Rear Foot Inflammation - Fluid Draining, Ongoing Battle!

[RaineysMom]

Our angel Nube had something similar. We were down vacationing in Florida and the day before we were going to leave, we woke up to his back left foot and leg (up to the bend) swollen terribly. We tried antibiotics and maybe steriods (can't remember now) and we suspected a foreign body as well. After we got home, we started cold laser treatments and finally the swelling went down. We suspect the object worked itself out eventually and he never had any more swelling. I'd definitely do the MRI (we did an x-ray down in FL and there was something in there, or at least it looked to be) but you may want to look into the cold laser. I thought it was a bunch of baloney until I saw the results. His did not leak, though.

 

here's a pic of the swollen foot:

 

and you can kind of see the dot of something near the top of his foot, right where the toes start:

[Guest goofydog]

OMG, that pic is hilarious! Haven't met a hound yet that could resist a french fry. Hoping you and Barbie find the right solution for her swelling/draining cycles.

 

I had a feel around for her 'popliteal lymph node' and couldn't detect any swelling there. She doesn't mess with her foot if it is open and draining but when it seals up she does help it open again. I'm going to have to take her back to the vet probably tomorrow night after work so I will ask about that.

 

I have decided that we'll do the MRI - I think it's going to be the quickest way to a resolution if there is any abnormality with the lymphatic system they should be able to see it on the MRI as well. Do you think they will do imaging of both legs for comparison?

 

Since she has been on-leash only for like 3 months since this started, we have tried to make up for it taking her out and about. Here she is getting some snacks at a cafe

 

[Guest jetska]

I had to get the day off work as the specialist clinic is a bit out of the way and the appts were only available late-morning! we are going on Tuesday and they will admit her after we discuss what tests they are going to do. Raineysmom, that is kind of what it looked like a couple of weeks ago, and it threw everyone off as the sudden swelling was almost a different symptom to the fluid pooling at the lowest point of her foot. A shot of metacam sorted that out but still the fluid continues to be produced.

 

We got no indication of anything on an x-ray but plenty of foreign bodies wouldn't show on one. The clinic she is going to do it all so it will be up to the vets there what to do next. Whatever it is, seemed to respond to the Baytril after just over a week as there wasn't as much fluid but a few days later it opened up again. Whatever it is perhaps it has a tendency to be antibiotic resistant so it could be MRSA!! They are def talking about that kind of possibility.

[omyability]

I saw a post on The Greyhound FB page last week where someone had a grey with swelling in the foot and the vet removed a big chunk of blood and some other yucky substance.

[Guest jetska]

OK just got back from the surgical and imaging specialist consult - seems like they have gone back to the foreign body theory - they have decided that a CT scan is going to give the best imaging results, but she has to have been off the antibiotics for a while before they can get a good image, same with the blood work. So next week we are going to do the blood work, and on Tuesday she is going in for her scan and then surgery. If the CT doesn't give a good image he still wants to go in and take tissue samples to check for particular infections (he mentioned about three of them) and debride the area. They will keep her in overnight after this surgery, they are an emergency clinic so she will be monitored 24/7.

 

The surgeon stated he wasn't that optimistic about fixing the problem, he said it's 50/50 that they find something on the CT. They weren't keen on the MRI because the recent surgery could confuse things?

 

This is all very frustrating and depressing. I am so glad that she is insured! This one problem has already racked up a lot of money in terms of vet bills and that is about to double again!

[DesiRayMom]

So hoping your girl will get the best side of that 50/50. Keep us posted.

[Guest jetska]

Going to the specialist vet hospital for CT scan and surgery tommorrow :/ poor girl has been a bit uncomfortable on the foot the last couple of days, she's been off antibiotics for a week and it's currently in a 'sealed, fluid collecting' phase, will probably be draining again by tomorrow. Hopefully drainage will help the vet find the problem. Will see how many stitches she ends up with, I expect the incision is going to be quite long :/

[Guest jetska]

Went to my local vets to do the pre-anaesthesia bloods tonight, and she ended up with a hematoma on her leg where they took the bloods. I think they didn't put enough pressure on for long enough, maybe because Barbie was keen to get back out to the waiting room to me and they wanted to run the tests while I waited. They put a pressure bandage on her which I'll take off before bed. Hopefully everything goes well tomorrow.

[tbhounds]

Keep us posted! Hematomas happen :-(

[MaryJane]

I would talk to your vet about getting Amicar - it's for bleeding in Greyhounds/ You don't know what will happen tomorrow for surgery and since there was a hematoma yesterday which was likley from not keeping pressure on the site .. but, maybe it wasn't. Better be safe and get the Amicar. It can take a few days to get it ordered - not many pharmacies carry it.

[kudzu]

Hope things are going/will go well today. Please update us later if you have a chance.

[Guest jetska]

So regarding the CT scan, the contrast didn't go much further than the local area of her foot and the surgeon seemed to think that was good news. He is going to do surgery tomorrow, debriding the tissue in her foot, taking samples, and they will keep her at least overnight for pain relief. We are probably going to max out our claimable total on her health insurance for this one issue. She is a stoic dog and I just want her to be able to run and play like she used to.

[Guest jetska]

Just got off the phone with the vet. Whilst she tolerated the surgery well, the surgeon didn't find a foreign body. He excised the abnormal tissue, and has explored the leg as thoroughly as possible. Due to the damage to the skin on the bottom of her foot (from sealing and draining) she has a 5 cent piece open area which is going to require daily bandage changes. He wouldn't refer it back to my regular vet until it has been a week which is a real pain in the bum for me as it's going to be very difficult for me to fit the appointments in with work, because it's an hour round trip to PVS. The daily bandage changes are also going to be a cost issue because we are going to get up to our total maximum claim amount with our health insurance quickly going back to these guys 7 times and more! They are supposed to be the best surgeons in town and they sure do charge like it.

 

I get to pick her up tomorrow if they can wean her off the IV painkillers. He said to keep her subdued and quiet. I am certain she will keep herself subdued and quiet, hopefully Olive (foster dog) will get the message. Prognosis is still guarded as he didn't find a foreign body. He said that if another surgery is required the success rate is even lower. After that the dog lives with it or perhaps becomes a tripod. I appreciate this vet is a 'realist' or even a pessimist. I will be talking to the other specialist surgeon when I take her back for bandage changes for the rest of the week, and I'll ask his opinion as well. Really it's time to not get ahead of ourselves here and figure out how I am going to get her there for bandage changes every day next week!!!

[4My2Greys]

Hello Jetska.

 

Welcome to the world I've been living in for the last almost four months. I could have written parts of your post---the healing, only to swell again and burst open. In fact, just today, the last spot at the hock on Chevy's leg healed, and tonight his upper leg is swelled like a squishy water balloon. It's maddening, it's frustrating, and it makes you want to pull out your hair. It's constant wrapping and muzzling and trying to keep him off the leg.

 

In Chevy's case, he does have a foreign body in his leg--a plate and seven screws, which leads one to believe something has come loose. However, five different vets, three of them orthopedic vets, have looked at his original x-rays from when the hardware was placed and current x-rays, and all of them say nothing has moved or shifted. I did change vets over this issue, and I love my new vet. Not to say that he's right in his assessment, but he believes Chevy's problem is damage to his lymphatic system--hence the constant draining. He believes trauma to the leg has caused scar tissue to form channels in Chevy's leg into which the fluid drains. The lymph node behind his knee is not functioning properly and doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Basically, it's lymphedema--according to my vet. That lymph node is swollen but not painful to Chevy. If you Google 'popliteal lymph node' you can find the exact location and check Barbie or have your vet check to see if it's swollen. In Chevy, it's obvious. Anyway, the swelling causes pressure which is uncomfortable. Chevy licks the pressure points and opens up the wounds. As long as there's an open wound, there is no swelling, but then Chevy is licking because there is an open wound. It's a vicious cycle.

 

Like Barbie, what's draining out of Chevy's leg is mostly clear. We did have a bout of infection, but it responded well to antibiotics. We've tried two or three different antibiotics now, but no real success.

 

My vet says removing Chevy's hardware is not going to stop the drainage and swelling; I don't know if I believe that, and there's really only one way to find out. Chevy has a vet appointment on Tuesday, and I'm going to discuss surgical options. Management isn't working, and Chevy is miserable having to stay muzzled so much.

 

I'm so sorry you and Barbie are going through this. You have my utmost sympathy, and I am right there with you.

 

ETA: Your experience actually gives credence to what my vet has been telling me. He says it's natural to automatically assume with Chevy that the problem is with the plate and screws. But he's been fairly adament that that is not the problem. Sounds like you're having the same problem, and there is no hardware involved in your case.

Have you discussed with the vets the possibility of what Adrienne brought up here. If you haven't it might be a good idea to ask about it especially since it doesn't look like its being caused by a foreign object.

Hopefully the bandage changes although inconvenient will not be as expensive as you think. Those things are usually priced as part of the cost of the surgery and are considered a recheck. I've been taking one of my greys to see internal medicine specialists. He has an ultrasound done and sometimes an echocardiogram on alternate visits. My cost for these visits has ranged from $750 to $1300. His last visit they just checked his blood pressure and I discussed his case with one of the resident specialists. My bill for that visit was only $28. They had billed it as a 7 day recheck.

Edited September 11, 2013 by 4My2Greys

[Guest jetska]

Have you discussed with the vets the possibility of what Adrienne brought up here. If you haven't it might be a good idea to ask about it especially since it doesn't look like its being caused by a foreign object.

Hopefully the bandage changes although inconvenient will not be as expensive as you think. Those things are usually priced as part of the cost of the surgery and are considered a recheck. I've been taking one of my greys to see internal medicine specialists. He has an ultrasound done and sometimes an echocardiogram on alternate visits. My cost for these visits has ranged from $750 to $1300. His last visit they just checked his blood pressure and I discussed his case with one of the resident specialists. My bill for that visit was only $28. They had billed it as a 7 day recheck.

 

Well they used a tracer with the CT scan and didn't come up with any significant drainage channels so I believe the vets ruled out an lymphatic system problem - there was also no swelling in that lymph node..., all the damage picked up was in the local area of the foot... he has taken tissues to culture and we will have results regarding infections next week.... she will be coming home with Metacam and Baytril for cover and the antibiotics will be changed if there's any reason to due to the results of the culture.

[4My2Greys]

While it still doesn't give you an answer, I'm glad at least they ruled that out. The next thing I would suggest you consider trying is Manuka honey. It has been proven to stop infections the strongest antibiotics couldn't.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071017102057.htm

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3787867.stm

[Guest jetska]

She is going to have dressings and daily dressing changes/checks on stitch tension for the next week. The specialist surgeons are going to be heavily involved - they want to make sure it heals well as it is a huge incision on an area without much leeway in terms of skin for closure. She does have very thin skin even for a greyhound. I will try and get a photo during one of the dressing changes as I think the frankenweenie look will be quite impressive.

[macoduck]

Pawflex might come in handy when you have to do dressing changes at home. http://www.pawflex.com/our-products/

[tbhounds]

I would purchase a MediPaw boot. It's so much easier than placing plastic bags on to keep the bandages clean and dry.

http://www.medivetproducts.com/medipaw-products.php#medipaw

[Guest jetska]

I would purchase a MediPaw boot. It's so much easier than placing plastic bags on to keep the bandages clean and dry.

http://www.medivetproducts.com/medipaw-products.php#medipaw

 

What size would you get for a smallish greyhound? She's a 26-27kilo hound (59 pounds) and has fairly dainty feet... looks handy and that she might be able to go for little walks in it

[kudzu]

The MediPaw boot is very good. Much quicker & easier than plastic bags. Bought both medium & large not knowing which would be best. Have been using the Medium only. However, if the bandage were very large or went up the leg very far, like a cast on a rear leg, then I might use the large.

[tbhounds]

The MediPaw boot is very good. Much quicker & easier than plastic bags. Bought both medium & large not knowing which would be best. Have been using the Medium only. However, if the bandage were very large or went up the leg very far, like a cast on a rear leg, then I might use the large.

Agreed-there is a size chart on their website but, honestly it depends on how big the bandage is. I actually have one of a size in the closet :-). Oh-just for the record the medium goes just above my 64# girls hock.

[Guest jetska]

OK problem is I haven't seen the bandage yet! I didn't want to stress her out by going to visit and not taking her home. I'd say the bandage is to above her hock as they opened the whole hock I think. I suspect that I will have to order online and it will take 7-10 days to get here. Not sure how much longer she will have to wear a bandage after that, depends how long it takes the open skin on the bottom of her foot to heal, though will be very handy if she has ongoing issues with that foot (which is still a possibility). I guess I'll just wait til tonight to order.

 

At this stage the plan is that I pick her up tonight and take her back for recheck on Tuesday, as long as all looks good during this afternoon's bandage change. I get the feeling the surgeon is a bit of a control freak and perfectionist, hopefully that bodes well for recovery, but it doesn't bode well for the ultimate cost!

[Guest jetska]

She is home! She made it known she wasn't happy with me by snubbing me in the waiting room and going to the Vet who had been looking after her today. It was pissing down with rain and they carried her out to the car for me. Unfortunately they didn't tell me she hadn't had a pee break this afternoon, so when I got home I carried her inside from the car, took a couple of minutes to park the car, then came back inside and she was lying near the door looking sheepish. Then I saw the poor girl had done a massive pee on the dog bed! She doesn't seem to have gotten too much of it on her bandage, I gave it a bit of a touch up with a paper towel. Dressing change tomorrow and then a check up every Tuesday with the surgeon til the stitches are out which might be longer than the standard 14 days.

[kudzu]

Glad she's home. Glad you won't be driving back & forth more than once a week. Here's hoping they've someone solved the problem even though they didn't find the cause.