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Jana | 2 years ago
Rottweiler, Female, 11 Years Old. Vertically Split Nail; Under Vet Care But I Think We Need To …

Rottweiler, female, 11 years old.

Vertically split nail; under vet care but I think we need to get more decisive.

The vet trimmed the nail half way with local (dog has bad reaction to sedation protocol, narcotics, etc). Still hurt and vet said it would cause undue pain. However, the nail continues on splitting.

How common of a procedure is cutting the nail off all the way to nail bed? How does that improve outcome? How much faster is the recovery?

By what percentage is anesthesia risk lower with such a short procedure? (Has to be anesthesia as explained above). Last time, after anesthetic procedure, she had heart rhythm problems and other problems; became critical and almost died. But was also full of drugs and had pancreatitis as complication of splenectomy. I’d assume the shorter the time under, the lower risk of complications?

I’m concerned about putting her under but I’m also concerned about dragging this out for weeks, taking valuable time from her, and having to do it that way anyway eventually.

I really don’t know what is the best thing to do for her. Hubby leaning toward waiting if it heals but I’m not seeing it healing any time soon if at all. (Photo of the present state of the nail attached.

I’m sad, depressed, concerned, and don’t know what I should decide for her.

4 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    First I will admit that I have had cases like this and they are frustrating. So I remind my clients this.
    Next we take it in small steps. I do start with trimming the nail as much as able and start toe/foot soaks to keep the area clean and place an ecollar to stop the patient from licking and further traumatizing the nail and seeding infection from the mouth . I ask them to give it a week or two to heal.

    If it doesn’t or other nails start cracking we talk about oncodystrophy. And start talking about what to do if that is the case. The treatment options are not great so the decision to treat needs to be made with a great deal of thought or referral to dermatologist is recommended.

    In one case I had a dog who was placed under general anesthesia and the nail was ground to the base to allow a new nail to grow back.

    Risk of anesthesia is something discussed on a case by case basis and usually has little definitive concrete information to allow predictive measures or reasoning. That would be a conversation for an anesthesiologist.

    Also I have had some cases with underlying nail bed infections so antibiotic’s, foot wrap and medication or culture and sensitivity testing might be helpful.

    1. Jana Post author

      It’s already been three weeks now. It appears the nail was vertically cracked from the beginning with the first part in the middle (which is now the end)

      How well did the grinding to the nail bed work and what was the recovery?

      The other nails appear to be fine.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Grinding the nail was a last resort for a difficult chronic case. It worked but it was a last resort treatment.

    1. Jana Post author

      Actually, it looked quite bad and hurt every time she brushed it on something. We had the nail entirely removed last Friday. Anesthesia was a risk, but I didn’t want her to spend whatever time she has left trying to get that damn nail healed–she already lost months with the first one.

      The upside–48 hours of bandage, some pain meds, and all done. It looks good now and doesn’t bother her at all. She can now get on with her life and have fun.

      I hated taking the risk but I”m glad I did.

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kathy welsh | 2 years ago
My Daughter’s 13 Yr Old Male Cat Started Urinating All Over The House, Occasionally Crying Out. …

My daughter’s 13 yr old male cat started urinating all over the house, occasionally crying out. Is this a UTI? I read something about crystals??

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It could be a uti, cystitis or your cat being blocked (ie urinary bladder blockage), which is a medical emergency. Please go to the vet immediately.
    Best of luck. Please keep us posted.

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Tiffany | 2 years ago
I Am Trying To Reach Out To Dr. Magnifico. I Have A 10 Month Old Cat That …

I am trying to reach out to Dr. Magnifico. I have a 10 Month old cat that started to puke and it was unusual for him so I paid closer attention and realized he was going to the litter ofter and straining at first I thought maybe he had a blockage with the puking then after taking him to the vet on 3/31 and after x-rays they determined that he was constipated but at that time didi not have mega colon they had me try Laxatone and probiotics he was still having bowel movements daily so I was was still concerned as he was in the litter often straining though and Then on 4/3 I took him to a different animal hospital because they were walk in and i could be there before i could get ahold of his original vet and I Didn’t think I could afford an ER visit but that appointment cost me over $800 for blood work and X-rays and they gave him Anastasia and manually cleaned him out. at that point I was calling his original vet he he regularly see and originally saw for this problem because the vet that did the procedure just gave me prescription dry food and sent me on my way so I wanted to make sure it was the right action plan to get him back to normal. My original vet never called me back until I called to ask for his records thats when they decided to get him back in. So on 4/8 He started vomiting again and his original vet saw him and said he needed fluids but his stool seemed soft and like it should pass. they gave me pain meds for him fpr 3 days and metocopramide for 4 days. along with a different prescription wet food and Hydracare. Then I noticed on mu bill i was charges for Lactulose which they didn’t tell me wasn’t in stock and i would have to wait to get but it was weekend and they closed so per a megacolon group i am in i gave him 1/8tsp of mirilax a day he still has had at least 1 goof bowel movement a day but the problem I am having is that he is in the litter box straining constantly to the point of falling over and his back side is so swollen and raw! I called the vet numerous times to just ask for guidance and am not getting anywhere I have spent over $1600 which I definitely do not have and I would think by now I would have some answers. All I want is for him to not be in pain. I don’t know if there is anything I can do for his swollen raw bottom. It feels like its never going to end there is constantly poop on his bottom on-top of it I am trying to keep it clean for him but It is so painful for him for me to clean. I guess I just want to know if this will stop or will he be constantly trying to stain and go? They said that his colon can go back down in size since it just happened and he is so you but I just feel so defeated right now!

3 Responses

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  1. Tiffany Post author

    Here are some photos and comparative x rays of how quick it got to Megacolon

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry that you are having such a terrible time trying to find help.
    I think that most cats with constipation have it as a result or something else going on. So I am worried that a 10 month old cat would have such an issue. It’s really important to find a vet that you trust. Go on social media and ask everyone you know if they can recommend someone to help.
    Without knowing your cat it is impossible for me to guess about what’s going on. But I am worried that a few things might be contributing to his problems.
    One is he eating a good high quality wet food. I really prefer canned to dry with cats and colon issues. Next is getting enough exercise. The colon is a muscle and under muscled animals have problems. For constipation I do recommend miralax or lactulose. I also like learning how to give sq fluids at home. You also need to learn how to palpate his colon to know when it is getting distended.
    For other things that might be causing the problem look at old pelvic issues. I’ve only seen young cats get this because they had previous pelvic trauma. Also FeLV or fiv positive?
    His rectal area is raw bc of the colon issue. So that has to be fixed to get his butt to heal.

    Good luck. I hope this helps.

    1. Tiffany Post author

      Thank you so much for responding! He defiantly needs more exercise I was giving him Iams dry food as he really doesn’t like wet food and I have a 14 year old cat that has never had an issue. But I have been trying to get him to eat wet food. where I adopted him from tested him for FeLV and Fiv and he was negative and I just got it ran again 2 weeks ago and he was still negative. I am so overwhelmed because the vet I am using comes so highly recommended on all of the social media groups around here. I defiantly want to look into fluids for home I called his vet again today asking if i could bring him in just for fluids and they wanted me to do a whole appointment again and i honestly can not afford much more.

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Anna | 2 years ago
This Isn’t Anything Urgent But It’s Been Happening Over Time.. My Dog Frequently Secretes …

This isn’t anything urgent but it’s been happening over time.. my dog frequently secretes fluid from her anus; she has had her anal glands expressed multiple times and uses the bathroom normally. She licks her anus afterwards and when I try to get close and/or disinfect the area she gets aggressive. So I just want to know the reasoning as to why she secretes fluid frequently if nothing is wrong with her?

1 Response

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  1. Autumn

    Good morning.
    Sometimes dogs may need their anal lands expressed on a normal basis. Some come in every 2 weeks, others 4-6 weeks. There may not necessarily be an “issue” per se, but some may need this as a routine for them.
    If it becomes a concern, you may want to talk to your vet about removal if they start to become impacted/infected…

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Emma | 2 years ago
Male Himalayan Cat Eyes Swollen And Red And Ears Itchy

Male Himalayan cat eyes swollen and red and ears itchy
I have A male himilayan who seems to be having an allergic reaction to something but I’m not sure if it’s a reaction or something else. His eye lids are swollen red and puffy and he keeps scratching his ears till they bleed. My vet told me to open the windows and air out the house which I did For 7 hours and it has gone down a bit but he still looks uncomfortable. It has been on and off for the past week of getting puffy and there was a wall diffuser my mother in law kept plugging in and when it was unplugged it got better but then she’d plug it in again. It has now been removed for good and it’s been almost 12 hours and he’s still puffy. Any suggestions or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Nothing else has changed in the house that I can Think of for another cause of allergies or irritation. I am Trying to get him into a vet tomorrow.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Eyes are one of those things that absolutely have to be seen in person to assess. In some cases I need to stain the eye to look for corneal damage. In others I had to take ocular pressure. And in some we just try an ophthalmology antibiotic and an ecollar. For allergy cases I might send home an eye flush. But they are all based on the in person exam.

    See your vet as soon as you can and do not let your cat run her eyes. That can cause major cornea damage.

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Lorraine | 2 years ago
Live In The Pittsburgh Pa Area. I Have A Cat With The Nasal Polyp Issue. … I …

live in the Pittsburgh pa area. I have a cat with the nasal polyp issue. …

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1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    Have you tried to find a vet near you who will sedate your cat and look for a polyp in the ears or behind the soft palate? Local rescues and shelters might also be able to help.

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Shannon | 2 years ago
Last Night About 8pm My Dog Had Lump Around Her Eyes And Her Mouth Was Swollen, …

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1 Response

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  1. Autumn

    Hello!
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    – Autumn

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Melinda | 2 years ago
My Frenchie Was On My Deck Yesterday With My Kids And He Somehow Lost His Toenail. …

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
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    I worry about infection and an immune mediated disease that causes the nails to not grow normally.

    Good luck.

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Chaz | 2 years ago
What If The Breathing Issues Is Not A Polyp? And It’s Not Asthma Or A …

What if the breathing issues is not a polyp? And it’s not asthma or a respiratory infection. What else could it be in your experience?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    We do a very poor job in diagnostics to provide a firm diagnosis for pets.
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