Annie was lame last friday,paw swollen,we were going to lakes sat so took her to my usual vet fri evening he suspected a broken toe,my gut feeling told me there was something in her paw,I asked for a xray but he said they usually leave for 3 days,he prescribed codine also metacam,we decided to go to the lakes we were staying in my sisters holiday lodge as less space for her to move about with her being lame ,by sat night she was in pain and the codine was not giving her relief,took her to emergency vet and annie was xrayed,should vets xray on there own without nurse support?vets diagnosis was broken leg,at worst bone cancer,I was very worried to say the least,she precribed antibiotics and tramadol and to go back following morning,my poor girl was in severe pain all night long,took her back to see a different vet at the same practice,he said there was no break in her leg,the other vet hwad mistaken dewclaw as a fracture,he said he suspected a abcess,so another GA this morning,he was right,her paw is very badly infected,we are home now and she is comfortable,how can a vet get a dewclaw mixed up with fracture,Annie has suffered because the other two vets are not competent.

Sheila

Sounds like an interdigital cyst which I have had with one of mine. The Vet I saw at the time wanted to operate the next day to dig away and perhaps find a foreign body but I said that I would bring her back to see one of the other Vets. He diagnosed an interdigital cyst, cut it there and then, squeezed out the pus and told me to keep bathing it with salt water. Cleared up not problem without the use of the anaesthetic and all that the operation would have required had I listened to the first Vet. Considering the training they go through I do think some are clueless.

Or an embedded seed  :-)

very painful thing to go through,the last vet I saw suspected a seed or somthing similar,she is alot brighter this morning thank goodness but no walks for her yet though.,how long will it be before she bears her weight,its the front leg,poor girl is getting about on three

Does sound like it could be a grass seed, happened to one of mine a couple of years ago in exactly the same place.  It's just the right time of year as well. It cleared up within a week as far as I remember.

Dd they get the foreign object out as if it is still so painful I would imagine it is still inside. My girl Mars had to have it cut open and cleaned out including the grass seed as it had barbels and had well and truely embedded itself .

Poor girl hope she starts to feel better soon Sheila x

yes she had it cut open yesterday and cleaned out,nothing found,the abcess had burst so there is alot of infection inside,we are bathing her paw in salted water then of course clear water,she is on very strong antibiotics and tramadol 50mg,4 caps twice a day,she is fed up

Sheila

Sheila if she is still like it tomorrow morning get her back as she should be showing signs of improvement by now.

got a appointment for tomorrow,sat and sun she was in a lot of pain I slept on the floor with her,she has improved a little each day,i have just walked slowly with her up the road and she was weight bearing,only out 5 mins ,bless her when she saw her lead her tail was wagging,she wants to be out and about,

Sheila

oh your poor girl ... she must be in so much pain... she may need a different type of antibiotic or even kept in to go on a drip .. dont want that infection spreading...

just realised the date .. how did it go...???

Yes was thinking how the appointment went as well

Annie on the mend,usual vet not on yesterday so with her being ok made app for this aff,took her in the car to the park for a sniff about and to do her duties will update later.

Sheila

>the other vet hwad mistaken dewclaw as a fracture

That's a shocking level of incompetence!! So glad she is on the mend now.

Yes it was,I was furious my Annie suffered because of this,she was in so much pain last sunday night after the second incompetent vet did xray thank goodness we got to the bottom of the problem on monday,shes had another little walk today and is bearing her own weight,prob more antibiotics tonight at vets,

Sheila

been to see Austin our vet,put her on stronger antibiotics,he expects the infection to of cleared by next thursday and to keep bathing her paw  with warm salted water,he said it is still quite swollen,and to see her again next week.

Sheila

Annies paw still not healed,if no better vet said she will have to have her toe off,vet and myself still feel theres somthing still in her paw,

Sheila

Why didn't they operate sooner as loosing a toe because of this to me is totally unnecessary :-(

I had a CKC with a large cyst that would swell up, cause a lot of pain and then burst with blood and gunge  pouring out, then all quiet for a couple of weeks and then it would start building up again. It did cause my little boy a lot of discomfort and he would spend a lot of time licking the paw. He had weeks of antibiotics followed by a small op to see if there was a grass seed or something inside, but my vet found nothing. He ended up having a toe removed and there was still no sign of the cause that my vet could find. It was just a mystery.
Thankfully once the toe was gone the cyst didn't come back.

This appears to be the same as your ckc,are dogs in alot of pain when this proceedure is carried out,my vet suspects the cyst may build up again thats why he wants her to have this op.

Sheila

The hardest thing was keeping him quiet for a few days to stop the paw getting knocked too much, he was eager to run and chase as normal. I think I  felt more squeamish because I knew what had been done, my dog just seemed relieved that the discomfort had gone. Once the wound had healed he was back to his old self and lived for several more years until he was 12.
I must admit that I tried everything to avoid this op but on hindsight it took his pain away and I regret the months I made him wait before accepting it was necessary

Thanks for your reply,She has been through so much the last couple of weeks,she is bearing her on weight now but her paw is still swollen and she is licking it,she finishes her last course of antibiotics on friday,will have to go with whats best for her,poor girl

Sheila

Sheila I hope she gets sorted soon x

Thanks Lucy,xx

Give her hug from me and please keep us updated on her progress, whatever you decide.

Annies paw is improving day by day,been to vet again this pm,another 2 weeks of Antibiotics,she is no longer licking her paw thank goodness,no pus or blood present so thats a good sign,

Sheila

Great news Sheila. Fingers (and paws!) crossed that Annie continues to improve x

Wonderful news, I am so chuffed for you

Great news !x

Thank you for your concern as she really has been in alot of pain and discomfort,as she was so poorly on our hols in the lakes,we are going again in two weeks all being well.

Sheila