CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: mick on August 25, 2006, 04:54:34 PM
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Hi Folks,
Our Jess has been having problems with his paws for about seven weeks now. He has this swelling come up the sie of a small finger nail and then it bursts open and blood and water comes out and leaves a hole. When it first started we took him to our local vet who told us it was a fungus infection and gave us some Hibiscrub to use and yet another £50 please.
Afraid I lost my temper a bit because by this time I probably had more Hibiscrub than they had and I told them that being no vet it diddnt look like a fungus infection to me.
Next day yet another one comes up on his other paw and bursts out so by now he has two on one paw and one on the other.
Decided to change his vet 4 weeks ago and this one gave us some antibiotics...Took him back a week later still ther same busrt out heal up burst out again by this time he has ahad about nine in total. Took him back again more antibiotics (of the same kind). Today yet another one breaks out took him back again this time new antibiotics for a fortnight..
Its driving me crazy cause I cannot get to the bottom of it.
Anyone else had the same problem.
Regards,
Mick.
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Just guessing here Mick but he's not walking in something (chemical, disinfectant?) thats causing blisters or a reaction? seems strange that it is only his paws.
Other than that i can't think of anything to suggest, you've done the obvious and got a second opinion.
Hope you get to the bottom of it quickly - dont forget to post and let us all know so we can all benefit.
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I'm sure Lisa's two (silkstocking) had some paw problems recently that turned out to be a pesticide used in the fields they were walking in - I'm not sure the symptoms were quite the same but it's something to think about :-\ :huh:
Hope he's on the mend soon. :luv:
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Are they interdigital cysts - between the toes ?
Or could they be histiocytomas ?
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Thanks to all for the responses.
Its really strange..The rough ground that I walk him on only has cattle on it during the winter months so as to keep the wild flowers naturally cultured....The land belongs to the council so it never has pestercide on it. My first thought was grass seed but its reoccuring to frequently..... The cyst are always on the top of the paw and its only the front paws never the back paws.
Since he has been on the new antibiotics (last Friday) he has not had another one (touch wood) so we will see how it goes
Keep well everyone, keep smiling and thanks again
Mick
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Folks I really need some help.
Our Jess has these boils or as the vet suggested Cysts or whatever they are still breaking out on his front paws. Its been going on now since July.
After two vets the first one suggesting Hibiscrub and the second giving him three different types of antibiotics they are still there. I cannot get to the bottom of it as they only effect his front paws and not the back ones.
We walk him on the same ground he has walked on for the past four years. Its rough pasture ground with cows on it during the winter months but for rest of the year its just left to grow and its well away from the town Its owned by the council so no other work is done on it nor is it sprayed with anything. sorry if I have repeated what I put further down this thread but I am really worried in case they strat spreading.
My wife Coral cannot understand it and she is having to cope alone as I work in Libya and I only get home every two month or so.
Penal...... you mentioned spomething when I first posted this thread about histiocytomas what are they. I read on another site that they reccomend citricidal as a treatment have you heard of it??
The last time he went to the vet the vet advised us he may need them removing as they leave a lump that then breaks out again within a week of clearing up. Without sounding to dramatic when they break out they look just like looking down on the top of a volcano silly I know but I reallly do not know how else to describe them. They ooze puz and blood and look really sore.
The poor old boy is struggling with them and is feeling really sorry for himself. It does not help with me being away as previously on my travels we have taken him with us but my opinion is that this is not a family place hence why they are back home and why I have not been posting as often as I used to. You can imagine how I miss the lad as I have never been away from him for any length of time before.
Any suggestions at all would be of help.
Is hibiscrub an anticeptic and could it work as I doubted the first vet who told me it was a fungus infection........ I will try anything.
Best regards to all from Libya
Mick
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Is there any way he could be walked in a totally different area for a few weeks to see if that makes a difference?
I also wonder, if the lumps go down completely at the end of a course of treatment? It could be that he just needs a much longer course of antibiotics. If there is still some inflammation/infection sitting there at the end of a course, it would obviously flare up again once the medication is stopped. AND he will be building resistance to each antibiotic too.
Yes, Hibiscrub is an antiseptic. No, it would not treat a fungal infection. I think you would need antifungal tablets and/or cream or shampoo.
I am sure your vet would recognise histiocytoma. Unless it was atypical in some way????
Is he in pain with these lumps? Does he get a raised temperature at all? Can you describe any smell coming from the pus?
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Mick - I didn't realise this was still a problem .............. not able to offer much help I'm afraid. Ben had one histiocytoma jut under his dew claw. It went away on it's own and didn't sound like Jess' problem. I really hope you get some answers soon from someone more experienced than me. If it was weedkiller or any other chemical you'd expect the rear paws to be troubled too? Aloe Vera may help once they've appeared but don't know what to suggest for the cause? If it were all four paws then a topical irritant could be blamed.
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You could ask the vet for Malaseb shampoo and see if that helps. Tbh if the vet can't get to the bottom of it, I'd ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist.
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Thanks for your advise guys. I am talking to Coral on Skype on saturday and will pass on your ideas. I will let you know how he goes on.
Best regards,
Mick
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hope the Jess' poorly paws get sorted out soon - it sounds uncomfortable for the poor lad.
Thinking of you!
Cx
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My first thought was grass seed but its reoccuring to frequently..... The cyst are always on the top of the paw and its only the front paws never the back paws.
Are you absolutley sure that you can rule out grass seed? One of my springers (Jess too) regularly used to get grass seeds in the tops of her front paws. Sometimes they got so deeply in that we didn't notice until there was a great red swelling which burst in the way you describe. She also chewed and licked as they irritated her badly. She had to be operated on to remove them as they had worked their way in to the soft tissue. The seed could be there and moving about causing these flare ups. Do these cysts always appear in the same place on his paws?
Edited as I refered to your Jess as a 'she' :shades: ::)
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My first thought was grass seed but its reoccuring to frequently..... The cyst are always on the top of the paw and its only the front paws never the back paws.
Are you absolutley sure that you can rule out grass seed? One of my springers (Jess too) regularly used to get grass seeds in the tops of her front paws. Sometimes they got so deeply in that we didn't notice until there was a great red swelling which burst in the way you describe. She also chewed and licked as they irritated her badly. She had to be operated on to remove them as they had worked their way in to the soft tissue. The seed could be there and moving about causing these flare ups. Do these cysts always appear in the same place on her paws?
That's what I thought. Wilf had something similar but and he had to be heavily sedated so vet could probe around the hole to get grass seed out. Would it be possible that vet hasn't had a dig around to see if there's a grass seed in there that's still irritating it.
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Yes I must admit that my first thoughts were grass seeds but both vets have told me that it is not and its strange that they are only on the front paws.
I had to laugh with him cause when IO was back in the UK and he started to lick at the paw I only had to say "pack it in" and he would look at me give a deep sigh and stop licking. He is such a good lad.
Anyway we will see how it goes...I aint half missing him but will see him in just over two weeks time. Coral reckons I miss him more than I do her As if ;)
Regards from Libya.
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If Jess is still suffering when you get home, perhaps you could post a pic on here of the paws in question.
I'm not a vet but I simply cant see how a vet can be so certain that there isn't a foreign body causing this without having actually having looked beneath the skin under anasthetic. Our vet was surprised to find how deeply embedded it was and, like PennyB's Wilf, he had to have a good dig around in order to locate them. With one of them it had actually worked its way right through to the bone.
I have to say that my Jess prolonged the problem because she had got in to the habit of licking and chewing and this prevented it friom healing as quickly as it might after the removal. She had rough hard patches for months afterwards. I just kept on bathing it in salt water and distracting her immediately afterwards with training.
I suggest you ask them again why they are so certain of this.
Yes I must admit that my first thoughts were grass seeds but both vets have told me that it is not and its strange that they are only on the front paws
It wouldn't be strange at all if that's where the seeds are!
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Hi Guys,
The latest is that the vet put him on Prednicare steroid tablets 5mg about 4 weeks ago and they seemed to clear the cyts up but the side effects were awfull. He gained weight like crazy and had constant diaoria to the effect that he pooed in the house three times and had us up most nights because he had to go outside. Poor old lad he must have been frantic and the wife only left him for an hour at a time.
Took him back to the vets three weeks ago as he had not had an outbreak for 8 days and the vet told us to stop using the tablets. He was still out of sorts for about three days then he seemed okay and this lasted till a week ago when the cysts started to break out again.
Have just come back from the vets with him and the vet has told us that he may just have to put up with these cyst outbreaks. I remarked that he was limping and so must be in some pain and discomfort as they are between the pads of his paws but the vet again said that in some dogs they will never go away. I asked again why its only the front paws and he told us that this is how it sometimes happens. I told him I was not at all happy with this so he has now given him a course of Medrone V 2mg one a day tablets. Again more steroids but these are not so strong.
I am going to give this latest treatment one last shot and if they do not work or if they upset him in any way then I am going to get a third opinion. He has had them now since July and its stressing me out to see him this way. Mind you limping or no limping he still demands his three long walks a day and if we try to con him out of one he soon lets us know talk about a built in alarm clock :005:.
I have to head back to Libya on Saturday but keep in contact with my wife and will let you know how he goes on.
Dont really know what to do if it continues as I am reluctant to just keep trying various vets and would like to find a specialist in this field. Anyone know of a vet in the Northamptonshire area that specialises in this field that they could reccomend to us.
Best regards,
Mick.
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You could always get a vet school referral
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Penny,
Whats a vet school referral and how do you go about it?
Regards,
Mick.
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Penny,
Whats a vet school referral and how do you go about it?
Regards,
Mick.
ask your vet as they would need to find the best one and refer you. If you think of your vet as a GP who then refers you on to a specialist at a hospital the vets would refer peopels pets to either a specialist vet practice or a vet school (which is like a teaching hospital). At the vet schools they have, like a hospital lots of different specialists and diagnostic facilities on site, and you are assigned a senior vet (who would be a specialist in a certain field) and a final year student.
As I said your vet has to refer you so best to speak to them --- they may even know of a specialist vet practice that's nearer to you (vet schools nearer to you are probably Bristol or London or I think there's now a new one in Notts).
I've been to Bristol with one of my cats and Cambridge vet school with Wilf my cocker (which in my case meant travelling from Cardiff to Cambridge and leaving him there for a week, but well worth it as their care of him was 2nd to none).
Obviously it costs more than a trip to the local vet but still worth it with or without insurance
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Hi Penny,
Many thanks, we will give Jess a week on these tablets and see how it goes but I fear that even if it clears the cysts up then as soon as we stop giving him the tablets then the cysts will start to break out again. If this occures then we will go back to the vet and will carry out your suggestion and get him referred.
I am nervous as to what long term damage these steroids could be doing to him as he is no longer a young dog
Best regards,
Mick.
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Has the vet not taken any swabs to find out if it is bacterial/fungal? Charlie has had some blisters on his elbow before and the first thing the vet did was take a skin sample to find out if there were any parasites, i think they also did a culture to see if it was a bacteria. We were given fuciderm which has an anti-biotic and steroid in and it really helped. Although it should not really be used on broken skin it did help.
Hope he is better soon.
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Jen,
Thanks for the good wishes.
No the vet has not taken a swab at all and I myself have spent hours on the net trolling through what could be causing it and to tell you the truth there was so many things it could be that it really started to get me worried. My wife told me I was turning into a dog hypochondriac.
The first thing we were told back in July was that it was a fungicide infection and was given Hibiscrub but that did no good at all and that was before the break outs.
Will let you know how the lad goes on.
Regards,
Mick.
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I don't have anything of any use to say as I am a new owner of a puppy I just read all these things in the hope I will learn something that might be some use to me in future. Got to the end of your posting and found I was in tears. You must be so worried by now. It is so frustrating that they can not just tell what is wrong and start healing it. Me my OH and Glen send our very best regards and hope this all gets sorted soon.
Theresa
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Hi Theresa,
Many thanks for your concern and please give my regards to your family.
Jess is coping okay allthough its probably worse this time around and he is tending to limp more than ususal as he now has a cyst on each of his front paws.
His priority at the moment is deciding which one to lick first:D.
I have just come back from his noon walk and he seemed to manage okay we just took it a little slower (both of us are getting on a bit now). He was siting on my knee nuzzling me for about 10 minutes before I just had to gve in and took him for his walk even though his feet are giving him some pain he still makes sure he goes at his normal time.
He is such a lovely boy and gives me masses of pleasure. I miss him dreadfully since I took this one year contract working in Libya and being away for three months and back for only two weeks he really cannot understand it as we have never been parted before.
Its good though when I come back for my two weeks as he goes mad when he sees me and will not leave my side and sticks to me like glue.
Keep smiling
Best regards.
Mick.
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I am guessing the vet thinks its auto immune - hence the pred and medrone (both steroids which suppress the immune system).
Are they interdigital cysts ? is he on high dose evening primrose oil and vitamin E - or has the vet ever suggested that ?
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I don't have much to offer except good wishes.
But, Hibiscrub isn't an anti-fungal preparation (as far as I recall) so how did your vet think it might help a fungal infection?
Malaseb, however, is antifungal and antibacterial. Have you tried that? (prescription only, I think)
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;) I really don't want to alarm you but I would have thought the vet would have taken a swab at least. We had a Skye terrier incidentally called Jess as well who developed a lump between the pads on a back foot, after a biopsy we discovered it was a malignant tumour, it was removed but unfortunately had spread and she ended up with the leg being amputated. Unfortunately again after about 6 months secondary tumours were found in her liver and we were devastated that we had to let her go. As I said I really don't want to alarm you but I would definitely ask for more investigations to be done, good luck with it Jann
:luv: to Jess :-*
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Hi guys, Sorry for not responding to the latest posts ref our Jess but was flying back to Libya today so have only just read them.
Penal, I am really not aure if they are interdigital or not. As described before they come up as a red swelling normally between his paws and mostly towards the bottom of the paws but are not on the pads themselves. They then seem to (and this is the only description I can give) explode into a mass of blood and clear fluid leaving a raised gaping hole. the vet has never mentioned primrose oil or vitemin c but if these steroids do not work this time then I am open to try anything.
Annette, I will ask the vet next time we take him about Malaseb though he has never suggested this to us.
Jann, I really do not think it is a tumour as it regulary breaks out into what I decribed above and then heals up until the next outbreak and is not solid enough in my restricted opinion to be a tumour. As I say I am giving the vet this last chance and then I am going to do what Penny suggests and insist on him being refered.
It would of course happen now as I have never been away from him before and I dont half miss him and will not see him for the next three months and then only for two weeks.
In 2000 when I went to work in Dubai for two years we of course took him with us but you could not imagine the problems I had getting him back into the UK as the pet passport scheme was not in effect for the Emitrates. I could write a book about it except I really do not think people would believe me as to what I did and went through hence why my wife and I made the decision for me to come here alone.
Its hard when you become so attached and this may sound a bit soppy but he and I are like soul mates and when I am in the UK we go everywhere together. He is quiet happy sitting in the car and I honestly get the genuine impression that he prefers to wait in the car then be at home alone. I know we all say the same thing but he really is not trouble at all. I am very very lucky to have him.
Best regards,
Mick.
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Sorry folks,
I forgot to ask a question on the above last post of mine and its not old age this time making the memory lapse but probably because I have been up since 4.30am this morning.
This is a long shot seeing as he has these cysts break out on both of his front paws but just suppose he has grass seeds that have worked down to the bone and again supposing these could be causing the outbreaks would an x-ray show up these grass seeds so wouold it be worth having an x-ray done?
Best regards,
Mick.
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Hi Mick,
it does sound like interdigital cysts to me.
Have a read of this link...
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/70800.htm
Treatment:
Interdigital furuncles respond best to a combination of topical and systemic therapy. Cephalexin (20 mg/kg, PO, tid, or 30 mg/kg, PO, bid) is recommended for 4-6 wk of initial therapy. However, because the lesions are pyogranulomatous, it may be difficult for antibiotics to penetrate them; therefore, >8 wk of systemic antibiotic therapy may be required for lesions to completely resolve. These lesions are often complicated by concurrent Malassezia spp infections. Oral ketoconazole or itraconazole (5-10 mg/kg) for 30 days may be indicated. The presence of Malassezia can be documented by cytologic examination of nail bed debris and/or impression smears of the skin. Topical foot soaks in warm water with or without an antibiotic solution (eg, chlorhexidine) and the application of mupiricin ointment are recommended. Some dogs may benefit from antibiotic wraps and bandaging. Antihistamines given for the first several weeks of treatment may partially alleviate pruritus, if present. Glucocorticoids are contraindicated.
Chronic, recurrent interdigital furunculosis is most often caused by inappropriate antibiotic therapy (too short, wrong dose/dosage, wrong drug), concurrent corticosteroid administration, demodicosis, an anatomic predisposition, or a foreign body reaction to keratin. Lesions that recur in spite of therapy can also be a sign of an underlying disease, eg, atopy, hypothyroidism, or concurrent Malassezia infection. Lesions in confined dogs are likely to recur unless the dog is removed from wire or concrete surfaces. In some chronic cases, surgical excision or surgical correction of the webbing via fusion podoplasty may be needed. Alternatively, pulse antibiotic therapy (full dosage therapy 2-3 times/wk) or chronic low dosage antibiotic therapy (eg, 500 mg/dog, PO, sid) may help maintain clinical remission and provide pain relief in dogs with chronic lesions. This therapy is recommended only when the inciting cause cannot be identified (eg, idiopathic pyoderma), treated (eg, anatomic predisposition), or resolved (eg, chronic infection caused by foreign body material or keratin
So it may well be that your vet hasn't got the treatment exactly right yet....
ps - yes it is possible that it could be grass seeds but I am not sure they would show up on an x ray...
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Hi Penal,
Many thanks for taking the time to send me the information blimey it is a lot to take in though and it certainly is a lot of treatment Do you think the vets on the wrong track with the steriods then?
I am talking to my wife Coral on Skype on Monday evening and will find out how he is and if the steroids are having any of the same side effects as they did last time though I am hopefull they will not seeing as they are a only half the dose he had last time and they are a different type. We were counting the tablets out last night and the vet has given him enough for 20 days.
Will let you know how he gets on.
Best regards.
Mick
I am seriously thinking that perhaps this vet has had enough time to get it right and from reading all the various suggestions maybe we need another opinion.
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Pred and Medrone usually do have the same side effects I'm afraid, having had two dogs on either / both.... lots of drinking, weeing and obsession with food..... although half the dose maybe it will be less..... I honestly don't know if they are wrong to give steroids - but in that article it suggests that steroids are contraindicated... and that long term antibiotics are the way to go - but, you need a correct diagnosis, so you could be right - a 2nd opinion might be the way to go.
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Hi guys,
I have just finished talking to Coral on Skype. Our Jess still has the one cyst that broke out just as I was leaving for Libya last Saturday but it appears to be healing up with no more outbreaks so we will wait to see how it goes before changing his treatment.
He is still on the lower dose of steroids and they have not triggered off any diarea at this time and his appetite seems to have settled down though Coral reckons he is eating a bit more than usual.
Apparently on Wednesday Coral forgot to give it him his tablet at tea time so gave it him at bedtime and during the night he promptly fetched up all over the bed so that went down well or not depending which way you look at it.
Then the next day Thursday he rolled in something on his walk and when Coral got him home and before she could give him a bath fleas were jumping off him all over the house.
I was not the most popular person tonight when I spoke to her so I think that I am going to stay here in Libya cause its safer. :005:
Will keep you up to date
Keep smiling
best regards.
Mick.
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Ooops ph34r Libya safer than home, that's not good Mick :lol:
Sorry to hear that Jess isn't too well still - steroids do make some dogs sick, they can have a pretty bad effect on the gastrointestinal system.....
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Hi Penal,
I think what the problem was that he normally has a little treat at bedtime and because he had his tablet straight after the treat then upset the digestion and up it all came.
I told Coral tonight that all these things all these things (sickness fleas etc) that this week were happening to him cause he missed me so much.
She did not take this very well hence why Libya is a haven at the moment. :D
Mind you our Jess is normally in far better health after I have been away cause Coral dont spoil him like I do.
Keep smiling
Best regards,
Mick
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AnnieG has just passed this on to me (she has internet problems)
Hi Mick. I’m asking Penny B to post this for me. I used to be a fairly regular contributor to COL but due to some fairly complex IT issues can read but not post at the moment. But when I saw all the problems poor Jess is having, I thought I just had to contact you.
My previous cocker, Binnie, had chronic interdigital cysts for years. They were a total nightmare. I don’t have many answers but I certainly have explored virtually every avenue. The first one occurred when she was about three and didn’t clear up by any ‘surface’ treatment until she had a fairly long course of antibiotics. I now realize that it may have been triggered by using a powder carpet deodoriser (sorry – can’t remember the name although I would like to curse it!). She had them sporadically for about a year, at the end of which time she was referred to a dermatologist. After allergy tests, we discovered she had a bad reaction to house dust mite. I shall never forget OH and vet (also male) looking in reproachful unison at me. Nearly a century of the fight for equality and the male reflex action still marries the woman to the vacuum cleaner.
Anyway, we had a blessed interlude of four years when they were controlled only by fairly hefty doses of evening primrose oil and fish oil (Efavet), clean bedding every other day, plus more vigorous wielding of the vacuum cleaner (guess who). As she got older and her immune system weakened, they came back with a vengeance on both paws. Over the years, she had four operations to remove them, regular antibiotic and eventually steroid treatments as well. The operations always gave us about six months of relief before they came back, usually right next to the scar tissue. The specialist said that over time the infection can become very deep seated and virtually impossible to eradicate completely. Ultimately – and very reluctantly – we gained some measure of control through a continuous low dose of the antibiotic Cephalexin plus longish periods on a very low dose of the steroid Prednisolone. We had to be scrupulous about hygiene as she was very susceptible to topical infections as the ‘volcano crater’ that you describe occurred on a fairly regular basis. So the hair around and between her toes was kept permanently clipped short, and her paws were dipped in warm salty water after every wet walk and then dried thoroughly. We also discovered – and I still don’t quite understand why – that keeping her ear canals scrupulously clean seemed to help. She could generate enough wax to keep the entire candle business in raw materials but, after regular Epiotic treatments, the incidence of the cysts decreased significantly.
This is a fairly unscientific description of what happened but hours spent trawling the web taught me that this is actually an established condition in a few breeds – mostly cockers and westies. It seems to occur most widely on white-coated dogs. (Binnie was mainly white with only one black ear and a couple of black ‘targets’ on her back.) We spent over £10,000 on various vets and homeopaths, only half of which was covered by insurance. I feel really bad about dumping this lot on you, especially as your Jess’s case may differ. But there could be something in here to help you. The good news is that after a couple of years, she built up a real tolerance to it. The cysts no longer seemed to bother her much. She would actually happily join in on really long walks even when a cyst was in full flight. She may have just been extremely brave but I actually suspect the nerve endings gave up and went home. In the end, she died at the age of 12 from an unrelated heart condition (although I suspect the regular Pred. didn’t help her general health). But she had a long, happy, active life and was a really feisty little darling. Hopefully, since you got onto it faster, Jess can avoid the worse stages. She died three years ago when less was known about it and I had to fight every inch of the way to get help for the previous nine years.
I really wish you a lot of luck in dealing with this and if there is anything I can do to help, let me know. I now have two wonderful rescue cockers, Cassie and Millie. And although they get fed up of constant inspections of their tootsies, I have seen no sign of it affecting them. So I suspect poor little Binnie (and possibly Jess) were just plain unlucky.
AnnieG
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Hi Annie & Penny,
Sorry i did not see this sooner but out here in Libya its a bit hit and miss sometimes.
Thanks for the post Annie. I spoke to my wife Coral tonight on Skype and he still has the one on his left front paw that he had when I left the UK two weeks ago and she has told me tonight that one has today broken out on his right paw this time. Its really bugging me cause we have been trying to get tot he bottom of this for five months now. He is on a light dose steriod but I do not like him being on them. I have had a lot of advise regarding him having an operation but I really do not want to go down this road because I have heard some really bad reports.
Coral has started to soak his feet in luke warm salt water every day now but I think when I get back for my two weeks rest period hopefully at xmas then I need to get him to another vet or more to the point a specialist relating to this condition.
Our Jess is a little monkey with regards to his ears cleaning. Coral only has to pick up a cotton bud and he runs over to her sits down and cocks his head to one side waiting for her to clean his ears out. Its really funny to see him do it and he just loves it.
Coral trims him herself and the one thing he hates is having the hair between his toes cut but I will advise her that she should make sure the hairs are as short as possible and I will e-mail her your post so she can have a read of it you never know one of the treatments that you used may work on him.
There is never a right time for these things to happen but with being away for so long at a time then I feel that I cannot help him as I should be doing and of course I miss him terribly as we have never been away from each other until I got this job out here in August.
He was limping pretty badly when I was home and from Coral says he is again now but I dont know whether this is a good point or not but it never stops him wanting to go for a walk and as I have stated in the past our Jess could walk for England. I had a hip replacement in 2000 and it was him that started me walking long distance over rough ground a lot earlier than the specialist expected from me. Blimey if he knew the distances that i was walking with our Jess the specialist would have had a fit
He his now coming up to ten and although I do not want to give up on this problem I feel deep down that they are going to be with him for the rest of his life and we may have to make the best of it.
Had some sad news tonight as Coral met the lady who we had Jess off and his mum Rosie has cancer and from what i can gather not long to go she is 13 a real cutie and its so upsetting.
Thanks again for all your advise
Best wishes and regards from Libya
Mick
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Hi Mick - I've rejoined the COL fold! Yipes! Just wanted to say that, out of all the long, rambling, incoherent burble I sent you, probably the most important bit was the antibiotic info. Putting Binnie on a continuous low-dose of Cephalexin (sp?) was the single most useful thing we did. Beats steroids every time although they can be a necessity for controlling a real flare-up. Your vet may be resistant to the idea at first. Mine had to do a lot of research with the vet. college and some US practices before he'd try it. But it helped enormously and it's worth talking it over with him.
Good luck
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Hi Annie,
Not good news I am afraid. I spoke to Coral on Skype last night and the Cysts appear to be breaking out more and more often. He has three now and is struggling more when trying to walk with them. He has completed the 20 day course of Steroids that the vet put him on and they have been no help at all this time in keeping the problem at bay.
I was going to try a specialist as Penal suggested but will suggest Coral ask the vet about the Cephalexin and give this a go before doing anything else.
Two questions please 1...Did Binnie have any side effects with the Cephalexin 2.....Whats the (sp?) mean am I missing something here.
Coral also told me that the council owned country walk where we normally walk him is being used for cattle to graze on. The warden told her that the cattle crop the grass further down and this makes the wild flowers grow more abudant in the summer. What concerns me is that if she walks him on this land now and he gets cattle muck in these cysts then they could get really infected with all the muck and such so she is keeping him away from this walk and sticking to the local field and roads. Shame really cause he loved this walk.
I am on the one hand begining to think that he will have put up with these amd this really upsets me cause he is such a happy go lucky chap and lives for his walks. On the other hand I willl do anything to get him cured as he is only ten and to think he will have to put up with this for the rest of his life dont warrant thinking about and causes me distress more than I can say.
I have managed to swing two weeks back in the UK for Xmas (did not think I would be going home until late feburary 2007) so I will see my boy in three weeks. Carnt wait.
I will tell Coral on Wednesday to get him back to the vet and discuss this antibiotic and all other possible options with him though I am fast loosing confidence with them and getting more than a little impatient. It does me good though to get things off my chest by writing on this site when I start feeling down and missing the lad and all the good wishes that has been sent through this site helps me a great deal though at times I feel that I must be looked on like a Victor Meldrew >:(grumpy old man.
Keep well
Best regards from Libya
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Hi Mike
I am so sorry to hear that your little lad is suffering so much. Its so terrible to see your pet in discomfort isn't it. I really hope that things improve for Jess.
I am sure that you have tried it but Louie has ongoing problems with his paws and the vet thinks that it is a food allergy. I guess that you must of tried changing his food. But thought that is worth also mentioning that Louies only 'symptom' is sore paws ( which swell up and as he licks them as they are obviously itchy they go bald!) It used to be just his back paws but his last outbreak was on his front paw as well.
Louie is on Royal Canin - sensitivity control which is good for skin conditions. We are still giving him just the food and nothing else. Then we will introduce him onto one type of food weekly to see if we can iliminate what it can be.
Sending him and you my best wishes and hope that you manage to get something sorted for him.
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Would it be of any help to shave down his paws like a poodle so they wouldn't stay wet?
So sorry you're having all this trouble, wishing the best for you all
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sp means spelling. people put it next to a word they are not sure is spelt right. well I think that is what it is :005: sure someone else will soon tell us if I'm wrong. Hope you find a cure for your poor boy soon.
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Just read this whole thing, so sorry to hear about poor Jess, I hope you can get a second opinion for him when you're back at Christmas. It must be so worrying for you not knowing what is causing the cysts :-\ but it's clear how much Jess means to you and I really hope you can get to the bottom of things soon.
Thinking of you and Jess :luv:
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What concerns me is that if she walks him on this land now and he gets cattle muck in these cysts then they could get really infected with all the muck and such so she is keeping him away from this walk and sticking to the local field and roads. Shame really cause he loved this walk.
He could get infections from walking anywhere to be honest. Bacteria are not just in cattle poo. Just dipping his affected paws in a tepid salt water solution as a precaution after walks should do the trick, wherever he is walked and gently pat dry afterwards of course. I use a pudding basin on a towel in the kitchen and do one paw at at time with a change of water between paws .I think you said you/your wife are/is doing something similar anyway?
It does me good though to get things off my chest by writing on this site when I start feeling down and missing the lad and all the good wishes that has been sent through this site helps me a great deal though at times I feel that I must be looked on like a Victor Meldrew >:(grumpy old man.
That's OK Vic ;) :005: Actually the thought never occurred to me. You obviously have a close bond with your dog and are very concerned for him. That makes you a perfect COL member imo. :D
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In all seriousness, would these help?
http://www.orvis.co.uk/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=73RY&dir_id=6259&group_id=6332&cat_id=6333&subcat_id=6334
They're shoes for dogs!
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I have to keep Ham's ppaws shaved to prevent them now. Hope it works. I hope h gets btter, your poor boy.
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Sorry for the delay in replying, Mick. I've been away covering a story down south and only just got the message. Lady Lola is spot on about the 'sp'. Any vet will understand my approximation, however. Binnie had absolutely no side effects with the long-term antiobiotics, unlike the steroids which put weight on her and made her even more ravenously hungry. I agree with Louiebeans mum that a food allergy (or even a contact allergy) is a possibility although I would have thought it would have manifested itself a bit sooner as your dog is quite a mature chap. As part of the long run up to getting control of Binnie's problems, we had a full range of allergy tests done. In her case, she showed a reaction to house dust mite and also a mite found in hay (which I forgot in my original post). To an extent, we could llimit her exposure to these but it was virtually impossible to shield her from them entirely. My vet also said that once the infection has become deep-seated, it is likely to flare up regularly even if the 'triggers' aren't present.
The regime we developed was basically:
(1) Constant antibiotics - Cephalex .... oh, you know what I mean ... at a low level
(2) A shock treatment of steroids followed by fourteen days on a lower dose if we got an outbreak that the antibiotics couldn't control. Then we stopped before she built up a resistance.
(3) Daily doses of evening primrose oil and fish oil in Efavet capsules (this really did so much good - can't recommend it enough).
(4) Paw washes in salt water and a thorough but gentle drying after every walk
(5) Foot fur kept clipped short
(6) Little boots for a week after the hay was cut (made by me out of fleece, velcro ties and little rubber soles and a right sight!)
(7) Lots of very boring cleaning of the house and her bedding and hypoallergenic food (JWB with fresh veg although I'm yet to be convinced that any of the food stuff made any difference)
(8) If she was in pain, we used Metacam which seemed to take the inflammation down and gave her some relief. (My preview page is showing a smiley here which I can't get rid of. Maddening as i have never felt less like smiling in my life. I am garbage at this posting-lark however so you'll have to excuse me!)
(9) Sea paddles whenever it could be managed. (Easy for you on Skye, lucky person). The salt water disinfects the feet.
We live in a very rural area and it just wasn't possible to keep Binnie away from all the other bacteria loaded things like manure without making her life really unhappy. We relied on the washing to protect her. But I never walked her in fields that had been newly muckspread or sprayed. It sounds as if you have similar problems but I think it's important to keep your dog keen on life and robbing him of his favourite walk would be worse than dealing with the consequences. I wouldn't dream of contradicting your vet but I really think it would be helpful to discuss the antibiotic route rather than relying purely on steroids. I must emphasize that we never managed to 'cure' the problem but we did manage to control it. We reduced the cysts from being constantly there to an outbreak two or three times a year. I am so sorry for you both. It is a rotten, rotten situation to have to deal with. I could have cried so often to see my happy, lively little dog in such distress. But don't give up - there are things that will help and you just have to investigate what is right for you. There is loads more on the web about interdigital cysts than there was when we started. Maybe you need to point your vet at it. I really hope to have better news from you soon.
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Hi Folks,
Many thanks to all for all the suggestions and best wishes it is really very kind of you all.
I will let Coral know what you suggested but to be honest she has not a hope in hell of putting shoes on our Jess. He once cut his paw (long time ago now) and the vet badaged it and when I warned him that I expected the bandage to last no more than a couple of minutes he told us he wont fetch that of very easily. Well he was right it was not very easy for him it was in fact easy easy and lasted about 30 seconds whilst we stood there paying our bill. So the vet took him back in and had another go to the same effect. I swear to god that our Jess stood there with bandages all over his head where he had tore them off and thrown them around whilst looking at the vet and doing a good impression of Mutley. I was starting to gag trying not to laugh with OH giving me dagger looks. We finished up leaving the wound as it was with the vet suggesting a collar but I did not want him to have this and so I got into a routine of when he was licking it told him to "pack it in Jess" and he soon related to this and stopped (though giving me dagger loooks ) and its no different now when he has the Cysts I just tell him this and he stops licking.
He has allways had a thing about his feet being cut. He stands very nice whilst Coral cuts the rest of him with just a little nervous twitch when she gets to his dangly bits :005: (then again who wouldnt) but will in no way will he tollerate having his feet clipped but to give Coral her due she sticks at it and I will suggest to her that she clips them even shorter. Then again being two hand a half thousand miles away it easy for me to say. She allready bathes them every day in warm salt water. I started this routine off last time I was home for two weeks and he did not make a fuss at all.
I think its woryth giving the antibiotics a go and see what happens as anything more radical I am not going to entertain anymore.
I am not in Skye Annie. I use SKYPE to talk to Coral through the P.C. I am in Tripoli Libya on my own but if our Jess was with me (if only) then I would not let him walk in the sea out here.
One other thing about the above and him licking at the sores that I would like advise on. My late father always stated that there was a healing effect in a dogs spittle and the dog should be left to lick the wound. I have no idea if there is any truth in this or not. Anyone else an opinion on this as I always stop him licking if he starts.
Thanks everyone like I stated before it does me good to get things off my chest.
Keep smiling and keep well
Best regards from Libya
Mick
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Ooooops :005: :005: Memo to self: read before you write :lol: