A Tale Of Two Nails

[Guest Adrianne]

It occurred to me this afternoon, after reading all the recent posts concerning corns and witnessing my husband get nipped by Wilbur, that we've been focusing so much on his leg that I hadn't even considered that he might be having an issue with his foot. So I examined the bottom of his foot as best I could.

 

The pads on that foot are pretty beat up and dry and cracked. I guess that is probably from his foot skimming as his foot swings or drags. I saw two different places that could possibly be corns. I'm not sure because I can't get a great look at them because I can only manuever his leg and foot a little bit. But it was his nail--the only one I can get a decent look at--that concerns me.

 

This is a nail on his good leg. I know he needs a good trim; he's going to get one when he's sedated on Monday.

 

 

The next three images are from his broken foot.

 

 

 

I can see an even closer view (but can't photograph a closer view), and it looks to me almost like the inside of his nail is breaking apart or rotting away. I don't know if the other nails on this foot look the same, because I can't lift his foot to get a look without him moving away from me.

 

Any thoughts?

[Guest 2greygirls]

hmmm..looks funky to me, and that spot at about three o'clock on his pad looks kind of corn like....but I am not a doggy podiatrist.

[Guest Energy11]

I have never seen anything like this (nails). I think it DEFINITELY need to be brought to the vet's attention. It almost looks like the nails are infected. Maybe part of Wilbur's pain is coming from those nails????? Hard to say ... but worth looking into! Good Luck!

 

 

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

That looks painful, as do the pads. I'd bring it up for sure. Hugs to you both!

[Maddiesmom]

In the last picture the spot at 3pm looks like the corn that I had removed from one of Maddies's pads today. Her pads are also dry and cracked. I have been using Bag Balm to help with the drying and cracking. I have no idea about the nails. I would def get the nails and pads looked at by the vet.

[CaliforniaGreys]

When you take him in, ask your vet what he knows about SLO.

The other thing that comes to mind through experience with Misty, is how is Wilbur's thyroid level?

[Guest dragontearz]

That is EXACTLY what Guinness' nails looked like before they started falling off one by one or splitting and getting infected..at least with Guinness, it wasn't SLO but some other auto immune nail disorder the vet said he has seen in greyhounds before(can't remember the exact name, but it started with a K or a K sound)..the sooner you get that looked at the better-Guinness had to get every nail cut back to inside every toe then cauterized, and right now is on pain pills and every paw is wrapped like a mummy..

[Guest Smiley]

Oh Adrianne, poor Wilbur and you. If it's not one thing . . . I'm hoping this is an easy fix whatever it may be. Sending you both hugs and healing thoughts!

[Guest Adrianne]

Well, after doing a little research on SLO, all I can say is "CRAP!"

 

Once again, GreyTalk has probably saved the day for Wilbur. If there hadn't been several posts lately concerning corns, I wouldn't have looked at his feet. He's still not using that leg, so there's no limp that I would have noticed. And he's not showing any signs of pain. In looking at a list of signs, really the only thing I can point at and say he's done is the licking the feet. He's done that two or three, maybe four times in the last few weeks. I assumed he was perhaps getting some feeling back in that foot and it was bothering him.

 

I don't know if my vet if familiar with SLO, but I'm going to print out some articles on the subject to take in with me.

 

For tonight, I have rubbed his pads with bag balm to help with the drying and cracking.

 

Thanks again everyone.