DeerhoundLurcherMan 997 Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 My dog knocked a few toes exposing the quicks about a month ago, all healed well apart from one which developed into a nail bed infection, as soon as I saw the redness and swelling appear I had him on 250mg of Alphamox antibiotics every 12 hours for a week while washing his feet in hibiscrub and salt water on alternate days. No signs of improvement after a week or so, took him to the vets who gave me some different antibiotics to try for a week (clinacin). Day 6 still no better so back to the vets, next day he had the nail removed and toe thoroughly cleaned and bandaged up, 48 hours later back in the vets for them to clean it, have a look, and re-dress it. We thought it looked slightly better.... so 48 hours on again and the dressing has slid off so ive just soaked it in salt water and had a look myself, and although it looks like its clean and healing, the reddness is going but the swelling is still huge! I'm after a few opinions.... Would you expect the swelling to still be up like this or has the infection spread to the bone? or What.. Hes been on a constant supply of antibiotics for 23 days now... Vets took a swab of the infected tissue to send off so that it can be matched to the correct antibiotic, but we haven't got that far yet...Should I carry on with the Clinacin and wait a week, or send the swab off, or look at another option? Cheers.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J Darcy 5,871 Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 Tell your vet you want Noraclav...... I'd apply a hot poultice to that for three or four days of treatment and then jut once a day in hot salt water. It's going to be a while healing matey. get a head torch for checking the dogs feet, it will really help you spot foreign bodies as I wouldn't be surprised if a blackthorn had caused that and not just a nailbed infection....good luck.. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sandymere 8,263 Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 That joint looks infected, hows it doing/ 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DeerhoundLurcherMan 997 Posted November 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 Vet said she would have expected it to be more closed by now and the swelling to have subsided, so she thinks there is something going on inside such as a fragment of nail still inside or perhaps some infection still inside... She said the body will try to reject any foreign bodies inside which might work its way out, and if it is infection in the joint then the antibiotics which he is already been on for about 3 weeks would be the ones she would have prescribed!... So she said to wait and see what happens.... I just ran out of antibiotics yesterday... hes been on them for 27 days.. He did 2 miles by bike 2 days ago and was fine.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
downsouth 7,719 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Has the dog had an x ray? I had the exactly the same thing years ago.Weeks of antibiotics getting stronger and stronger nail bed removed.When the vet finally opened the end of the toe up there was a couple of tiny fragments of bone chipped off of the last section of the toe floating about rotting. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DeerhoundLurcherMan 997 Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 I'm booking him in for an X-ray tomorrow, hopefully identity the problem as either a fracture which I doubt as he ran fine after the initial claw injury, joint infection or fragment of nail or bone still in there... I might suggest if the X-ray is done under sedation and they find a fragment still in there, open it up there and then to remove it.. Save him going under twice... Fingers crossed, it's starting to get me down... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J Darcy 5,871 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Keep us informed.....For such infections I have found Noraclav to be the best. Is there any -opening- or hole anywhere for fluid to leak out of? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DeerhoundLurcherMan 997 Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Yea, where the nail was, is still open... It's not really discharging any fluid though.. I'll see what the results of the X-ray are, and if it looks like a joint infection I'll ask for Noraclav.. Cheers mate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J Darcy 5,871 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Yea, where the nail was, is still open... It's not really discharging any fluid though.. I'll see what the results of the X-ray are, and if it looks like a joint infection I'll ask for Noraclav.. Cheers mate In the meantime there's something you might want to try. Get some clean cotton wool and dip it in hot salty water. Obviously use your initiative as to the heat; you don't want to scauld the dog! but as hot as you think is ok. Wrap the cotton wool around the infected area. The wrap up fairly tightly with bandage. Leave it on 20 mins. Obviously do not constrict the blood flow to the toe, so don't strangle the toe!! But tight enough. Take off and wipe with another clean lump of cotton wool. I'd do that twice a day and see what happens within 2 days. It's worth a gamble. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dunkanon 380 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 let us know how you get on mate. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DeerhoundLurcherMan 997 Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Just heard from the vet, she said xray looks ok, no fragments or foreign bodies, but could see that the very end of the toe bone was slightly damaged. Which she thought might have been the initial injury which knocked the nail back to the quick... I asked for Noraclav but she said swapping antibiotics can cause the infection to build up resistance. She said they will send the swab off to check the antibiotics given are the correct ones... Two weeks of them and see what it's like after that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trenchfoot 4,243 Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I don't think there are any contra-indications to useing the AB's you mention together at the same time. Add the Noraclav in to your existing treatment. Using two AB's together can have a synergistic effect 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
my hounds 313 Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Any chance of a recent photo? and by any chance have you let your dog lick the injury/wound etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DeerhoundLurcherMan 997 Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Will get a pic up when I get him home from vets... He has been free to lick the wound but hasnt been obsessed with it.. To be honest after he had the nail removed he had it in a dressing for a week... We did 2 miles a week ago and it didn't bother him so I thought I'd try and keep some condition on him, 2 miles 2 days later had him holding it up again. That's when I decided we need an xray.. I'll do these two weeks of antibiotics and keep him on a lead.... I was hoping to have him running again by Christmas.. Time will tell... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DeerhoundLurcherMan 997 Posted December 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 Just had a call from the vets. They sent the swab off to the lab and results showed resistant bacteria.. So they have matched the correct antibiotic to his infection... I thought it was weird that an infection was still present after a month of antibiotics.. Fingers crossed now, she said just a week on these ones should be enough to see him back to catching 3/3 (haha) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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