Swollen toe

[JudyN]

Jasper has a sore toe...


I say sore - it doesn't seem to be bothering him, and he's not limping. But it's swollen, and has bled from a bit of a cut underneath the swollen bit. Him being him, I don't want to investigate it too closely so have just been bathing it in salty water when we've been outside. My guess is that he bashed it when belting down the garden to bark at the monsters at the end of the garden... they must be out in force, he gets really worked up some evenings, skids across the patio, and would easily crash into anything in his path. I'll probably just keep bathing it and keep an eye on it, but any other suggestions are welcome - if it gets worse (swells more, looks infected, bothers him) I'll take him to the vet.

He also has a swelling on the end of his face... aka his nose (He was a bit funny when I was trying to take a photo of his food - I don't know if he was suspicious and thought I was up to something, or thought it was a new game and trying to work out what he had to do to get a treat.)

 

[Finsky]

Could there be a thorn in there? Have you got any roses or something else spiky in your garden?

 

[JudyN]

Ooh, that is a thought @Finsky ... We pruned an old climbing rose a couple of weeks back and the thorny branches were left lying on the lawn... I really don't fancy having a delve though as he's not going to let me - or a vet - find a foreign object and remove it. Maybe I should pop him up the vet tomorrow and see if they recommend preemptive antibiotics...

 

[Biker John]

JudyN, a friend who believes in Homeopathy tells me that Homeopathic Silica given oral to dogs causes the dogs body to expel any foreign body in it. Now being of scientific training and experience I tend to not use Homeopathy but it wouldn't do any harm, (I tend to think it wont do anything but that's a different matter). Just letting you know if it is a thorn and if it works then it would come out without J being messed with.

 

[JudyN]

Thanks, @Biker John. My opinion of homeopathy is the same as you though - I reckon it's got as much chance of working as there is of Jasper giving me his paw and asking me to have a good delve... Where's Androcles when you need him?!

 

[Whippylove]

Poor jasper!
When mine have anything stuck in their paws I soak it in warm water and add Epsom salt it usually draws out what's in it.

 

[Finsky]

JudyN, a friend who believes in Homeopathy tells me that Homeopathic Silica given oral to dogs causes the dogs body to expel any foreign body in it. Now being of scientific training and experience I tend to not use Homeopathy but it wouldn't do any harm, (I tend to think it wont do anything but that's a different matter). Just letting you know if it is a thorn and if it works then it would come out without J being messed with.

I keep bottle of colloidal silver in the cupboard as an ailment for anything with aggravated/broken skin (externally only)..been using it for some years now for us and for our animals too Seem to work fine..

 

[JoanneF]

I have no advice but wanted to send my sympathy to poor Jasper!

 

[JudyN]

It's not bothering him at all - it's only me bothering about it!

I got a better look at the wound today, and to my relief it looks very much like a scrape rather than a puncture - and looking at the thorny rose prunings, the thorns are very wide at the base so I think it's very unlikely that one got in there and it healed over. Still, they are now in the compost bin.

I'll keep washing it and monitoring it, though he does find it all a bit scary. I'd like to get him to stand with his foot in a container of saline water but he raises his foot right up to his belly until it can't go any higher. I'm wondering about training this with a container with no water but his rear end awareness is pretty rubbish at the best of times!

 

[Finsky]

It's not bothering him at all - it's only me bothering about it!

I got a better look at the wound today, and to my relief it looks very much like a scrape rather than a puncture - and looking at the thorny rose prunings, the thorns are very wide at the base so I think it's very unlikely that one got in there and it healed over. Still, they are now in the compost bin.

I'll keep washing it and monitoring it, though he does find it all a bit scary. I'd like to get him to stand with his foot in a container of saline water but he raises his foot right up to his belly until it can't go any higher. I'm wondering about training this with a container with no water but his rear end awareness is pretty rubbish at the best of times!

Would he allow you to put his paw into container and then lift it up so even if he lifts his paw,,the small container will be lifted with it? Or maybe quick wrap around a rag that is really wet with saline water?
They are funny 'things'...mine won't let hose or water from the hose anywhere near them..other one is right pampered and does this shivering 'I'm cold mum' act to get next to me at night and under covers. But yet...when out and about, she makes an effort to find every possible puddle to walk through, even with icy water and no matter how deep it comes up to her body and she seem to enjoy paddling in it..but washing or rinsing with clean water, even if it just paws...

 

[JudyN]

Would he allow you to put his paw into container and then lift it up so even if he lifts his paw,,the small container will be lifted with it?

Yep, that's what I do. But he's not very stable on three legs (not when the lifted one is a back leg), so I can't keep it there too long. It's much easier when I have someone to help, because then I don't also have to check that his stressometer doesn't get too high.... that never goes well

Actually, last time I looked, it looked more like a cut. I wish it would make up its mind!

 

[Ari_RR]

I would attempt a different approach - get J on a sofa, one human takes a bag of treats and feeds him slowly, 1 at a time, to keep him distracted, while the other human gently washes his paw with a soaked cloth.... This is how we do nails. But then again, J being J, conventional methods probably won't work.

 

[JudyN]

He'd probably be more defensive on the sofa, Ari_RR

It's funny watching him when I tempt him into the kitchen to bathe his paw - I'll be trying to lure him into a position that gives me access to the paw, he'll be angling himself so his left rear is right up against the wall or kitchen unit. I usually put a towel down on the floor and get him to stand on the towel when washing paws, but I've given up on that... again, he knows what it means and will either avoid it completely or only put his 'good' paws on it.

Needless to say, he's quite happy wading through puddles on walks!