Tuesday Topics #25 - Poor Paw Problems
I'm so grateful to have my own personal puppy forum here. Thank you to all of you who respond to my silly AND serious questions on Tuesday Topics!
Last night, I noticed some bumps on Cabana's hind paws. I had just trimmed her nails on Sunday, and I don't THINK the bumps were there then. So it's something that happened sometime yesterday.
Cabana doesn't seem affected by these bumps, as she walks and runs normally, doesn't favor them, doesn't lick them. But they don't look good. I'm hoping someone can tell me what they are and whether I need to take her to the vet.
Above are two photos of Cabana's left hind paw. The bump is right next to her nailbed. It is quite swollen, dark, and hard--but it's not an open sore, and it's not bloody.
Cabana's right hind paw has a small dark spot on a hard lump, smaller than a pea. Any ideas on what could be the cause? And on a side note, do you think her nails are still too long? I'm always worried about cutting the quick, but maybe I don't take off enough?
Wow....I don't know! That doesn't look good. I would either suspect (1. allergies or (2. foxtails.
But that would be just a guess, I really have no idea! Maybe someone else knows.
On the nail subject, if she was my dog I would definitely make the nails shorter--but, you probably shouldn't cut them past your comfort point. Meaning if you feel that there might be a chance of getting the quick, then stop there....
Have you tried a dremel on Cabana? Some dogs hate them, but she might be ok. You can still of course get the quick, but it's less likely than with a nail trimmer.
Good luck!
Midnight had one of those when she was with me, something called a lickgranuloma, forms after frequent licking..can't say that I ever saw her licking it a lot but what do I know. The vet gave us some ointment too put on it, and it cleared up within a week.
I can't say that's what Cabana has but that's what they called it with Midnight.
Does she lick her paws a lot? It could be a lick granuloma which is caused when they excessively lick a part of their body and they get a toughening of the skin and abraise it. Or could be the start of some type of infection. Other than that I have no clue. Good luck with it!
Erin and Katrin, no, I don't think Cabana licks them. She'll clean/lick her paws sometimes, but it's definitely nothing excessive.
I googled lick granuloma, which I had never heard of before--and wow, those photos are pretty ghastly. I don't think that's what Cabana has--but I still appreciate the info. I learned something new anyway!
Heather, I'm leaning toward your thought that foxtails may have entered her skin. Those darned foxtails--I've been extremely cautious about not letting Cabana run around in dry fields, so if that's what they are, I'm just going to be at a complete loss for how to protect her from them.
I'm thinking a vet may need to check it out just in case...I do wonder if something's gotten in there & is trying to get infected? I hope not though! Let us know how it turns out!
Any chance that your last puppy-sittie liked to grab on to Cabana's legs? It could possibly be a small infection. Foxtails are also a possibility.
Hopefully it is nothing major!
Oh, and on the nails if your trim her nails just a tiny bit frequently the quick will actually get shorter and you will be able to keep them cut short without as great of a risk of hitting the quick.
Good luck.
Hmmmm. Don't know. But, have been finding odd spots on Sierra lately...our vet is seeing a lot of allergies to pollen, fleas...etc. Have seen more red spots, and itchy areas...but not on the paws.
Oh...has Cabana run on tennis court type ground? We have heard they are very harsh on paws.
Please keep us posted!
Hugs and snaggle-tooth kisses,
Sierra Rose
I'm sure the vet will be able to tell you.
Oh, Cabana so sorry. I don't have any answers but agree - putting out a question on your blog is a great way to get some helpful tips. Hope your paws are feeling pawsome soon, Cabana.
I'm betting these are foxtails embedded in her paws. Sometimes the foxtail will fester enough and you can squeeze and extract with tweezers. Because the foxtail has a barb on it like a fish hook they become stuck and need to be surgically removed. Poor Cabana, I'll bet they hurt.
Just wanted to update that my puppy group leader THINKS the bumps are histiocytomas, which are benign tumors that usually occur in dogs less than 3 years old. She says they happen frequently among the GDB population and will go away on their own in a few months' time. A few of her previous puppies have had them.
Her description of histiocytomas was so on the mark with Cabana's bumps--crop up overnight, cause no pain, are dry to the touch--that I'm almost certain this is what Cabana has. I cut the hairs back around the bumps, and I can't see any hole or puncture where something like a foxtail might have entered. Also, Cabana lets me poke and prod the bumps without any protest, so I'm quite sure they don't hurt.
However, I still do plan to show the vet, just in case they might be something else. But since they are not painful to her and I feel pretty confident of what they are, I'm going to wait a few weeks to take her in. She needs to get a few shots soon, so I figure I'd rather save a few bucks and do it all at the same time.