Infected Nail...I Hope....Updated.

[Sarah and Willow]

Here's the Update!

So I drove the 60 miles to the nearest vet, and she was a very straight forward lady. I liked her. She was not concerned about her foot at all, not about infection, foxtails, or anything at this point. She said she could prescribe me a thirty dollar tiny bottle of topical cream, or I could buy some Neosporin or hydrocortisone cream. She thinks something irritated her foot, maybe a bug bite, and Willow's licking has irritated it even more so. My rx was to keep her from licking her foot and to try some hydrocortisone. If in a week there is no improvement, I am to go back to try some antibiotics.

So a two hour trip to "town" and a small fee for the examination was well worth putting my mind at ease! And I like this new vet! My last one, I imagine, would have gone ahead and lanced her foot, prescribed antibiotics and expensive cream, and done a fecal smear test for good measure ;)

Thank you all for being concerned along with me! It's nice to have support.

Hello All,

Last Thursday, we noticed Willow's toe was really, really pink! And she must have been licking it like crazy because it has very little hair left! I looked it over, and cannot find any opening, like a puncture or cut. I have been putting ointment and an antiseptic spray on it all weekend. She has been very good during the day at not licking off the medicine. Although at night I'll wake up to her licking it and try to deter it. I am going to make a vet appointment tomorrow, but my biggest worry is it being a foxtail burr. I'm hoping someone may ease my mind today and have any experience with infected nail beds and think this may be the cause?? 

The pictures I have, she has ointment smeared on her toe. And there is still no pus or anything. Not limping, still very energetic and good appetite. It has so far, not gotten any worse, or better...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm not sure what it is, but I think it's a very, very good idea to have the vet take a look at it. Hope it's something easily cleared up. 

[Sarah and Willow]

Me too! It's breaking my heart, even though it just seems to be mildly irritating to her. I should have just taken her in to the vet Saturday. I will be able to go in tomorrow though, and hopefully a round of antibiotics will clear her up. My mind always goes to the worst case scenario, and I hope they don't have to lance her to look for a foxtail.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Hi Sarah,

We just recently experienced a problem with Spud's toe.  Here is a discussion with updates that may help you.  One thing I learned was to not mess around with a dog's toe.  A dog's nail, unlike humans, is an extension of the bone.   So, infection in  a dog's nail can really pose problems when the bone becomes infected. So, don't wish for only an infected nail bed because these too, are serious with dogs  :(

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/look-at-spud-s-toe-please?...

 My  discussion as I updated the treatment we  had to use to get the toe better  and do see a vet. 

[Sarah and Willow]

Thank you. I must have not searched the right key phases because I didn't find anything when I searched DK!

It looks a lot like Willow's, and I will see a vet tomorrow. Darn holiday weekend.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

No problem.  The DK search feature can be difficult. And who knows, you may not have gotten the right answers anyway.

Hope I can help. P.S. we do not have Foxtail in our area.  I know, these can be extremely dangerous.

Let us know what the vet thinks.

I just thought ours was a simple infection. I was kind of shocked when my vet took it very seriously!  

Since it is a weekend, you may want to start the soaks now.   We soaked for several weeks. Pain in the arse, really. Very time consuming.  It worked.

We used gallon freezer bags with Dreft Laundry Soap but he said any laundry soap will do. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Actually disregard my advice. Look at my discussion but do wait until tomorrow to see what your vet recommends. I have no idea what to do if it is a Foxtail or a nail problem. I was only relaying my experience but the seriousness of my lessons learned with dog's nails and toes
Good luck. You really should be just fine until tomorrow :)

[Sarah and Willow]

Foxtail's are going to drive me nuts this summer. And although I think it actually being a burr is a slight chance... it still is the first thing on my mind (not the optimistic type!). Summer just finally broke around here! And foxtails have yet to grow, but there is still left over's from last year.

Thank you for your info, I had no idea that it could lead to a bone infection. I was hoping it was something I could clear up with home remedies, like if my toe nail was infected... but now know that in the future I won't wait it out like I did this time.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Hey, we waited a week with topical antibiotics. I thought the same thing too. And I really felt like an idiot when I made an appointment only to look over and see my dog jumping off of the back of the couch~ playing hard.

Then, to find out the vet looked alarmed!

Karen gave you the links to some of the Foxtail discussions.  For once, I am glad to live in cold Ohio.

Keep us updated. I will be watching for your update tomorrow

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Fox tails are a dreaded thing to have if you live in an area that has them.  We are in San Diego and they are everywhere.  It is funny how some of the people from the East have never heard of them.  I remember my discussion about them and there were may who could not envision one. Trade offs...we don't have ticks!  We also have those round burrs that are in the lawns that love to attach to Doodles.  I am not quite as worried about those embedding.  They can just get between the toes and irritate the skin but not penentrate.  The Fox Tails are the nasy things to watch out for.  They only go one way and that is straight in.  You need to really be careful because they get into noses and ears or eyes as well.  Nasty things!!!!!  They are hard to find once inside because they travel.  It has been known in a worst case scenario to find it's way to the heart or brain and...well, you can guess.  During this time of the year you need to do a thorough body check every day if you are in areas that might have them.  We don't have a problem in our yard because we keep it  manicured and maintained.  But when you are out walking you can even run across fox tails in the unkept front yards...and there are a lot of them these days with no one wanting to water or do manual labor to maintain their yards!!!  We avoid all the open areas after spring and through to the fall until all the fox tails have fallen away.  We only do lawn and beach stuff.  I am so done with taking chances with Gracie Doodle!!!  Give us a follow up on what you find out.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nancie's Gracie had a bad run-in with foxtails and needed surgery twice; as i recall, they missed some of them the first time.

Here are her blogs about it:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/gracie-doodle-is-in-surgery

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/gracie-doodles-update

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/gracie-doodle-goes-back-for

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/ms-foxy-gracie-doodle-up...

Foxtails are nasty, scary things! Sure hope Willow doesn't have one! 

[Sarah and Willow]

Yikes, poor Gracie. Thank you for the links, they kind of put my mind a little at ease, because I can't find any little openings or punctures in her foot. Next time I will not wait to go to the vet. What was I thinking! Waiting out a holiday weekend.

Well, summer's are super short here. And all I can think of doing is keeping the foxtails trimmed down, and checking Willow's ears, nose, and paws when she's done playing, and giving her a thorough brushing.

I will update after I see the vet tomorrow!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

This is something that you need to have the vet look at right away.  My Gracie Doodle has had both problems.  She had Fox Tails (5) that had gone up between her toes and imbedded inside.  She was swollen and full of pus.  She had to have exploratory surgery to find the fox tails and remove them.  She also has had an infected toe nail at the cuticle.  This was brought on by large dosages of Prednisone which kills a lot of the good stuff in the body and caused many bacterial infections on her legs and feet.  She had to go on an antibiotic and I also put medicine on the toe and put a baby sock on and secured it with that medical self sticking (non adhesive) wrap.  Worked great to keep her from licking.  Gracie also lost a toe nail which bled and bled like crazy.  Again due to the Prednisone.  All is well now and she is all healed up and back to her ol' self.  Good Luck!