Poor Kooka slid down a dirt hill about 5 or 6 months ago. I didn't notice any damage until about 2 to 4 weeks later. There was a firm swollen area on one of his toes. It's right on the side of the bone that the nail goes into. It is oozing a very small amount of discharge from where the nail comes out. When I noticed it, there was actually some soft tissue portruding out from below the nail, but a course of anti biotics and anti inflammatories calmed the portrusion down but the lump on the side of the toe remains. I have tried three courses of two different kinds of anti biotics (He was on one course for 4 weeks) as well as two courses of anti inflammatories. The lump won't go away, and there is still a small amount of discharge from the nail. It doesn't seem to bother him too much, he licks at it maybe once or twice a day, not enough to cause any problems from agitation. He doesn't limp, but he does seem to favor the other paw ever so slightly.
At this point, my vet thinks that a toe amputation is the only way to resolve this since it has been so long. The vet doesn't think it will get better on its own (since its been 5 or 6 months now and is not getting any better or any worse). The vet doesn't think more antibiotics are going to help since the month long course didn't seem to affect it. Also, the vet doesn't think there is a foreign body wedged up in there because he feels that if there were, the symptoms would be much worse.
Has anyone had to deal with a toe amputation before? If so, what issue occured causing you to have it done and how was the recovery? I am NOT looking forward to this at all. I know the recovery is going to be a nightmare and I can't imagine poor Kooka missing one of his pads. The vet thinks they MIGHT be able to save the pad if they can get all of the infection out by just removing the last digit on the toe with the nail. I hope this is the cas but won't know until afte the procedure.
Thanks in advance for any input.
At this point, my vet thinks that a toe amputation is the only way to resolve this since it has been so long. The vet doesn't think it will get better on its own (since its been 5 or 6 months now and is not getting any better or any worse). The vet doesn't think more antibiotics are going to help since the month long course didn't seem to affect it. Also, the vet doesn't think there is a foreign body wedged up in there because he feels that if there were, the symptoms would be much worse.
Has anyone had to deal with a toe amputation before? If so, what issue occured causing you to have it done and how was the recovery? I am NOT looking forward to this at all. I know the recovery is going to be a nightmare and I can't imagine poor Kooka missing one of his pads. The vet thinks they MIGHT be able to save the pad if they can get all of the infection out by just removing the last digit on the toe with the nail. I hope this is the cas but won't know until afte the procedure.
Thanks in advance for any input.
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