! Have they tried to run a culture of some sort?

[Guest taylorsmom]

Do you see any other reddened or raised spots or bumps on or around the pad edge? What you are describing about the "bone bump" sounds a lot like the toe infection Rita had several months ago. It turns out it was a seed wart (I posted pics here in a thread, not sure of what it was--out of the blue she just woke up limping, like Neyla) and the whole toe got horribly swollen and infected. One side of her toe that butted up against the other toe got shiny bright red and developed a "bump" that at first we thought was a bone growth but it turned out was a part of the very nasty infection. It took two antibiotics three weeks to clear it up, but now it is totally fine--no cancer!!

[NeylasMom]

Do you see any other reddened or raised spots or bumps on or around the pad edge? What you are describing about the "bone bump" sounds a lot like the toe infection Rita had several months ago. It turns out it was a seed wart (I posted pics here in a thread, not sure of what it was--out of the blue she just woke up limping, like Neyla) and the whole toe got horribly swollen and infected. One side of her toe that butted up against the other toe got shiny bright red and developed a "bump" that at first we thought was a bone growth but it turned out was a part of the very nasty infection. It took two antibiotics three weeks to clear it up, but now it is totally fine--no cancer!!

 

Hmm, no bump that I've noticed, but I'll double-check tonight. She's not too keen on having those toes handled either, the main offender is VERY sensitive, but she will let me so I'll just have to be as gentle as possible. Unfortunately she's a little beat up from the x-rays yesterday. She was really nervous and somewhat uncooperative about getting into the right position, and I really didn't want to sedate her for one x-ray. At one point her other leg slipped between the table and the wall and she ended up with some nasty bruises and a few cuts. I felt terrible about the whole thing, hate to have to poke around more, but it's worth taking another look.