Omg I Need Advice

[Dawnnziggy]

Well, my drama king is holding his left front paw again! He was fine yesterday until after the supper walk. He was limping, but not too bad. This morning it is awful. Last night at about midnight I gave him a 325 mg aspirin. He is in a lot of pain this morning. Is there anything I can give him for the pain? Should I give him a Benedryl to help him relax and sleep? I cannot afford to take him to the e-vet . I will get him in to the vet tomorrow but I need to know how to make him comfortable until then. I suspect he has been stung by a bee. I sure hope that is it. There are a lot of bees around lately.

 

Please give me some advice. I am terrified it is the c word! We just lost Ziggy 2 months ago yesterday!

[Hubcitypam]

Not sure there is anything else OTC for pain that is OK. Benedryl sometimes doesn't make them sleepy but I'd give it as you think it is a bee sting give it. Pretty sure dose is 25 mg (1) per 25 pounds. You can verify online.

Might there be a vet in your town or nearby that has Sunday hours? There are two here and they have been lifesavers...but I realize that would usually be a bigger city thing. to you and to your pup.

[greysmom]

Have you inspected his paw very well with a flashlight? Sometimes small sticks and rocks get caught up inbetween the toes or deep around the pads, and it causes them to limp. Especially if he is chewing at the foot or shaking it. Muzzle him first if he is ticklish about having his feet examined.

 

I would try to not give him any more aspirin, and make sure you tell your vet about it before giving him any prescription medication, as aspirin and any possible nsaids can cause bleeding and stomach issues. You can soak his foot in warm water and epsom salts (two tbls to one cup water) to help ease his pain (and if he has any wound it will help clean it).

[XTRAWLD]

If he is not weight bearing on that leg, it is a concern. Hopefully it is just a paw issue and not a leg issue. You can soak it in epsom salts to see if he feels any better and inspect it thoroughly for corns or owies like slivers.

 

Yikes on the aspirin though. You may have now painted yourself in the corner with any script they might have given you because he might need a washout period from that aspirin. Make sure you tell the vet tomorrow you gave him some so if they can give you anything, it won't conflict with the aspirin.

[cleptogrey]

soak in epsom's salts 3xs a day and see what happens. yes, stand there while your dog's paw is in a plastic container, towel under container and feed treats. a compress is NOT the same. this will help draw out something if something is in it. if the paw DO NOT SWELL and the pads are intact- check the webbing as well, then relax and soak. years ago i used to use Massengil Douche packets they were great for drawing out junk. but i haven't seen them around for ever.

 

if you have swelling on monday or tuesday then there might be in a foreign object in there. then you can visit the vet.

 

always remember as xtrawld said," check for corns.

[JohnF]

If he's less worried about weight-bearing on grass than on solid surfaces then it may be something in the pads. Our old Great Dane got a 1" sliver of forest wood in her paw and it didn't even show up on X-Ray. Whatever it is keep him calm and rested, it doesn't have to be the 'C' word, they can get little fractures and dislocations in the toes, and tendinitis too, it could even be corns. Bendryl should help a bit, but the Aspirin (normally only low dose childrens buffered aspirin if you must give it), can cause internal bleeding. Your vet may want to give Tramadol (not more than 50mg x3D assuming the dog is 60-70lbs). A visit to the E-vet will probably only result in the dog being given a shot of pain killer and you'll be told to see your own vet in the morning. Yes I know they are very expensive to visit.

[Dawnnziggy]

The vets office is the one that told me to give him a 325mg Aspirin instead of the pain med! He is a big boy at 85 pounds, and very gentle and sweet. I inspected his foot and I didn't see anything. I manipulated his toes, foot, ankle, and shoulder. I gave him a massage on that side and he didn't give me the GSOD, and he is prone to do that when hurt. I really have no idea what is wrong with him. I had him for xrays on that same leg a year ago because he was limping on it. They told me it was probably a muscle strain and gave me Tramadol after the xrays.

 

Thank you for your responses! I am scared, and telling you about it has somehow made me feel better!

Edited August 27, 2017 by Dawnnziggy

[Dawnnziggy]

I walked them around 4pm. He peed right away. I asked him if he wanted to go in but he took off walking around our house. My DH took our female on ahead of us so she could go. We had only just made it to the back when they came back. He turned around and came back in. He has not eaten anything today. I gave him a small bowl of milk which he did drink. I know some people say it isn't good for them but he LOVES milk, almost as much as peanut butter. I am going to try to give him some of that if he doesn't eat his supper.

[greysmom]

Try making some plain oatmeat with milk (if you have some). The aspirin *may* have upset his stomach and made him a bit nauseous. Some plain canned chicken (or a boiled breast) or tuna in water with some plain pasta or overcooked rice may entice him as well.

 

Make sure he is continuing to drink so he stays hydrated.