christinepi Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 A few weeks ago, Tracker started limping all of a sudden on his hind left. I had x-rays taken; no osteo, no arthritis. Someone here suggested corns. I checked, and there seems to be a little something. I put the Therapaw bootie on that foot which he normally wears on his front right where he has a corn. This seemed to help a little. Appr. 5-6 days after I started using the bootie, I noticed a swelling on the side of one of the toes of that foot. The skin is unbroken/no signs of chafing; it looks like a blister that's filled with liquid/hematoma. I stopped using the bootie, since I thought it might have triggered it by being too tight. But the blister is still there, pretty much unchanged. It does not seem to bother Tracker at at all. He doesn't lick it or fuss with it in any way. Any idea what this might be? Should I just let it run its course? How long should I give it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HTC504 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 This sounds so similar to what we have been experiencing with Ubet. Please see my thread for all the things we have been doing. Blister In Between Toes - Possible Foreign Object We're pretty sure that it is a foreign object causing it and our vet told us that organic objects such as seeds etc will not show on an x-ray. I would recommend soaking in epsom salts twice a day and possibly antibiotics. If there is something in there the theory is that it will help it come out. I have been reading posts on other dogs websites about this taking anything from a week to 6 months. Normally soaking and antibiotics will fix it. I hope that it resolves soon for you and would be very interested to hear the outcome. Perhaps it is a blister from the boot. If you have any photos please post them so I can compare. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scullysmum Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Does it look like the lump in the pics in this link? http://www.prestonthepuggle.com Quote <p>"One day I hope to be the person my dog thinks I am"Sadi's Pet Pages Sadi's Greyhound Data PageMulder1/9/95-21/3/04 Scully1/9/95-16/2/05Sadi 7/4/99 - 23/6/13 CroftviewRGT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HTC504 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Similar but it is fluid filled. We have considered histiocytoma but there is a definite draining tract into the foot and it's size increases/decreases depending on the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinepi Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) HTC504: Yeah, I saw your thread. Mysterious. I just googled this, for what it's worth: The Good NewsThe first reason that a dog may have a lump on its paw is a wart. In most cases, the wart will appear as a small mushroom shape or look like a small finger. When the veterinarian discovers lumps on dogs caused by warts, unless the dog has problems walking because of the wart, it is normally left alone. If the wart needs to be removed, it is normally removed by freezing it. While it is always good to have the lump checked, the good news for owners is that treatment is usually very inexpensive. The second reason that a dog may have a lump on its paw is a hematoma. These are very similar to blood blisters on a human. They are usually caused by an injury to the pad. Left alone they will usually go away on their own. The veterinarian may choose to drain the hematoma of the fluid that has built up inside of it. The good news is that the dog will usually heal very quickly from a hematoma. The dog may also have an abscess on his or her paw. When this is the culprit, the owner will often see a swelling in the paw almost immediately. If this is the culprit, your veterinarian will often prescribe a 10 to 14 day course of antibiotics for the dog. The good news is that after treatment the dog will usually not have any more problems with its paws. The Bad NewsThe lumps on the dog's paws can also be sebaceous cysts. These cysts are usually able to be removed with surgery. The cysts are caused by the dog's oil glands and are usually filled with white liquid. The bad news for owners is that the sebaceous cyst costs over $500 to remove, and the dog may not have enough healthy skin to structure the removal site properly. The lump on a dog's paw may also be a lipoma. While these are benign, the growth will still need to be removed. As with cysts, this can be an expensive surgery but must be done so that the lipoma does not continue to grow. Unfortunately, the lump on your dog's paw can also be a mast cell tumor. These tumors can be cancerous. The mast cell tumor is usually removed surgically and sent off for further tests. If cancer is found, then the veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you. His limp as such seems to be unconnected to the blister, because the blister came a week or so later. I'll keep following your thread and see what evolves. I'll take him in to the vet if this thing doesn't disappear soon. Preston the puggle's blister (he was diagnosed with histiocytoma) looks somewhat different. Tracker's is covered with hair. I just snooped around the internet and histiocytomas, like what Preston has, are described as hairless. Other photos online also look very different from his. I'll post a picture of Tracker's blister when my husband comes back on Thursday. I'm technologically challenged. Edited July 29, 2014 by christinepi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 How long has it been since you stopped using the bootie? Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinepi Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 How long has it been since you stopped using the bootie? About a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 If it was caused by rubbing from the bootie, I would have expected to see some improvement after a week. Waiting to see a photo, but lesions that look like blood blisters can also be benign hemangiomas or malignant hemangiosarcomas. If still not improving after another week or so, would be a good idea to have your vet look at it. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinepi Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 It's very strange--I just went to grab the camera to take a picture and noticed for the first time a little bloody red spot smack in the center of the little swollen area. The swollen area itself is ca 0.5". There was a bit of blood. I cleaned it and squeezed it a bit, and Tracker didn't pull back. Could this be a foxtail? He just had one between two other toes (first time he ever had one), and that one irritated him all the time with his licking it, and a red dot where it had gone in visible. But with the blister/swollen area--there was no dot the first 6-7 days. Could this still be a foxtail or do they always show their entry point? I'm going to take him to the vet tomorrow if I can get an appointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinepi Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Lo and behold, the little red spot allowed the fluid to drain and now the blister is a blister no more and all flat. The opening that let out the fluid is slowly drying. Miraculously, Tracker isn't licking it. Seems like it was just a bruise after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Glad it seems to be clearing up. Would still be a good idea to keep an eye on the area. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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