A Booboo And A Bump

[PrairieProf]

I took Beth to our "QCGA West" Meet & Greet today, and we had a great time ... except a stranger who was petting her said "she has a bump on her side," and sure enough she does -- it's on the front part of her side, sort of where her ribs meet her shoulder. It's very small, skin-colored, and looks very much like a human pimple, but of course I'm worried and will take her to the vet Tuesday at the latest. (Sorry the photo is so bad, my cellphone really can't handle close-ups.)

 

 

On the way home, the most terrifying thing happened. I had my window a few inches open so Beth could stick her nose out as she likes, and somehow she put a paw up and got it caught over the window. I'm driving down the highway and hear the GSOD and try to pull over and come really close to having an accident, getting the brake and accelerator confused and somehow even ending up in reverse -- it's all a blur to me what was happening (except I remember that scene from the Marley and Me movie trailer, "He's making a break for it!" was flashing through my mind!). She's screaming horribly all the while. Somehow I stopped and got the window down more and extricated Beth's leg -- she settled right down, put weight on it, and seemed remarkably fine. I took her out for a quick walk when we were able to get to a side road and she didn't limp at all, nor when I walked her on our return home. But tonight, as she was lying on her bed, I saw the big booboo she got, on the back of her right front leg just above the wrist -- she scraped the skin off her tendons where the window hit them. This is what it looks like (the shininess is from Neosporin). It's a pretty deep abrasion, but there doesn't seem to be any skin hanging loose, and she isn't worrying the area nor flinching when I touch it. I'm assuming this isn't an e-vet matter; is there anything else I should do other than keep Neosporin on and just let it heal, assuming it doesn't seem to bother her?

 

 

And of course, I'm not going to let her get more than her nostrils outside the window anytime soon! But it really wasn't open very far; I have no idea how she got a paw up that high to start with. I'm still shaking from the terror for my girl and then for the car accident I nearly caused!

Edited April 5, 2009 by PrairieProf

[Guest rippasmom]

When mine get scrapes, I use neosporin on a telfa pad, then wrap it with vet wrap to prevent licking. Hope she heals fast. (Can't tell anything by the photo, hopefully it's just an ingrown hair, mine get those on occasion)

[PrairieProf]

Hmm, I don't have any vet wrap, but fortunately she shows no interest in licking it so far. I'll have to get some. May head out now to get some self-stick gauze wrap, as we're supposed to have SNOW tomorrow!

[ahicks51]

I wash out scrapes with diluted povidone iodine, and then bandage the heck out of them to keep them from getting to it. Depending upon the severity, I clean it out every 8 hours or so until it heals over.

 

ETA: "Scrapes" includes one cut on the tail to where tendons were exposed, and once when the knuckle bones were exposed on the foot. Today you can't even hardly tell where they got hurt.

Edited April 5, 2009 by ahicks51

[Cully]

Beth

From what I can tell the first picture does look like an ingrown hair. You can get vet wrap at farm & fleet (cheap) I would just keep an eye on it.

[Guest fatesrelease]

Poor sweetie. I hope she's doing ok.

[Batmom]

Can't see the cut very well. Worst comes to worst, you can also use really large bandaid with the cuff of a sock (cut the foot off one of yours) pulled over it to keep her less interested. Clean it well once, keep her mouth off it, keep an eye on it.

 

Agree with Cully about the ingrown hair. Would watch, but probably no need to hurry to vet if it's just a small, nongrowing, non-angry lump.

 

These dogs do have a knack for getting into things, don't they? My first had so many cuts and scrapes his first year with me, I bought stock in 3M, who makes vet wrap (kidding). Sending hugs.

[MerlinsMum]

Gosh, Anne, just seeing this! I'm so sorry - sounds like you had a terrifying time. Very frightening

 

I hope you managed to find some vet wrap. Let us know what the vet says next week. In the meantime I'd just wrap it overnight so that she doesn't bother it while you're sleeping and can't stop her, and then let it breathe a bit tomorrow when you are around to monitor her.

 

I'm assuming it's not bleeding anymore - right?

[DaisyDoodle]

Don't know if this applies to the situation or not, but I'd like to tell folks about our little problem--our dogs will step on the window buttons on the arm of the truck and raise the window on the other occasionally. Once or twice we've ended up w a screaming (GH) or choking (mix) dog. I think one of them has done it to herself too--must have been Daisy, I think Lucky is too short. We've had to remember to turn off those window switches from the override at the driver's window switch panel to keep the dogs from killing each other.

 

I hope Beth feels better and that the lump is nothing.

DD

[Guest nerak254]

Are you anywhere near where you can buy EMT Gel? Both Fleet Farm and Gander Mountain have it. When Aruba slice her leg last fall, I decided to try it for a couple of days before I did the vet and it was a miracle. I put the EMT on, then a non stick pad, and then vet wrap, Fleet Farm has that too. I also put a turtle neck on her because it was on her front leg where it was really easy to fool with.

[PrairieProf]

Gosh, Anne, just seeing this! I'm so sorry - sounds like you had a terrifying time. Very frightening

 

I hope you managed to find some vet wrap. Let us know what the vet says next week. In the meantime I'd just wrap it overnight so that she doesn't bother it while you're sleeping and can't stop her, and then let it breathe a bit tomorrow when you are around to monitor her.

 

I'm assuming it's not bleeding anymore - right?

 

She was never actively bleeding, that I saw, and there's no staining on her fur -- it's just really raw flesh on the tendons.

 

I did speak to the vet on call (not the one I usually see, but the nice older partner -- he's totally the kindly vet straight out of central casting!) -- and he was reassuring.

 

I'm still delaying on wrapping it, since outside of a lick or two at the Neosporin Beth has not bothered the leg at all -- she's sacked out on a bed next to me after her busy M&G day. I'm feeling like she would be much more likely to notice it and worry it with a wrap on. She sleeps with me most of the night, so I'll trust the bed will vibrate if she starts licking at it. But of course I'll do it if she starts bothering it at all.

 

I'm a lot more rattled by the experience than she was, evidently.

[Guest greytgrandma]

what a scary thing to happen ! I hope she heals quickly. Give her a kis from me and Hot Rod

[PrairieProf]

Morning update: Beth's leg seems much better this morning -- you can see than mostly the hair was just scraped off, and the line where the skin was really cut (mostly on the back tendon) is closed up now. The overall area looks just pink rather than red. I didn't wrap it; Beth spent the night entirely zonked, as I predicted (though I'll cover it if it snows several inches as forecast for today). She trotted along perkily on her walk this morning. Whew! Very relieved -- though I'm still going to get that bump looked at this week.

 

Can I just add how much I loooove my grey girl?

Edited April 5, 2009 by PrairieProf

[Beautybabe]

You must have been terrified. I'm glad things have calmed down a bit.

 

In all the stuff I've read about greyhounds, I have never seen anything about watching for the buttons on back windows until this thread. We generally crack the window about an inch but I never thought about the dogs stepping on the button.

 

I'm going out right now to lock mine.

[Cully]

I'm glad to hear she is doing so well. It wouldn't hurt to get some EMT gel & vet wrap to have on hand.

to Beth

[Guest greytgrandma]

Im glad Beth's leg is looking better this morning.

[duncan41]

The heck with Fleet Farm and Gander Mountain! I would have needed a stiff drink after that experience! Holy Cow! So glad Beth's leg is doing better today! Good advice about the window buttons! We don't have those in our doggie mobile, but it's a good thing to remember for future reference.

[PrairieProf]

Thanks for the sympathy!! I'm still haunted by what those dazed out-of-control seconds felt like. Thank doG highways through Iowa farmland have wide, soft shoulders.

 

Hey folks, is there any problem with leaving a dog's leg wrapped while you're away? I did wrap Beth's leg tonight with a nonstick pad and self-stick flexi-gauze (from the regular drug store) as she was licking the Neosporin off. But tomorrow is my longest day for leaving her (she stays in her crate and has no SA issues); I'm trying to decide whether to wrap or not wrap. She wouldn't, like, chew off the bandage and eat it??

Edited April 6, 2009 by PrairieProf

[DaisyDoodle]

Thanks for the sympathy!! I'm still haunted by what those dazed out-of-control seconds felt like. Thank doG highways through Iowa farmland have wide, soft shoulders.

 

Hey folks, is there any problem with leaving a dog's leg wrapped while you're away? I did wrap Beth's leg tonight with a nonstick pad and self-stick flexi-gauze (from the regular drug store) as she was licking the Neosporin off. But tomorrow is my longest day for leaving her (she stays in her crate and has no SA issues); I'm trying to decide whether to wrap or not wrap. She wouldn't, like, chew off the bandage and eat it??

If she does eat it, it should just come out the other end, I suppose.

 

The only other problem that I have come across is the possibility of the bandage being too tight. Feel her paw on the bandaged leg to determine if it is cooler than the other feet. If it is, the bandage might be too tight. It's important not to cut off the circulation to the portion of the limb below the bandage.

[PrairieProf]

Thanks -- I was wondering how you could tell if it's too tight. I just checked her paws and it's fine.

[PrairieProf]

Just to wrap up with a happy update:

 

I just came back from the vet with Beth, and he said her abrasions were healing fine -- he doesn't want me to use Neosporin or wrap it any more (I did wrap it some eventually to keep her from licking), just let it be exposed to the air.

 

The bump(s) on her side -- I found another yesterday, about six inches from the first -- are just little sebaceous cysts. He expressed one. Anyway, nothing to worry about, but he said I was right to bring her in, since sometimes bumps can turn out to be serious.

 

He thinks she looks absolutely perfect in every visible measure of health and condition (as well as recent bloodwork), and that I shouldn't feel I need to change or rotate her food.

 

Whew! I'm happy to get on with the rest of my week without worrying. I still feel a little jumpy when she's in the car, though, but I'm sure I'll get over it!

Edited April 7, 2009 by PrairieProf

[Guest jettcricket]

Just to wrap up with a happy update:

 

I just came back from the vet with Beth, and he said her abrasions were healing fine -- he doesn't want me to use Neosporin or wrap it any more (I did wrap it some eventually to keep her from licking), just let it be exposed to the air.

 

The bump(s) on her side -- I found another yesterday, about six inches from the first -- are just little sebaceous cysts. He expressed one. Anyway, nothing to worry about, but he said I was right to bring her in, since sometimes bumps can turn out to be serious.

 

He thinks she looks absolutely perfect in every visible measure of health and condition (as well as recent bloodwork), and that I shouldn't feel I need to change or rotate her food.

 

Whew! I'm happy to get on with the rest of my week without worrying. I still feel a little jumpy when she's in the car, though, but I'm sure I'll get over it!

Glad to hear that your girlie is doing much better and the tiny bumps were nothing to worry about.

 

My Dave has 2 very tiny pimple sized bumps as well.....and has gotten some in the past that have gone away by themselves.

 

Next time I bring him in to the vet, I'll ask him about them. They look very similiar to what you posted.