Cysts on front paws

[mick]

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.

[hamfam]

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.

[The Moog]

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

Hope he's on the mend soon.

[Penel]

Are they interdigital cysts - between the toes ?
Or could they be histiocytomas ?

[mick]

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

[mick]

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 

[Annette]

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?

[debbie321]

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.

[Penel]

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.

[mick]

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

[CarolineL]

hope the Jess' poorly paws get sorted out soon - it sounds uncomfortable for the poor lad.

Thinking of you!

Cx

[happydog]

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'    

[PennyB]

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.

[mick]

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.

[happydog]

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!