My 10 months Bully is limping for 6 weeks!!!

[Don Giovani]

Hi All, I join the group to have some advise on my Puppy Giovani! Giovani is 10 months old! We went to the Vet 5 weeks ago to do an operation as Giovani had a umbilical hernias. We told the vet that Gio was limping for few days from the front left leg. He said that it was certainly a muscle. After the operation, Giovani was under antibiotics for few days and seems ok. But after he was still limping. We went back to the vet. He said that puppy reacted when he touched the elbow. He did an X-ray on both front legs but saw nothing special and gave him more pain killers. (he said it was not a perfect X ray)...
Then Giovani had an infection of the paw on the same leg. First it was like a white ball on the paw. But then he kind of exploded ( looks the picture). Back to the vet. Antobiotics for 10 days.
I don t want to insist with the VET but I am not sure it s the same problem and I do believe its a coincidence. Giovani is limping for 6 weeks now. It s always something different and I am afraid it`s something else. Do you have any ideas ? Or something to recommend?

I want to go back and ask for an X ray under anesthesia to make sure that nothing is broken on his elbow or dislocated..??? Gio is really scared, he is shaking every time we go and I want to be sure we need to and we are not overreacted.

 

[Sherry]

oh jeesh, that looks like a cyst, I copied this for you

For those who aren’t familiar with this particular bane of the French Bulldog and Bulldog owner, an interdigital cyst (their proper name is ‘Interdigital furuncle’) is an inflammation of the skin between the toes. The Merck Veterinary manual says -

The most common cause is a deep bacterial infection. Many dog breeds (eg, Shar-Pei, Labrador Retriever, English Bulldog) are predisposed to bacterial interdigital furunculosis because of the short bristly hairs located on the webbing between the toes, prominent interdigital webbing, or both. The short shafts of hairs are easily forced backward into the hair follicles during locomotion (traumatic implantation). Hair, ie, keratin, is very inflammatory in the skin, and secondary bacterial infections are common.
​

In Elliott, we first noticed he seemed a little bit lame, which I assumed was the result of a typical ‘rambunctious dog’ related injury. When he was limping worse the next day, I took a closer look. That’s when I saw the red swelling between his toes, with some crusted blood under the nail. The blood under his nail first led me to assume he’d damaged it somehow, perhaps by cracking it on the concrete patio after he’d jumped off the patio table. Elliott is our resident goat dog – if there’s a table, chair, or other high surface around, he’s sure to climb onto it, and jump back down. So much for the “Don’t let Frenchies jump off the couch” theory.

Closer inspection showed that the blood was likely from the swelling between his toes tearing the skin around the nail, which is when I realized it was a cyst, and not nail damage.
Although this is one the most common health problems in French and English Bulldogs, I’ve never personally had a dog with an interdigital cyst before. I’m familiar with them from talking to other owners and breeders, and aware that they can be nasty little suckers.
Cysts are scary looking. They’re huge, swollen and obviously painful for the dog.
My first reaction was to take him in to the vet, but the complicated course of treatment Merck recommends seemed rather daunting:

Interdigital furuncles respond best to a combination of topical and systemic therapy. Cephalexin (20 mg/kg, PO, tid, or 30 mg/kg, PO, bid) is recommended for 4-6 wk of initial therapy. However, because the lesions are pyogranulomatous, it may be difficult for antibiotics to penetrate them; therefore, >8 wk of systemic antibiotic therapy may be required for lesions to completely resolve. These lesions are often complicated by concurrent Malassezia spp infections. Oral ketoconazole or itraconazole (5-10 mg/kg) for 30 days may be indicated. The presence of Malassezia can be documented by cytologic examination of nail bed debris and/or impression smears of the skin. Topical foot soaks in warm water with or without an antibiotic solution (eg, chlorhexidine) and the application of mupiricin ointment are recommended. Some dogs may benefit from antibiotic wraps and bandaging. Antihistamines given for the first several weeks of treatment may partially alleviate pruritus, if present.
​

This is in stark contrast to the relatively mild and non invasive treatments other Bulldoggers and Frenchie owners recommend for treating cysts. I’d decided I would try a lower impact home remedy, before loading Elliott up with 4-6 weeks of antibiotics.
The most common home remedy I read about was to soak or compress the affected foot several times per day, then apply antibiotic ointment. A few people recommended applying Preparation H or other hemmorhoid creams. We decided to do a bit of each.
Three to four times per day we’ve been soaking Elliott’s foot in Epsom salts. The easiest way we’ve found to do this is to fill the laundry tub up with 2 to 3 inches of fairly warm water, to which we’ve added a cup of Epsom Salts. We then stand Elliott in the tub, and sit beside him for ten minutes or so. Luckily for us, he’s a good boy, and just stands there patiently so long as we give him the occasional head scratch.
After ten minutes or so have elapsed, we put Elliott on a thick towel and gently pat his affected foot dry. I then fill a large, wide coffee cup with about an inch of hydrogen peroxide, and hold his foot in the cup for a few moments. The affected areas on Elliott’s foot, in particular the cyst itself and the surrounding hair follicles, respond to the hydrogen peroxide with bubbling, whereas the rest of his foot does not. This shows that there is catalase enzyme present in these areas, which is one of the components released when blood or damaged cells are present.
After soaking in hydrogen peroxide, we again pat Elliott’s foot dry. I then apply either Panalog ointment, or Anusol hemorrhoid ointment.
We’ve been treating him using the above method since Saturday morning, and in that time period his swelling has reduced by approximately 40%, and the redness is almost completely gone. With any luck, it will be completely gone within another day or so, and with no antibiotics. Of course, if it doesn’t clear up, or returns, then we’ll try traditional Veterinary treatment and oral antibiotics.

 

[Ftse 100]

Sherry has given you good advice, it looked like a cyst to me too, but if I would probably go to another vets if you are not getting anywhere with yours.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

You have gotten great advice. Can you find a different vet? Maybe one with more Bully expertise? He has been thru alot already. My Jake had an umbilical hernia too. His was fixed at the same time he was neutered. I hope you can find out what to do for him soon..

 

[Don Giovani]

Thank you for your answers and advise Sherry! He had antibiotics and now we are putting a cream called Blaestostimulina, twice a day. The vet told us to do so for 10 days. I have to finish this treatment and see how it goes. We may try one of your home remedy Sherry I will let you know how it went. Tks !

 

[LariP]

Can't add any better advice than what Sherry gave you, and I hope his limping issue is resolved when you get the cyst under control.

 

[BruceP]

to EBN.... good luck with the interdigital cyst. I's love to see more pix of the little fella

 

[bulldogs4me]

to EBN hope things start getting better for your little guy, he sure is a cutie!!

 

[LynnA]

Hi All, I join the group to have some advise on my Puppy Giovani! Giovani is 10 months old! We went to the Vet 5 weeks ago to do an operation as Giovani had a umbilical hernias. We told the vet that Gio was limping for few days from the front left leg. He said that it was certainly a muscle. After the operation, Giovani was under antibiotics for few days and seems ok. But after he was still limping. We went back to the vet. He said that puppy reacted when he touched the elbow. He did an X-ray on both front legs but saw nothing special and gave him more pain killers. (he said it was not a perfect X ray)...
Then Giovani had an infection of the paw on the same leg. First it was like a white ball on the paw. But then he kind of exploded ( looks the picture). Back to the vet. Antobiotics for 10 days.
I don t want to insist with the VET but I am not sure it s the same problem and I do believe its a coincidence. Giovani is limping for 6 weeks now. It s always something different and I am afraid it`s something else. Do you have any ideas ? Or something to recommend?

I want to go back and ask for an X ray under anesthesia to make sure that nothing is broken on his elbow or dislocated..??? Gio is really scared, he is shaking every time we go and I want to be sure we need to and we are not overreacted.

I am going through the same thing with Otis, not the cyst on his paw but the limping on the same leg (left, front) I took him to the vet a week ago today and he was put on pain meds. He said let's wait a week - see how the meds work and then we will have an xray taken. I am calling today to schedule the xray. He will need to be sedated - will let you know what the outcome is. Best of luck to you.

 

[cowsmom]

hi there and to ebn. i know bullies can sometimes limp on their legs and if it does not clear up soon i would certainly take him back in for an xray and if you must see a different vet. you may want to limit him somewhat in playing and certainly no jumping on or off the couch things like that for a bit see if it helps. your baby is adorable and i hope he gets better soon. sherry has given you good advice on the cyst. keep us updated.

 

[RaRett]

I agree, with the Cyst diagnoses, it was my 1st reaction to the picture, and it seems that others concur

 

[Baconator]

Just wanted to say to EBN, it looks like you got all the advice you need. If you are looking for a new vet you can check out our recommended vet page and see if there is one close to you.

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/f...ecommended-english-bulldog-veterinarians-166/

 

[kazzy220]

to EBN!!! It certainly looks like the interdigital cysts that Maggie got once!! We worked out she was allergic to chicken after I had switched her to a chicken n veg food. Once we cut out the chicken she never got those cysts again.

I'd be more concerned about the limping that doesn't seem to be going away and a diagnosis from an x-ray that the vet says wasn't very good.

maybe time to look for another vet ... I can already tell from your post that you are getting frustrated with the one you have.

 

[Don Giovani]

Yes let me know how it went! Hope the best for Otis!

 

[2BullyMama]

Hello and welcome to EBN.... Giovoni is a sweetie.... I can not add any more advice than what has been said.... good luck, hope he heals up quick and all goes well.

Please keep us posted