If You Have Experience With Dislocated Toes

[Hawthorn]

Hi all

 

Earlier this week, Monday or Tuesday, Sunny was running in the garden when he suddenly yelped and stopped, holding his back right leg up.

 

I checked it all over and found a grazed area on the third joint of his outside toe. He's always had a bald area there so what you're actually looking at in this picture is just the grazes that you can see:

 

 

It really was just a scrape and has already scabbed up nicely. When I found this graze I assumed that this was the cause of the yelping. He walked away without limping and has since been perfectly happy to go for his normal walks and runs.

 

HOWEVER, last night I was looking at the foot again and thought that the joint looked wrong. Here are two pictures - you're looking at the toe on the lleft of the picture, third joint up from the floor. There's no swelling; the "lump" you can see is bony:

 

 

Here'a picture of the other uninjured foot for comparison. This time you need to look at the toe on the right of the picture:

 

 

Does that joint look dislocated to you? I'm thinking it must be but am puzzled as to why Sunny hasn't been limping on it. Now I think about it, I vaguely recall thinking before that that joint looked a bit odd, but because it's never bothered him I've never paid it much attention. I'm wondering if it might be an old injury that never got treated.

 

I'm trying to decide whether I should take him to the vet (not grey-savvy unfortunately) for x-rays or leave it, as he's not limping on it and doesn't appear to be in any pain. If it is an old injury, would the vet be able to do anything about it?

 

What do you think?

 

All advice will be much appreciated

 

PS: I feel very bad that I didn't notice this before because now I've noticed it it seems really obvious.

 

 

 

[Batmom]

If he isn't in any pain, no swelling, no bruising, etc., I'd just leave it. They actually look pretty normal to me -- or I should say, greyhound normal. You see lots of kinda wonky toes on ex-racing/coursing hounds.

[scullysmum]

I second Batmom....if it's not bothering him then just let it be.

[Fiona3]

Tasha has dislocated her toe twice (same toe) and both times she was screaming in pain. I agree with the others that you most likely don't have to worry if there is no indication of discomfort.

[Guest patti909]

when my guys had dislocated toes they were twisted.

[SAVED2]

Looks ok , but I would leash walk only for a month.

[Guest LynnM]

It looks like a cracked/broken sesamoid, but only an x-ray will tell for sure. If he's not competing in anything that requires running or jumping and it doesn't bother him, then it's no biggie and can be left alone or removed at the same time as his next dental (or other elective procedure). It's a very brief surgery.

 

Lynn

[Guest Grapehound]

When Raisin dislocated her toe, her pad was twisted out. She was also limping. Of course, she was also bleeding because the dislocated joint broke through her skin. That toe has healed up to look like what Sunny's toe looks like now. I don't know if it stuck out before she dislocated it or not. Anyway, from what my vet told me and what I've read, dislocated toes pop themselves back into place pretty often. Raisin's popped back in on the x-ray table. So Sunny may have dislocated it at the time and it popped mostly back into place. I'd agree with saved2's suggestion to leash walk only for a month. But if you're worried about it, take him to the vet. The e-vet who first saw Raisin isn't grey-savvy. I just double checked the dosage of pain meds/antibiotics she gave me when I got home. From what she (and my regular grey-savvy vet) told me at the time, they wait a few weeks to see how well it heals, and only consider removal of the joint if it isn't healing.

[Guest ss556]

If I had a picture of one of Alan's legs, I'd share. But it looks similar to the first two pictures above. It's been crooked since I got him and it doesn't bother him.

[Hawthorn]

Just wanted to say thanks all for your input.

 

As you say, if this was a recent injury there would most likely be pain or swelling of some kind so I'm not going to take him to the vet unless it starts bothering him but I will lead walk for a while as a precaution. I think he most probably has injured the joint at some point in the past and it healed a bit wonky.

 

I feel a lot calmer now .

 

 

 

[Pepsi2004]

When my Foley dislocated the outside toe on her right hind leg, she kept licking the area - the nail had dug into the pad of the next toe. The vet said it was very difficult to pop the joint back, but did get it done. She was also impressed that they didn't need to sedate Foley and she never made a sound. About a year ago, Foley also suffered a break in the same leg - our back yard is level and safe. I just can't figure out why she has issues with that leg.

 

If you are concerned about whether or not the toe is dislocated, then take her to the vet for an assessment.

[floydieboy]

My Lydia's toes go in every which way. None are pointed in the same direction and often when she runs in rough dirt she gets scrapes like that. I agree, she'd scream if she were in pain or limp.