Inflamation around nails and now a little bleeding

[41magsnub]

My 16mo GWP Maddie had a fun weekend hunting pheasants in tall grass Friday and Saturday. I noticed last night that a couple toes on each hind foot have red rings around the base of the nails and it is sore. She isn't limping, but she is licking them. Just now at least one of them started bleeding a little.

Any ideas? Everything I read online suggests an infection, but it seems be more of an injury of some sort than an infection.

If it isn't improved any in the morning I'm calling the vet. I'm hoping she is all better by next Friday.

[Sharon]

I'd bet it's just hard wear /tear on those nail beds.. Looking for pheasant in cut hay will do it too. I'd use some polysporin + a "lampshade" head cover to keep her from licking it off for 2 days before I thought about seeing the vet , but definitely your call.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

If it was corn fields Sharon is probably right but if it was regular fields it could be Spear Grass or Fox tails although they normally enter the skin between the toes in the webbing.

[wems2371]

When we hunt long days, and back to back days, this happens. First year we went to NW Iowa, by day 3 or 4, their nail beds just looked awful, and the dogs were starting to get ouchy. They'd still hunt, but when they weren't driven by that, they were hurting. I take some boots with me for trips like that now. Keeps their feet fresh. Not sure what the culprit cover was, as we were in everything from cattails, to tall grass prairie, to beans. I use neosporin, but the feet usually look good with a couple days rest. I did have one instance, where a stick traveled right up the nail bed, and just the tip of it was showing...but of course that was on just one toe.

[SpinoneIllinois]

A week or two ago, my dog had a little inflamed bump between two toes that was driving her nuts -- licking at it like crazy. I would have guessed that she had some kind of foreign object lodged in it. But the vet said it was an infection, and that it was a common problem. Started giving her an antibiotic, and it went away pretty quickly. Just throwing that out as a possibility.

[41magsnub]

They are worse this morning. We did the polysporin and socks and she is working the socks pretty hard. We go to the vet this afternoon. It will probably heal on its own, but I REALLY don't want to have her down more than absolutely necessary this season so I'll spend the $$$ on the vet's time. I'll pick up a cone of shame while there.

I'm ordering some boots tonight after I measure her feet.

[Coveyrise64]

I like this stuff for cuticle abrasions and cuts, it's available from your vet. Boots are a good option too.

http://www.drugs.com/vet/neo-predef-wit ... owder.html

cr

[Georgia Boy]

I like this stuff for cuticle abrasions and cuts, it's available from your vet. Boots are a good option too.

http://www.drugs.com/vet/neo-predef-wit ... owder.html

cr

That is what we use too, it is antibiotic and analgesic. It is also possible she could have a infection of the nail bed.

[birddog1968]

epsome salts can work wonders on dogs feet.....I use it when needed without a second thought.

[41magsnub]

Went to the vet this afternoon. There is an infection in at least one of the nails. She is now on rimadyl for any pain, an antibiotic, is wearing the cone of shame, and has socks duct taped to her feet. Not a happy girl right now. She should be good for this coming weekend though.

[Sharon]

epsome salts can work wonders on dogs feet.....I use it when needed without a second thought.

That -s my first plan too. Had a dog once who had a thorn go between its nails,=; it migrated to his knee and came out an opening in his knee.