Dog is only as good as its feet!!

[moocherboi 8]

i have always thought my dog had good feet, an important thing to many of us that work lurchers.

my dog has some how broken a toe i believe.

 

now the toe only breaks over to the outside. its a middle toe on hind foot. this only ever occurs when the dog is running hard with sharp turns and slowing up quickly.

 

but is the toe broken. as it does not fall all over the place and sometimes wont break over to one side.

 

now could it be a ligament on one side of the toe is broken/torn.

 

i have taped the toe to the other toe, box rest dog.. walkin on hard even ground.

 

but think time to go to the vet now, im confused..

 

could i just strap the toe to the other when running him or should i just get it removed?? if so does any one no how much it cost .

 

also the dog shows no pain when this happens.. no limping or crying etc when running or if i touch it.

 

hope you understnd what i mean

 

cheers

[Tiff 36]

is there any swelling?

when did the injury happen (if you know)

[moocherboi 8]

no swelling at all.. it will pop out when running, if i notice it and touch it then it pops back and will stay in place unless runs hard again. no pain or destress is caused.

 

happened while back now. as i have had his toes strapped up and on box rest. then started just walking him for last 6 weeks and was strapped up for bout week . thought it had fixed. took him out this evening for light run which turned into a hoooo haaaaa round the park like some nutter as he not been off the lead.

[Tiff 36]

I had an outside toe removed off a bitch, I don't know if a middle toe being removed is more serious or not, but she has been 100% since the removal. See what the vet says (assuming the vet knows running dogs of course!)

[moocherboi 8]

can any one add to this topic?? is a middle toe more serious thn an outside??

[skycat 6,174]

Yes a middle toe is more serious than an outside toe from the point of view that the middle toes are the ones the dog pushes off from when it runs, but the outside toes help the dog to corner properly: they are props.

 

It sounds as though the toe has been dislocated and the ligaments on one side ruptured: if you've been running the dog like this then I'd say that the damage is now irreversible, though only a good greyhound vet can tell you for certain.

 

If you have the toe removed it can't cause any more problems as it won't be there! A good greyhound vet will leave the pad on and bring it up to protect the stump from bashing into things when the dog runs: don't let a pet dog vet remove the toe.

 

If you leave the toe as it is it may affect the other toes, but unlikely: as I said before, the middle toes are the ones needed for take off and power: I've seen dogs with completely flat toes and no middle toes at all running, and they were slowed down a bit but perfectly capable of doing their job.

[Guest Bennybhoy]

Yes a middle toe is more serious than an outside toe from the point of view that the middle toes are the ones the dog pushes off from when it runs, but the outside toes help the dog to corner properly: they are props.

 

It sounds as though the toe has been dislocated and the ligaments on one side ruptured: if you've been running the dog like this then I'd say that the damage is now irreversible, though only a good greyhound vet can tell you for certain.

 

If you have the toe removed it can't cause any more problems as it won't be there! A good greyhound vet will leave the pad on and bring it up to protect the stump from bashing into things when the dog runs: don't let a pet dog vet remove the toe.

 

If you leave the toe as it is it may affect the other toes, but unlikely: as I said before, the middle toes are the ones needed for take off and power: I've seen dogs with completely flat toes and no middle toes at all running, and they were slowed down a bit but perfectly capable of doing their job.

pm sjm on this site and ask her to show you her mates dogs toe injuries.and the wee bitch is still doing well.imo it sounds as if the damage has been done.if the toe swole at the first time of dislocation ,then you should have left the dog to rest for 6 weeks to let the bruised blood turn to calous.you could try getting the toe pinfired .

[moocherboi 8]

cheers everyone. when i first noticed it i didnt see any swelling or heat. had been strapped up for ages and just walking. had no problems with the toe until last night when he had a little run round the park, (first time he been on lead since first done it)

 

could i get away with running the dog wit the toe strapped to the other?? as only comes out when running.

 

or anyone reccomend a good greyhound vet?

[benny 1 5]

hello mate my dog snapped her inside toe back leg and the vet told me if i wanted her as a pet the toe would be fine on but if working and runing hard then it would need to come off now my bitch is runing 100 per cent better alot quicker and turns alot sharper to they dont even notice its gone

[benny 1 5]

heres a pic off her just after the op

[benny 1 5]

pic

[moocherboi 8]

spoken to my boss's farther in law who runs greyhounds. they have put me in the right direction for a vet to use.

 

benny 1 how long was it before the dog was up and running again after the op'?? and also how much did it cost? (roughly)

 

cheers

[benny 1 5]

it was ruffly 200 all out [bANNED TEXT] and it took a while to heal but it was well worth it in the end

[angoraferret 0]

I worked for a greyhound trainer for 16 years.

Its a jumped toe, you are right when you mention the ligaments they have been stretched and allow the toe to dislocate.

Taping the toe won't work you need to get it off, problem is the outside toe may go the same way as it will be displaced when running hard.

Pack it with ice to take any swelling down if it happens again.

There is a vet in marske called james haddow see if you can get to speak to him he might be able to give you good advice, he is an experienced hound vet.