Weird growth

    • Gold Top Dog

    Weird growth

    Holy crap, this totaly just freaked me out. I took him to the dam today and he had was running around in the long grass, so as soon as we got home I brushed him out to check him for ticks. I was checking between his toes, when I went to grab his back left foot, I felt something really weird between his pads on the bottom of his foot. So I had him lay down so I could get a better look. I was expecting just a big clump of dirt or something nasty that was stuck to his hair... not this.  I have no idea what it is, but its wierd. It almost looks like a NAIL...? He wasnt to happy about me touching it, but it didnt seem to cause him any pain.

    I know it was NOT there last fall. Becuase when his allergies flared up and he was getting the rash between his toes, I was always checking him and cleaning them, so I would have noticed it. It must have happend durring the winter, becuase he didnt have the rash on his toes and there were no ticks to worry about, so I guess I didnt notice it...

    What should I do? Obviously hes had it for a while. He hasnt shown any pain or discomfort when walking/running or anything. He has a vet appt in about a month (just for his yearly check up & HW test) should I just ask about it then?

    normal foot-
    [IMG]http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae80/Chelsea_shea/weirdgrowth001.jpg[/IMG]

    growth-

    [IMG]http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae80/Chelsea_shea/weirdgrowth009.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae80/Chelsea_shea/weirdgrowth012.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae80/Chelsea_shea/weirdgrowth005.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae80/Chelsea_shea/weirdgrowth014.jpg[/IMG]

     

     

    • Gold Top Dog

     Gosh that would be scary to find!!  I'm not really sure, but it looks like a callous??  It maybe worth a trip to the Vet though.... just to make sure it's nothing more serious.

     I'm sending good vibes and hoping it's just a nice fat callous!!

    • Gold Top Dog

    Spazzy

     

     

     

    Is it wrong for me to say this is the most gorgeous picture of a growth I've ever seen?  It’s something that textbook photographers would be jealous of.

    I would defiantly ask a vet.  Maybe you can schedule to get him in sooner?  Even if it’s been there for a while it can’t be very comfortable, like having a rock stuck in your shoe.  I hope it’s nothing bad, good luck!

    • Gold Top Dog
    I would bump up the vet visit, but for SOME reason, I remember knowing someone who's dog had an actual toe nail begin to grow someplace REALLY random, like a flank, I want to say. One of those weird dog things! Maybe they can clean his teeth and remove the weird thing at the same time, it'll be like two for one :)
    • Gold Top Dog

    Muffin the Intrepid had something VERY like that - it was literally darned near a toenail growing out of where it shouldn't have been. 

    They really aren't all that uncommon -- and it's probably 100% benign -- but have the vet look at it.

    Muffn's did bother him -- and we really didn't want it irritated and morphing into "something else"  (i.e., something bad) so we removed it.

     He was convinced we had hacked his leg off with a spoon ... he was convinced he was GONNA DIE.  He didn't.  But he limped.  He moaned.  He was UN-happy.  all because of a little vet wrap?? *sigh*  (then again -- he was the original "DON'T touch my feets!!" boy!!)

    • Gold Top Dog

    Really nice pictures...I agree textbook worthy.

    It looks to me like he may have injured the pad somehow splintering off a bit of it. 

    Very interesting about the rogue toenail possibility, though.  I can see the resemblance.

    Vet visit for sure to be on the safe side.

    • Gold Top Dog

    This thing is totaly freaky. It literally looks like a toenail growing out of his pad...  

    calliecritturs
     

    They really aren't all that uncommon -- and it's probably 100% benign -- but have the vet look at it.

    Muffn's did bother him -- and we really didn't want it irritated and morphing into "something else"  (i.e., something bad) so we removed it.

    I will deffinitely call the vet and see if I can get the appt sooner.

    It doesnt seem to be hurting him at all. If I didnt see it I would never have known it was there, no limping or favoring that foot, I havent even seen him licking or chewing at it.

    Should it be removed anyways? Even if it isnt bothering him? I am a nervous wreck when it comes to surgery, the last time he had surgery was 5 years ago when he was neutered. I cant even imagine having to leave him alone there for a whole day (or more?)

    • Gold Top Dog
    IF he does need it to be removed it looks like it would be a really quick procedure, like 10 minutes to remove and suture then bandage, he could be out the door in no time.
    • Gold Top Dog

    Spazzy
    Should it be removed anyways? Even if it isnt bothering him?

    They tend to come under the heading of "may be better to remove before it *becomes* something bad. 

    How long has it been since his teeth have been cleaned? 

    There is really no reason to freak yourself out about surgery -- it really shouldn't be a huge deal (altho he will not like that it's on his foot).  I doubt you'd need to leave him for a whole day.  You'd fast him the evening before (nothing after supper) and then bring him in the morning of surgery (they should pull some pre-op bloodwork just to make sure all is ok) and then you ought to be able to bring him home that afternoon. Something like that shouldn't require an overnight -- at least not with my vet.

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    calliecritturs

    How long has it been since his teeth have been cleaned? 

    Erm... never? He may have had them done when he was neutered, but nothing other than that. His teeth dont even have a speck of tartar on them, if they needed to be cleaned I'd have it done. But since they are pearly white, I dont see any reason to. I can take a picture of them if you dont believe me Wink

    I called but they dont have any sooner apointments right now, but they will call if a spot opens up. They said to watch it and if it changes or starts bothering him to bring him in, but if it doesnt then it can wait.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Spazzy

    Erm... never? He may have had them done when he was neutered, but nothing other than that. His teeth dont even have a speck of tartar on them, if they needed to be cleaned I'd have it done. But since they are pearly white, I dont see any reason to. I can take a picture of them if you dont believe me Wink

    I wasn't accusing you of anything dearheart -- it's just suggestion of a logical thing to do *with* something else (maximizing whatever surgery has to be done by taking care of any other small details at the same time).   As a dog matures things crop up -- fatty lipomas, other lumps or bumps.  A dental isn't a bad idea to be honest -- because the vet looks to make sure there aren't any hairline fractures above the gumline, etc.  

    I may not have seen what I thot I saw, but it seemed to me that the other tissue near the growth looked pretty red and irritated but may be I wasn't seeing what I thot I was. 

    Otherwise it's likely not a huge hurry -- now if it grows at all noticeably over the next few days or weeks THEN it becomes a big deal.

    • Gold Top Dog

    When I get home from work I will write a better response.  

    Benny had something very similar.  I forget what the vet called it, but yes it was a nail growing out of his foot pad.  We had to have surgery to have it removed.  There is a thread on it here somewhere.  I will try to find it.  I do have pictures of his too. It was very strange. 

    ETA Here is one thread:

    http://forum.dog.com/forums/p/85905/673766.aspx#673766

    Here it is:

    http://forum.dog.com/forums/p/85659/671418.aspx#671418
    • Gold Top Dog

    calliecritturs

    I may not have seen what I thot I saw, but it seemed to me that the other tissue near the growth looked pretty red and irritated but may be I wasn't seeing what I thot I was. 

     It doesnt look red or irritated at all. The pictures kind of make it look that way, but it isnt. I will deffinitely keep checking it every day for any changes or irritation. Should I soak his paw in something to clean it? There is a lot of dirt stuck around it.

     

    georgie4682- I had no idea these things were common. What did your vet say about it? Did the vet say it needed to be removed or did you just decide to have it removed youself? I really would rather not have to get it removed if possible, but if its going to hurt him then of course it needs to be done.. I know its a small simple surgery, but I am paranoid about that kind of stuff.  

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    It looks like it's in a place that tearing is likely.  I'd have it removed. A clean, surgical removal will be less painful than him accidentally ripping it halfway off. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    The vet reccommended we remove it.  It was most likely going to keep growing and it was already bothering him a bit because he would occasionally hold his leg in the air.  She also needed to dig out inside the pad to make sure she got the cause of the growth out so it wouldn't keep coming back.