Puzzled

[Cajun]

Last week one of my best gyps started going lame in one foot. On the second day she could not stand up & I took her to the Vet. Other then a very high White blood count, they did not find anything. Her feet were swelling & abscessing & her joints were swollen.They put her on antibiotics & steroids , kept her for two days & sent her home. She was doing fine, eating well & last night she did not eat. This morning she could barely walk & I brought her back to the Vet. Her toes were oozing from where her feet had swelled up & she had a abcess that started at her elbow. The first time I brought her in, they thought she was going septic. Now they are running more blood tests to see if they can find out anything. Anybody experience this. I thought it could be some tick related disease& they are checking on that also.

[Goose87]

What kind of feed are you feeding? Have you changed anything up out of her normal routine?

[Cajun]

I did go to a 27/20 feed instead of the 24/20 I was feeding but it is the same brand and none of the other dogs have been affected.

[Judge peel]

Cajun I had a bulldog bout 20 something yrs ago did same thing went to vet got some pills and what not and the dog got better week later a big not came up above his foot bigger than a egg. I cut it open and some seeds came out it was very nasty stuff. Then he got better never new what it was first and only time I seen it


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[Mike]

That's a strange one... I'm curious to see what they find out. I've never one abscess from a tick disease?

[Black Streak]

I was guessing a seed also till you said the swelling started at her elbow.   A seed probably will not show on an x ray however a broken toe will.   Broke toe isn't any biggy unless an infection sets in the bone.     Splintered toenail that's went to the quick might get infection too.     If yall can't find the answere and it seems to be something that's not going away, i would get off kibble and put the dog on a raw diet.   Just because a dog has been feed kibble all its life for 4 years doesn't mean it won't develop an allergy to the cereals in it.     Cronic inflamed nail beds, unexplained hair loss, sores that won't heal etc will often time clear up when switching a dog from kibble to a proper raw diet.     Their body can fight infection better and wounds heal quicker.   Not saying it's her diet but when puzzled, it's a good place to start trouble shooting when antibiotics aren't getting rid of something for good.   I'm sure you know as well as anybody that it's not good for a foot with a problem of sorts to be allowed to step in urine and feces.    So wrapping the foot seems like a good idea but it can often make such a problem worse, especially when the toes are not gently seperate  when wrapped and wrapped gently and instead of the infection draining, it will keep it  in her body and make the problem much worse.     
   You mention the swelling now has went to the elbow.   Is this area hot to the touch as in has a fever?   If not, this may be air that's being drawn into the wound when she was feeling better and moving the foot a little.    If it's indeed air , it won't be hot with infection and not to big of a deal.  Her body will absorb the air in a couple days win it stops drawing in air when she moves her foot if this is the case.        I would put a poultice on the effected area for a half hour twice daily that will help draw out the infection or at the minimum treat the area with a local anticeptic cream.     Along with general  antibiotics.     
   Very intesting!   Hope she gets better soon and you find an actual reason for this!

[Goose87]

Good friend of mine gets donuts from a shop in town to feed his goats and hogs, he was gone on a shutdown and his wife was trying to bulk the dogs up for winter and was giving them a bunch of donuts along with the kibble, first the sore started at their feet and gradually spread upwards, and they started swelling bad and losing hair in spots on the back, when he come home he couldn't figure out what was doing it, until we were talking and I told him about food allergies and he said he thought it might be the donuts and sure enough he stopped giving them to his dogs and they started clearing up.

[Cajun]

I missed some of the symptoms. She ran a 103 fever the first time I took her in. She also had a abcess popping out of her hip also as well as her elbow. All four of her feet were swelling to the point where they broke out in sores in-between her toes. The only thing that changed when I brought her home from the Vet was after 4 days I took her off the steroids. She was doing great but on the 6th day went right back to being lethargic & unable to walk. That was on the 6th day I brought her home from the Vet. When I brought her back she was running a 104 fever. Hopefully we will know something today from the cultures the Vet sent off. Also, the Vet pulled some fluid from the swelling on her ankles & it was a opaque fluid. No blood in it.

[l.h.cracker]

Hopefully y'all figure it out Cajun sounds like some nasty stuff best of luck with her.

[Goose87]

Are you still feeding the same feed or have you swapped back to what you were feeding, it may be she's allergic to something in the new formula or it might be to hot for her, just like some cows and horses react different when a hotter feed is given. Hate your dog is going through this but hopefully we all learn something from this, what vet are you using?

[bigo]

Sounds like mycetoma. It is caused by a fungus that enters the body through a wound. The abscess will have granules and you are supposed to be able to tell what kind of fungus by the color of the granules. Mycetoma is treated with anti- fungal medicines but have a bad prognosis.

[Cajun]

Goose, Just got her back & I am switching her feed. Asked the Vet about it & she said not likely but could be a slim possibility.
  Bigo, that sounds exactly like what she has & the Vet mentioned it. Cultures are sent in & now we have to wait on the Lab work.

[Goose87]

What did the lab results determine Cajun?

[Cajun]

Gypsy died last week. They are saying Blasto but first said Valley Fever. The only problem is Valley Fever is normally from mid Texas on to the West. She has never been west of the Mississippi. I told my Vet that & now they are saying Blasto but are running further tests. I quit hog hunting her a couple of years ago because she was a running Catchdog & only bear hunt her. She had to pick it up in either Canada or So. Ga. as that is the only time she was out of the kennel.

[Reuben]

Sorry to hear that about your gyp...

[l.h.cracker]

My mother had a dog get blasto in east TN and loose an eye and then a few years later she ended up getting it in her lungs and died.Then my Dad ended up getting it in his lungs he got rid of it but it scarred his lungs.I guess its fairly common in east Tn.

I'm sorry to hear about your Gypsy dog Cajun.Rip ole girl.

[TheRednose]

I am sorry to hear that Cajun, I really liked her. She sure was rough on a hog. RIP Gypsy