Can dogs get bunions? Extruding bone on one foot...

[KristinB as guest]

On Carter's left foot, the bone on the inside of his foot, above the last toe, is protruding much more so than the same bone on the other foot. It is almost like a bunion on a person's foot. He has arthritis in his left elbow, but I am wondering what this could be and if it is causing him pain or discomfort? Carter is a five year old labrador.

[Traci]

Get him to your vet to have it checked. Only your vet can determine what this is by exam and possibly a needle biopsy to rule out cysts, etc.

[KristinB as guest]

Yes, we have an appt. for later in the week. I just like to do some research on these things if possible beforehand. It's very hard, like bone, no fattiness or softness to it.

[Traci]

Kristin, it's really hard to offer much more without a more specific detailed description. It could be a callus, it could be a cyst, or it could be a hard mass. I'm hoping it's nothing serious, but your vet is the only one able to see it, examine it, diagnose it.

[KristinB NLI]

Update..carter has a broken foot---His limping was not due to arthritis as much as a broken bone/bone chip in his left foot. We went back to the vet for xrays, and sure enough, he has a large fracture in the knuckle area, a bone chip and swelling.

The vet did not put a cast on it, since the casts are very heavy and tend to cause a lot of stress. Does this sound right? I am supposed to limit his exercise greatly (i.e. only very short walks) over the next 4-6 weeks. If it does not improve, the vet will cast it. If it still does not improve, surgery may be necessary to remove the chip.

The vet said it looks like it may have been there awhile. I feel horrible for not noticing this sooner, but in all fairness, he walks and even runs on it just fine with no signs of discomfort. The only discomfort he showed was after exercising vigorously, and we (vet and I) thought it was due to his arthritis. The vet hadn't noticed this in his earlier examinations either. He has been occasionally running and jumping out of the car with this injury, and I'm sure it has made it worse.

Since we will not be doing our normal routine of going to the park and chasing the tennis ball (one of the only activities he enjoys), does anyone have any ideas for some good low impact games/activities I can do with him over the next 4-6 weeks? Carter tends to get frustrated when he can't exercise, so I need to find something to occupy him and his energy. The vet says he may be able to swim in a few weeks, but we do not have many choices for clean water around the city of Atlanta, unfortunately.

[Traci]

Toe splints are difficult to work with and are generally more trouble than what it's worth, since dogs will not often tolerate a wrap, splint, etc. (i.e., they usually end up chewing through the bandaging/splint and risking further injury with tissue/infection.) Your vet could, however, make a splint that is higher up the leg so that the lower part of the leg is completely supported, causing less pressure on the toes/pads.

As for exercise, I wouldn't recommend anything beyond his short walks, you truly need that bone to fuse and don't want to prohibit it's fusion by allowing him more activity/different types of activity.

[KristinB NLI]

Thanks Traci...we are going for a recheck in 4 weeks. In your opinion, should I suggest a higher splint before then? Where, exactly, on his leg would this splint go? How would it cause less pressure on his toes?

I forgot to add that the vet prescribed Rimadyl twice a day while he is healing. His liver levels are normal. I was concerned about giving it to him since I have read about the potential side effects. The vet seems to think it is necessary, though.

We will stick to very short walks. I want him to heal the best he can. I will have to come up with some clever indoor games to occupy him and expend some of his energy mentally.

[Traci]

If your vet isn't concerned with splinting just yet, then don't worry about it...just keep his activity restricted for at least the 4 weeks. If on the otherhand, he seems to be in discomfort, or agitates the bone by licking, chewing, etc, then your vet may want to splint it to prevent him from causing further damage.

It depends on the type of splint (or cast). Your vet may have fitted splints (plastic)just for this purpose, or he may construct one with materials he already has in the cliinic (large tongue depressors, syringe tubes, etc). Casting involves use of heavy cotton bandaging, taping and vet wrap, which provides padding between the injury and hard surfaces, providing less risk of further injury.

If your vet splinted, he would probably only splint the toe (which might prove a bit difficult to allow for comfort)...so casting would be the better option. Casting can also be done higher up the leg, and in Carter's case, I would suggest up to the elbow. (your vet would instruct you on how to keep it secure and when to change the bandaging if necessary). So, the cast would resemble that done for a broken leg, for example, but it would provide padding and support, and keep the toe fracture from further damage.

[KristinB NLI]

Thanks Traci, my vet did say the cast would be up to the elbow if it was necessary. I'll update my post after our recheck.

[Tambrey]

Do not feel bad for not noticing sooner...

I walked on a broken foot for a year before I knew it was broken...it hurt on occassion, like I had something sharp in my foot, like a bone out of place...I woudl tape it and it was fine for a few days, but then if I did not tape it, it hurt...
I went to get an ingrown toenail removedon my left foot, but asked the doctor about the pain along the outside of my right foot...he said, "Well, let's x-ray it and find out." He saw a bone fragment from the longbone that had chipped off and was moving about in there...
I remembered a year before, on a cold NOvember day, I was barefoot and with wet hair outside protecting my son from his dad...long story, we are no longer married...and his dad shoved me and I fell off the sidewalk...I felt the pain in my foot, but adrenaline and cold kept me from really feeling it at the time, or even really remembering it later on...

Anyways...the doctor said he could remove the bone in a simple surgery...cut into my foot, pick the piece out and a few stitches and it would be done...
I decided to do it under local because I was planning on going to work afterwards to save my vacation days for my upcoming wedding...was not sure when that would be...it depended on the INS as my fiance lived in Canada...

After a while during surgery, I heard and felt him using a hammer ahdnchisle I asked the nurse what was going on...she came back and said the entire side of my foot was exposed, the ligament moved aside, and he was chiseling the bone down and she asked if I wanted to go to sleep yet! I said, no for him to just keep going because it did not hurt...well, when he started to file, I felt it to my knee...ended up there were not only the one that showed up on the x-ray, but three peces of bone fragment moving around and damaging tissue, cartilidge and ligament in there...
I ended up in a Cam walker and on crutches for three months...drove to Montreal from Iowa...then down to Virginia with my fiance and we were married...LOL...me on crutches with a black moon boot on!...It was a year before I could walk without a limp...

This got long winded..sorry....but you might want to keep a close eye on Carter and his foot...follow doctor's instruction, and maybe get a second or third x-ray to see what is going on in there...or maybe opt for the surgery to remove the bone...so it does not give him troubles like I had a year or two down the road...