Ruperts Foot

[RupertandBertiesmum]

My cocker Rupert is just over 9.  He has been diagnosed with liver problems. His liver is enlarged - he has had biopsy done at the Royal Vet College which shows that each individual liver cell is enlarged but no specific cause.  May be some type of infection past or present.  Currently he is on medication to support his liver.

Last Sunday (so 9 days ago) we woke up and he was limping dreadfully on one of his back legs.  The top of his paw was swollen and very red. We took him to the emergency vet who gave him anti-biotics, anti-inflammatory injections and told us to make him wear a buster collar.  We did this but by Tuesday his whole leg on the inside was red and swollen.

We had to go away and the vets agreed to have to him for 3 days. We collected him on Sunday and his paw is a little better but not much. There is a red area of about 2" square perhaps a bit bigger. It is swollen by at least half an inch if not more.

The vets are beginning to wonder if there is some connection to the liver problems as it is not healing well. On different antibiotics, had another anti-inflame injection, now hydrocortisone cream and buster collar but if the collar is off for 5 mins he is trying to lick his poor foot.

Really concerned and may go back to the vets tomorrow as there is no progress.

[bizzylizzy]

Poor Rupert! No experience with any of his symptoms but sending best wishes for speedy diagnosis so that that the vets can sort him out soon. Best of luck,,hope Ruperts up and running about again soon!

[Patp]

Poor Rupert 

I presume they have ruled out a dreaded grass seed?

[Markr64]

That sounds a real nightmare, sending all my best for the poor lad.

[carol pearson]

Did they check for a grass seed? My dog has had 3 and they cause nasty swollen abcesses that he could not leave alone. x

[PennyB]

Poor Rupert hope you get to the bottom of this but may be worth asking for a referral if you can afford it particularly as there are a number of things going on so the whole dog gets treatment rather than each thing in isolation (when Lady was referred the other week she was also treated for other things by the referral vet as he felt other things didn't help her situation)

[Ben's mum]

Just wondering how Rupert is doing and if you managed to get anywhere with his foot
Hope he is feeling a bit better 

[RupertandBertiesmum]

Thank you for your concern.  We took Rupert to the vets again on Sunday. His foot has improved a little. The skin has healed over but he has been left with a 1cm heart shaped lump that covers the top of his foot. The vet now thinks it could be a tumour.  I am not so sure. We have agreed to leave it for 2 weeks and go back to the vets then. I think it may be shrinking a bit. He still has to have hydrocortisone cream on twice a day and wear a cone because he will still lick his foot given a chance.
He has been so good and patient. I think he is feeling a better.
The vet has said if it is tumour they cannot remove it because there is not enough skin to restitch.
We have decided if that is the case he is not going to have a biopsy which they want to do because there is no point in finding out what it is if they cannot do anything about it.

[PennyB]

I know a friend had similar re her airdale on his foot and her vet said similar initially then he changed his mind later and they removed the dog's leg - this dog is a similar age too and did really well after the op on 3 legs. Hope it all works out

[vixen]

The vet has said if it is tumour they cannot remove it because there is not enough skin to restitch.

I know it is a slightly different scenario, but several years ago Marley had a grass seed in her paw and it migrated up her leg.  I gave her silica tablets to encourage it to exit her leg.  One  day I noticed that there was a big hole in her leg and the grass seed was sitting right in the middle 
Took her to the vets and they said the area didn't have enough skin around it to stitch so they dressed it with vetwrap.  We had to go every 2 days to have the wound redressed.  It soon started knitting together and eventually we could remove the bandage.
It may be that your vet was intending to remove the tumour and lots of the surrounding tissue to give Rupert the best chance of survival but you could opt to remove just the tumour and just enough tissue to allow it to be bandaged as Marley's was.
Just a suggestion.

[RupertandBertiesmum]

Thank you all for your concern.  Rupert has been twice this year to the Royal Vet Hospital is St Albans for his liver and disc and we are in contact with them once a month.

The vet says that because the tumour covers 90% of the top of his paw if the cut it out there is no skin to go back on at all.

I have just telephoned the vet and am waiting for her to call me back - there is second lump starting growing on the side of his foot today. I am so worried. Poor Rupert...

[MacTavish Boys]

Sending over lots of positive and healing thoughts for Rupert 
Stephanie, George and Hamish xxx

[bizzylizzy]

Keeping fingers and paws crossed for Rupert!

[tenaille]

positive thoughts for you and Rupert

[PennyB]

Thank you all for your concern.  Rupert has been twice this year to the Royal Vet Hospital is St Albans for his liver and disc and we are in contact with them once a month.

The vet says that because the tumour covers 90% of the top of his paw if the cut it out there is no skin to go back on at all.

What about removal of the leg - same happened to my friend and her vet said the same but he eventually was of the view that he could have a good quality of life still on 3 legs as many other dogs to and he has - Milo recovered very quickly too (only problem he had initially was relearning how to pee without falling over but he got over it.

Hope you get good news soon