Anyone Know What This Is?

[NeylasMom]

Sorry, I know this photo sucks. I may be able to get better ones tomorrow with my actual camera. In the meantime, this is the outside toe of his front left paw. The inside of the toe and the webbing is dark red/purple like it's severely bruised and the inside of the toe is swollen although it's already gone down since he started limping an hour or two ago.

 

 

I posted about this a little while ago. He's previously dislocated this toe 2-3 times. He seems to come up lame some of the time when he runs outside (not inside playing with toys though), but typically once we get home he's fine. The last 2 times (incl today) it's turned out swollen and bruised. Last time, I didn't think it was dislocated and with a few days of rest and Deramaxx plus arnica gel things calmed down and he appeared to be better. It does not appear to be dislocated now. What I find odd is that when he initially came up lame today (chasing a ball in teh yard) he wouldn't put his foot down, it was very tender to the touch and it was quite swollen (size of a lima bean?), but 2 hrs later, he's walking fine, he's tolerating me squeezing it quite well and the swelling is reduced significantly. Has anyone experienced this, or do you know what would cause swelling and bruising to come and go so quickly?

 

I'm also not sure what to doa bout the vet - they can see me tomorrow afternoon, but my vet isn't in until Friday. Not sure if I should go tomorrow or wait until Friday. I'd rather see our vet, but I'm afraid if we wait there will be nothing to see.

 

ETA: I realized from the photo it may look like the toe is dislocated/sticking out, but I'm pushing it out with my finger so you can see in b/w the toes.

Edited March 13, 2010 by NeylasMom

[greysandmollie]

Not sure what that is....I hope he feels better. He didn't get stepped on by someone else did he? Thinking it might be a nail injury from someone else?

[Batmom]

Could've been stepped on, or could be he's dislocating it and popping it back in himself.

[Guest Energy11]

It almost looks like a puncture-type wound. He could have an infected toe, which would be causing the discomfort and limping. Just a thought. If he were mine, I'd put him on Deramaxx, and Keflex for a week, but I have all that stuff here.

 

You could probably wait until Friday to see your vet. I'd wash it good, and dress it with antibacterial ointment, and put a toddler sock and bootie (if you have them) on it for now, until you can see the vet. If you don't have booties, you could try two toddler socks. I would NOT let him run at all, ... just leash walking and calm playing for a while, too.

 

If you have Deramaxx or Rimadyl for him, you could certainly use it, which would help with pain and swelling.

 

Good Luck!

[Guest TheDoggfather]

If it's something that comes up only periodically or when he runs around, then I wouldn't reeeeeeeeeeeeally worry about it. But, if it's causing him pain, I'd take a guess at bursitis. Sequoia kept having issues with an inside toe, and everytime we'd go to the beach or park, she'd invariably start limping at some point in the day. It'd also swelll up like she had a pea under the skin and it'd be warm to the touch and very "mooshie" for lack of a better term. She'd end up limping around for a couple/three days until the painwent away. Ended up just having the toe taken off.

 

Shoot, if it keeps coming up w/ your boy, and the fact that it's an outside, non-weight bearing toe, I'd have that badboy lopped off. Within 10 days, he'll be right as rain and won't ever have to worry bout that stinikin' toe bothering him again.

Edited March 10, 2010 by TheDoggfather

[Guest trevdog]

Looks like a puncture to me too....or a bite of some kind.

[NeylasMom]

Could've been stepped on, or could be he's dislocating it and popping it back in himself.

Could be, although I would think it would have to be popping in and out on its own b/c this time, I looked at it as soon as he started limping (it was really his first "lap"). But I have to assume it's something related to a dislocation or a resulting weak tendon just b/c of hte history. I don't know, it still doesn't make total sense to me, but my dogs have NEVER had easy to explain injuries or illnesses, never. I'll have to investigate Chris' bursitis suggestion too.

 

Looks like a puncture to me too....or a bite of some kind.

I really don't think so - the last time this happened it was the exact same thing, prompted by activity and it was weeks if not months ago. Unless he got something in there that's exacerbated by activity, that's possible I suppose. But again, we've had weeks of exercise via walking and playing in the house and no limping so it seems at least less liekly.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far. I think I'm going to wait until I can see our vet on Friday since it's not an emergency and hope it hasn't totally disappeared so she can see what I'm talking about.

[Guest bluefawn]

Penny had that same situation going on with one of her toes a few months ago. I finally agreed to have her toenail removed (not the toe, just the nail), and she has had no problems since. Hope you can find a solution that works for him and you

[turbotaina]

Could've been stepped on, or could be he's dislocating it and popping it back in himself.

 

That would be my guess, since that toe's so wonky to begin with, Jen.

[lovinggreysslp]

One of our hounds dislocated his toe and while I was searching GT for suggestions on what to do, he somehow managed to pop it back into place himself. The toe looked similar to your photo and remained swollen for a couple weeks.

 

One of our hounds dislocated his toe and while I was searching GT for suggestions on what to do, he somehow managed to pop it back into place himself. The toe looked similar to your photo and remained swollen for a couple weeks.

[SAVED2]

Put bag balm on the sore and leash walk in your yard as little as possible for 8 weeks for the joint to heal--NO RUNNING.

[NeylasMom]

So we just got back from the vet a little while ago. She thinks he has a hairline fracture in his toe, along with a bone chip that she believes resulted from teh fracture and soft tissue injury to boot. My vet is sending the x-ray off to an orthopedist to confirm, but not much we can do assuming that's what it is - she doesn't believe it's "splintable". Just rest for 6 wks and Deramaxx for a litle while.

 

At least she thinks it's probably not a tumor. When she came to get me to go over hte x-ray results, she said "Come on in so I can let you know what I found" and for a sec, my heart skipped a beat.

 

Thanks everyone for the input. Now if you could just send some good speedy toe healing thoughts for my boy.

Edited March 13, 2010 by NeylasMom

[Guest AGirlNamedMe]

I hope you sweet boy heals quickly.

Hopefully, he won't be too uncomfortable.

xo

[Guest Energy11]

Sorry to hear about the fracture, but it would explain the swelling and the redness. Poor baby! The Deramaxx should help A LOT. It really helps Goldie's arthritis. I always give the Deramaxx with a Pepcid AC (or it's generic) 10 mg, to help the tummy. I worked with an ER Doc in the human ER, and she always gave her NSAIDs with Maylox! I liked that.

 

Good luck! Hoping for a quick heal!

 

 

[Batmom]

Well, drat. Glad you had him seen and hope he heals without incident.

[Guest bluefawn]

Sending some good speedy toe healing thoughts for your boy So glad it was not something worse!

[MandysMom]

Oh Zuri, I hope your foot feels better soon. Mandy and I certainly sympathize with foot issues.

[krissn333]

Aw, poor guy Well I'm glad he seems to be dealing with it at least, and that you got some answers. My suggestion was going to be that he'd pulled a ligament in the toe. Ace pulled one and her toe swelled/looked bruised. It doesn't knuckle up like the other toes, kinda sticks out like a Dr. Evil pinky finger She doesn't have any issues with it being that way, I just have to keep that toenail good and short so she won't snag it on anything.

 

Hope Zuri is back to normal soon!