abcollie Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 One of my dogs has arthritis is his back left (2nd from the outside) toe. It seems to bother him on rough, uneven ground and he will "pack his leg" if it's really hurting. When he's in the house on the carpet ... never limps. I've wrapped it, put boots on, etc. All help ... but it's a pain to have to do that every time I want to work. My vet suggested we "fuse" it. So, my question is has anyone ever tried this and did it help or hinder? If it would help him I'd be more than willing to try it - my worry is that it might make it worse. It's a weight bearing toe so she suggested we not remove it (as I do know some dogs that have had toes removed and worked fine). Thanks, Candy Kennedy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 Hey Candy - Are you working with an orthopedic vet or a regular vet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcollie Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 I'm working with my regular vet (who also runs BC's) but she has an "on-call" orthopedic vet that comes to the office weekly. It's not really that injured (took us a month to actually find out WHAT was causing the problem. We finally put the x-rays up and turned on the reverse (whatever) that makes the bones look dark instead of light and you could see a little arthritis around the toe. Candy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 That's really a tough one. I know cutting off those weight bearing toes can cause more problems than it fixes, or at least that's what i've heard. I think Kent K's Coon had a toe amputated and it gave him trouble, if i'm remembering correctly. I've not heard of any fused toes so can't really speak to that. Will you let us know if you get any more info? I'm curious about what you find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 Sometimes what is seen on radiographs doesn't always match up with exactly what the problem is. Case in point- I had a lumbar fusion, and initially did very well, and then things went south. Was sent in for a myelogram/ct scan. The said EUREKA! when they found a spinal cord tumor- THAT'S what was causing the pain, and then I went in for a more extended examination by both neuros, physios and orthos. Turns out, no, that was not it- it was incidental (let's hope it always remains that way- permanent watch), what WAS the problem was arthritis- I learned this by being prescribed Mobic RX, and taking it every night- no more pain in ALL the places I had issues. It is truly a wonder drug for me. So, what I am very long windedly getting to, is that while there may be arthritis in that joint- it may not be the cause for problems- or it may be part of the cause. He may have torn a ligament- just as possibly as arthritis. THE best vets for toe issues are greyhound vets- those associated with racing dogs. Broken toes in these dogs are not uncommon, and they are the best choice for a specialist who *knows* toes. I'm working with my regular vet (who also runs BC's) but she has an "on-call" orthopedic vet that comes to the office weekly. It's not really that injured (took us a month to actually find out WHAT was causing the problem. We finally put the x-rays up and turned on the reverse (whatever) that makes the bones look dark instead of light and you could see a little arthritis around the toe. Candy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenajo Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 When you fuse one joint, the next joint up takes all the stress. Sometimes you just move the problem up...to bigger, more complicated problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcollie Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 When you fuse one joint, the next joint up takes all the stress. Sometimes you just move the problem up...to bigger, more complicated problems. That's what I'm afraid of Sometimes what is seen on radiographs doesn't always match up with exactly what the problem is. We've had 2 vets look at him and both came up with the same conclusion - his toe. We went through the entire "process" of what could it be ... testing for most everything. But you're right it might be be a ligament or something ... another reason I'm hesitant to do it. Actually one of the pair of boots I have for him came from a place that specializes in Greyhound injuries. Really nice boots ... but still there are times when I just need to SEND him. Thanks guys ... tends to make me "stick with my original" - just wait and see attitude. Candy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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