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Draft Has An Infected Foot


Guest Drafters

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Guest Drafters

Draft has had a paw that has been bothering him. It's very red and sometimes scabby looking inside the pads. He constantly licks it and tries to bite at it like it itches, so I'm sure that made it worse. I tried to keep him from doing that, but you all know how that goes... It's been bugging him for a while, but I was trying to treat it myself hoping I could clear it up with some ointments. I hope I didn't make it worse. :withstupid

 

Anyway, I took him to the vet yesterday for his shots, so asked the vet to take a look at it. The vet thinks he might have had a puncture wound that is infected. :ohno Not sure what he could have gotten into. Maybe just something in the yard. So now we're on antibiotics for the next 10 days, and soaking his foot in epsom salts. Let me tell ya, that's not easy! He doesn't particularly like being forced to stand with his foot in a bowl of water. He won't even put any weight on it unless we lift his other leg off the ground so he has no choice! :unsure

I hope the antibiotics do the trick. Anyone ever have experience with redness, scabbing, cracking and/or thickening of the tissue between the toes?

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I am sorry we have no experience but we pray he feels better soon!

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I might have had something similar a few years ago. One of my boys had been running in my back yard and came back not wanting to put any weight on his front paw and he was picking at his paw. I couldn't see anything and after a day of limping I took him to the vet. They found a small puncture wound and decided to keep him to put him under to clean it out just in case there was something in there, they couldn't feel anything but, they wanted to be sure. Turns out that a piece of bark had slipped under the skin and it was a wise decision to put him under to clean it out. They saved the bark for me and it was pretty big about 1/4 inch x 1/16.

 

I don't remember soaking his foot after they cleaned it, I'm pretty sure it was bandaged and I had antibiotics.

 

Not sure if that helps you ....

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Guest Drafters
I might have had something similar a few years ago. One of my boys had been running in my back yard and came back not wanting to put any weight on his front paw and he was picking at his paw. I couldn't see anything and after a day of limping I took him to the vet. They found a small puncture wound and decided to keep him to put him under to clean it out just in case there was something in there, they couldn't feel anything but, they wanted to be sure. Turns out that a piece of bark had slipped under the skin and it was a wise decision to put him under to clean it out. They saved the bark for me and it was pretty big about 1/4 inch x 1/16.

 

I don't remember soaking his foot after they cleaned it, I'm pretty sure it was bandaged and I had antibiotics.

 

Not sure if that helps you ....

 

Wow, that sounds pretty significant. I can't see any kind of puncture or anything in his paw, nor could the vet, but then again it was pretty irritated and kind of scabbed-over. I hope it isn't something like your piece of bark, that is still stuck in there! When I first noticed it, there wasn't anything that looked like a wound. I thought maybe it was just irritated, like a rash or something. Then it just progressively got worse. He walks on it just fine, that's pretty much why I didn't take him in right away. It's just when he lays down that he starts licking it like it's bugging him. I really hope I didn't screw up by not doing something sooner.

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I didn't see the puncture wound on my dog either when I checked. The vet found the wound and said they wanted to keep him, I'm ashamed to say that I thought they were overdoing it and I thought he just needed some irrigation, cleaning, and bandaging. In my dog's case, since he had the bark in the there, he wouldn't put weight on it because it was painful. If your dog is putting weight on his leg, then there's probably nothing in there.

 

I noticed that you are in Wyoming - are the sidewalks salted? If he had a small cut and he walked on salted roads, it could be very irritating and cause him to lick it.

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Guest Drafters
I didn't see the puncture wound on my dog either when I checked. The vet found the wound and said they wanted to keep him, I'm ashamed to say that I thought they were overdoing it and I thought he just needed some irrigation, cleaning, and bandaging. In my dog's case, since he had the bark in the there, he wouldn't put weight on it because it was painful. If your dog is putting weight on his leg, then there's probably nothing in there.

 

I noticed that you are in Wyoming - are the sidewalks salted? If he had a small cut and he walked on salted roads, it could be very irritating and cause him to lick it.

 

No, no salting of the sidewalks. We're lucky if they even plow the streets. But he could have gotten anything in the backyard, I'm sure. He generally stays in the grass, but who knows what's blown in there in the past few weeks with the constant 50-70 mph winds we've been having! I'm going to take another look at it tonight now that we've soaked it for a couple days, and see if I can see anything in it. Thanks for the tip!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Drafters
I didn't see the puncture wound on my dog either when I checked. The vet found the wound and said they wanted to keep him, I'm ashamed to say that I thought they were overdoing it and I thought he just needed some irrigation, cleaning, and bandaging. In my dog's case, since he had the bark in the there, he wouldn't put weight on it because it was painful. If your dog is putting weight on his leg, then there's probably nothing in there.

 

I noticed that you are in Wyoming - are the sidewalks salted? If he had a small cut and he walked on salted roads, it could be very irritating and cause him to lick it.

 

No, no salting of the sidewalks. We're lucky if they even plow the streets. But he could have gotten anything in the backyard, I'm sure. He generally stays in the grass, but who knows what's blown in there in the past few weeks with the constant 50-70 mph winds we've been having! I'm going to take another look at it tonight now that we've soaked it for a couple days, and see if I can see anything in it. Thanks for the tip!

 

 

Never did see anything in it, although now that the redness and most of the irritation has cleared up a little bit I can see three distinct areas where something could have happened. Not sure if there's anything in it or not. We go back to the vet tomorrow...

Hope it's going to be ok...

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Sorry to hear about Draft's foot. Hope it heals quickly.

For ease in soaking you can soak a couple of paper towels or a wash cloth (very drippy wet) put that over the foot then put a baggie over it to contain the dripping. The nice thing about this method is the dog can be snoozing on the couch the whole time.

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Guest Drafters
Sorry to hear about Draft's foot. Hope it heals quickly.

For ease in soaking you can soak a couple of paper towels or a wash cloth (very drippy wet) put that over the foot then put a baggie over it to contain the dripping. The nice thing about this method is the dog can be snoozing on the couch the whole time.

 

That's a greyt idea!!! Thanks! :colgate

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Guest FireHorse

Someone on this board posted pictures a couple years ago with her houndie soaking his foot in a newspaper bag. Ever since then I've kept a few in the first aid kit.

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Guest Drafters
Someone on this board posted pictures a couple years ago with her houndie soaking his foot in a newspaper bag. Ever since then I've kept a few in the first aid kit.

 

That's a good idea too! Long and narrow--PERFECT!

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Guest Drafters

The vet visit yesterday went ok, but it's still not healed. When we got to the vet, his paw had a couple of deep cracks in it with some dried blood that wasn't there in the morning when I left for work. There is still some thickening of the tissues between his toes. The vet had really expected it to be completely healed. Now we're on a course of topical ointment and are due back at the vet in a week, at which time he will decide if we have to go back on the antibiotics. Joy, joy. :(

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Guest Drafters

Does anyone have experience with the ointment called Otomax? I think it's normally used for ears. Draft did ok with it the first day, but when I tried to put it on his foot last night, he jerked away from me. I wonder if it stings or burns?? I guess it kind of looks like it's working, but I feel so bad putting it on him. Especially because then I have to put the boot back on so he doesn't lick it off or get it on the carpet (the vet said it would stain). He gives me the stink eye when I do it. :bugeye

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Does anyone have experience with the ointment called Otomax? I think it's normally used for ears. Draft did ok with it the first day, but when I tried to put it on his foot last night, he jerked away from me. I wonder if it stings or burns?? I guess it kind of looks like it's working, but I feel so bad putting it on him. Especially because then I have to put the boot back on so he doesn't lick it off or get it on the carpet (the vet said it would stain). He gives me the stink eye when I do it. :bugeye

It is normally used for the ears. I've used it a couple of times years ago but only in the ears so I have no idea if it would sting with the way you're using it. Hopefully someone here will know

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Guest Drafters

UPDATE: WOO HOO!! :headbang We just got back from the vet, and Draft's foot is doing much better! We're finally done with the antibiotics and ointments and everything. He's so relieved to not have me medicating him all the time that I swear he's smiling. :D We're not totally out of the woods, but it's looking good! We just have to watch it for a couple of weeks and see if the infection comes back. If it does, he has to take steriods, but for now... WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! :offwall

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Guest HoustonGreys

I've been behind in H&M and just saw this but I'm very glad Draft's foot is healing! We seem to always have a foot or toe problem due to tree roots, pine cones, small sticks falling from the trees WHATEVER! I get so frustrated because we wanted the large yard for the pups and they always get hurt. :(

 

Sorry to hear about Draft's foot. Hope it heals quickly.

For ease in soaking you can soak a couple of paper towels or a wash cloth (very drippy wet) put that over the foot then put a baggie over it to contain the dripping. The nice thing about this method is the dog can be snoozing on the couch the whole time.

I wish I would've known this 2 weeks ago. My grandGrey, Trixie, had to have her foot soaked 3 x a day and I was babysitting for a weekend! Unfortunately she's not out of the woods yet but we don't have to soak any more.

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Just saw this. Glad he is better. Tucker has the same problem and we are going to the vet today. He has red between his pads and is limping. I figured he probably stepped on a sharp piece of ice so put some gook on it. I didn't see anything there at first but now I see a brown spot in the middle. He could have something in there. This is day 3. He doesn't want me touching it.

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Guest GreyLoverGirl

I thought I would chime in. I had a problem with Nibs' foot when I first got him. He kept getting an open wound in between his toes (same place each time). We had been out running and playing quite a bit, so thought it was a puncture wound that kept getting infected. I took him to the vet and he was given antibiotics, but it came back again. Someone mentioned to me to have him checked for parasites. I had him checked and he did turn out to have worms - can't remember which kind. He was treated for those, and he has never had the issue with the toes again. Just a thought when I read your post.

 

 

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Guest greyvettech

I know it sucks doing it, but epsom salts will do wonders...Not sure if the vet told you but after soaking his foot be sure to rinse it off thoroughly-If he licks the epsom salts, it will make him vomit..and it helps to use really warm water....maybe he has a foreign body in his foot? If so, it usually tries to make its way out... or it could just be a bacterial infection..Hope he feels better soon! - ...seriously, ask your vet about a foreign body in the foot- When this happens to a foot, if it doesn't make its way out, the softest part of the foot is the top and it will usually become infected-red soar on the top of the foot as well....worst case senario, he will have to have exploratory surgery of his foot-because 10 days of ab and epsom salts should really have taken care of it.....again, I hope all goes well :rolleyes: -I just saw your update.. never mind, sounds like he's doing better!! :colgate

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Guest Drafters
I thought I would chime in. I had a problem with Nibs' foot when I first got him. He kept getting an open wound in between his toes (same place each time). We had been out running and playing quite a bit, so thought it was a puncture wound that kept getting infected. I took him to the vet and he was given antibiotics, but it came back again. Someone mentioned to me to have him checked for parasites. I had him checked and he did turn out to have worms - can't remember which kind. He was treated for those, and he has never had the issue with the toes again. Just a thought when I read your post.

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep an eye on it, and if it comes back, I'll mention that to the vet.

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