Torn carpal pad

• 05-07-2008 1:55 PM

  SkiDogBailey Joined on 05-02-2008 Minturn, CO Posts 31 Points 115

  Torn carpal pad Reply Contact Hey, About a week and a half ago I was skiing with my dog, Bailey, and she lacerated her carpal pad (the pad up higher on the front limb) on some crusty snow.  It was cur right where the pad attaches to her leg and I bandaged it up but it was still bleeding after 2 days so I brought her to the vet.  He said that injuries to the carpal pad don't tend to heal well on their own because the blood vessels are right where it tends to cut open, so $400 later and some stitches we were on our way home.  The stitches looked great on Friday when I brought her back for the vet to check out, and she got the ok to be more active but I'm still to keep it bandaged and dry until next week when he'll take the stiches out.  So we went for a couple runs this weekend/beginning of this week and now the stiches are still in but they look loosened up and the cut is opened up again - if I were to pull it open there'd probably be about a 1 cm gap between the leg and carpal pad.  Do you think bringing her back to the vet to have him restitch it is necessary?  Bailey is my first pet so I'm learning as I go.  My intuition is that it needs to be re-stitched but if anyone has experience with injuries like this or any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.  Thanks!

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• 05-07-2008 2:11 PM

  In reply to SkiDogBailey

  kpwlee Joined on 06-17-2006 North Carolina Posts 3,119 Points 355

  Re: Torn carpal pad Reply Contact Hi my dog tore his carpal pad but not as high up as yours - I was really freaked out initially but his healed really fast.  I got something called Cut Heal and wow did that help.  Initially there was a piece of his pad hanging off and then that disappeared and in three days he had a seam where the new had replaced the old piece. So - my thought would be to get some of this Cut Heal (I got it from a farm supply store) and see if that helps - many here are more knowledgable than me though so hopefully they will chime in here's a link to photos

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• 05-07-2008 7:45 PM

  In reply to kpwlee

  SkiDogBailey Joined on 05-02-2008 Minturn, CO Posts 31 Points 115

  Re: Torn carpal pad Reply Contact Thanks for your reply.  It's not actually the pad that's torn, but where the pad attaches to the leg.  I'll look for some Cut Heal, but it does say to only use that for minor cuts.  I called the vets office and they said they'd have him call me - haven't heard from him yet - but the vet tech said it's probably not as big of a deal as I think it is. I talked to the doctor I work for (I do research at an orthopaedics clinic) and he said that if it were a person they wouldn't want to restitch it but rather have it heal/scar over on it's own if it's reopened.   So I guess I'll just have to keep her bandaged and out of commission for a while.

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• 05-07-2008 7:56 PM

  In reply to SkiDogBailey

  kpwlee Joined on 06-17-2006 North Carolina Posts 3,119 Points 355

  Re: Torn carpal pad Reply Contact yea I knew it was up where it attached - for what it's worth his was a significant tear.  Both DH and I thought it needed to be stitched but a few here said that they don't generally like to stitch these areas.  The Cut Heal is like a fish oil type thing - I think it's probably similar to a liquid preparation H which has shark oil that shrinks tissues.  I was told it is used frequently with hunting dogs and flyball dogs as they are the most likely to have these sort of injuries.  Anyway good luck with what you do, wrapping and rest is your best bet for the long term

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• 05-07-2008 8:15 PM

  In reply to kpwlee

  SkiDogBailey Joined on 05-02-2008 Minturn, CO Posts 31 Points 115	Re: Torn carpal pad Reply Contact   I'll definately give the Cut Heal a shot then.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I wonder how many vets would say to stitch a tear like that.
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• 05-08-2008 9:21 AM

  In reply to SkiDogBailey

  kpwlee Joined on 06-17-2006 North Carolina Posts 3,119 Points 355	Re: Torn carpal pad Reply Contact  Good luck I hope it heals quick! SkiDogBailey: I wonder how many vets would say to stitch a tear like that.   no idea, I would've taken him in if it lingered but his stopped bleeding and just looked nasty.
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• 05-09-2008 12:22 AM

  In reply to kpwlee

  SkiDogBailey Joined on 05-02-2008 Minturn, CO Posts 31 Points 115

  Re: Torn carpal pad Reply Contact Thanks.  I ordered some Cut Heal today.  I'm bringing her back to the vet  tomorrow and though it doesn't look great to me he said it sounded ok and he'd probably just take the stitches out and let it be.  I just don't want to have it be a wound that she keeps licking at that never heals (my neighbors dog has one of those) and I don't want the stitches to have been for nothing.  And I was just wondering about how often vets would stitch that because sometimes it just seems like vets around where I live are super expensive (it's an expensive place to live) and I wonder how much of what they deem necessary is truly necessary. Thanks again for your help/advice.

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• 07-07-2008 11:49 PM

  In reply to SkiDogBailey

  jwest Joined on 05-22-2008 Posts 7 Points 10

  Re: Torn carpal pad Reply Contact Wondering how everything turned out with Bailey? My 1 -1/2 year old Lab had the same thing happen 2 months ago...I rushed him immediately to the vet where they stapled it back on. 2 weeks later the staples were removed and within the day it ripped back open. Next step was surgery, where the vet put in many stitches. 2 weeks later the stitches were removed. While still at the vet's office it broke back open a bit. Vet stated that it did not heal has she had hoped  but to let him go to see what happens and to bring him back in 2 weeks. She said not to wrap it, just let it be. Unless seriously bleeding started then call. By the end of the day it was ripped completely back open, with little bleeding. His injury looks good...as in no infection. But this area is clearly swelled and sensitive.   For the past 2 months my poor pup has had this injury, it clearly bothers him, have kept his activity level low, bandaged & followed the vets instructions to the tee this whole time, spent hundreds of dollars and we are back to square one! Not sure what to do. Don't want to sound like money is the issue, it's that we keep taking back & forth to the vet and nothing seems to be working.   Not sure what to do...wondered what happen with Bailey? Thanks!

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