Damage to dew claw - one operation later.... 4 weeks

Fabforester

Fabforester

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My terrier bitch (usually insanely hardy) ripped down the side of her dew claw 4 weeks ago. She was in the vets within 2 hours and under anaesthetic they cut it right back and put her on antibitiotics and painkillers.
4 weeks on, she is Still on (a different brand of) antibitotics , painkillers, and is still extremely uncomfortable, not herself, and fairly traumatised. I have taken her back to the vets every 5 days, and they just keep renewing the drugs and saying if its no better next time we take her in that she will have to have the digit removed. There is risk that the infection is now in the bone hence the prolongued drugs. I remain unconvinced about the procedure itself. The claw has grown back and is extremely painful to her. She is licking it the entire time, and a usually highly active dog is now miserable and showing signs of seperation anxiety (having never displayed in 4 years). She has chewed, destroyed a window blind, and is just not herself. We are back in the vets this evening for the 4 week review. Can anyone offer any help? I question whether they actually did the correct procedure in the first place, if the way they did it is causing the pain, but generally they have been a great vet and I dont like to doubt them.

Thanks
 
I don’t have any experience but would say I wouldn’t be at all happy with it taking this long to heal and with the prolonged use of drugs.

Could you get a second opinion?
 
I'd be looking for a 2nd opinion.

Way back in the distant past I do remember a Lab having to have vet treatment for a ripped dew claw, I certainly don't remember the recovery being traumatic but I also know that the claw didn't grow back, I think the digit was removed.
 
I would insist on removal. My labrador damaged her tail (a very different appendage I know!) and was on endless drugs for months. In the end when the new vet at the practice said maybe it was a flea allergy (WTF!?) I went to a new practice and they amputated it the next day. The infection had been so prolonged that there was no way it was going to be able to heal itself.
 
That is really interesting thank you Clodagh. The poor love is literally licking it all day, and going out of her mind at times. It is red, inflamed and I just know this isn't right. The problem is, the vet who has her on 4 weeks of ABs and Loxicom Is the second opinion. The procedure itself never fully removed the claw, and they have explained that it is a major thing to remove the digit itself, but she is really suffering. I am also (and just a sideline to note more than a predominant concern) aware of the £££ ramping up, they are talking about Xrays next, and all the time this is dragging on. Thank you for everyone's comments.
 
I would definitely go for removal - one of my greyhounds ripped her dew claw half off and had it debrided right back, she is a complete wimp but she was never lame and the dressing came off at the appointed time with no problems at all.
 
Bit confused about what sort of surgery she has had so not sure I can help much. But is she not wearing a cone? It will never get better if she is able to lick it.

The vets may be a little bit hesitant to remove at this stage as there may not be enough healthy non-inflammed tissue to successfully close the surgical wound yet? Have you asked the vet for removal? What have they said?
 
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There are two different options Umbongo - firstly you can have the dew claw cut right back so it is flush with the skin (as has been done in this case) which obviously involves cutting through the quick of the nail.

Alternatively they take out the whole claw, cutting into the leg and removing the root of the dew claw too

My vet advised that recovery should be good for either operation, I only went for option one because Flick could have it done under sedation not a general anaesthetic.
 
Infection will not clear and healing will not happen if the dog is constantly licking the site, you can't blame the vets for that.
My dog had an infected claw and it took over 5 weeks of antibiotics to clear it, as the nail grew down we could see that it has cracked around the base of the nail bed-you could not see the damage till it grew out. Not seen anything like it before and was close to having surgery to remove the nail, vet friend advised repeatedly to wait and she was right.
 
Im wondering if my terrier has something very similar. On week 4 of drugs and Im convinced they will recommend we percevere before deciding on complete removal of digit. Cutting dew claw right back was then left to air and heal, I have explained at every appointment that she is licking all day every day and night, but they confirmed there was no point in bandaging with the combo of drugs she is on, and the fact that for the first week after the op she didnt touch it. Just loathed to hear that this continues. She is an unhappy and uncomfortable girl, and totally different character to normal.
 
My Jack Russell had both dew claws removed in June, she's snapped both (1 after the other a couple of months apart)
And by mid July was back to herself!
I had to request the removal from the vets as they were happy to pull the claw out each time, this was causing her to become aggressive towards the vets as each time we visited it ended in her nail being torn off under no pain relief. My insurance paid for the procedure too!
 
I would have it removed but you really need to make her wear a cone or a buster collar or, even after removal, it will never heal. A dog's mouth if absolutely full of nasty nasties and she is just re-infecting it over and over again.

One of mine had a deformed toe, which kept catching on everything. If sort of sat above the other three. Had that removed and it was a pain to heal because of the lack of skin on toes but stitches were out after 10 days and all was well. She wasn't allowed to touch it at all during that time though.
 
I'd have it out, but you need to be watching her all the time to make sure she's not worrying at it or it will never heal, as mentioned.
Has she any toys or bones that you could divert her with rather than eating herself or the furniture, she's externalising whatever discomfort she is feeling.
 
One of my greyhounds has totally ripped her dew claws several times. She has been threatened with having them removed but she seems to have grown out of this phase.

She has had hers bandaged while they were treated and growing out. Cones are fairly useless on long bendy dogs hence the bandages. I think we were bandaging for several weeks until the tip of the claw had grown through enough.
 
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