Our dog is now almost 13. He has never really had any serious problems. He is about a 35-lb. mixed breed dog. We did not think much of his occasionally licking his left front paw for several weeks and he never exhibited any signs of lameness. Luckily, our daughter was home from college when she noticed that there was an olive-sized bump on the leg where his dewclaw had been.
We had our vet examine the dog and it was pointed out that the nail was missing for the most part but there was still something there that felt like a nail. Our vet thought that possibly the nail had been caught and torn off, so our dog was started on both antibiotics and anti-inflammatory oral medications. After two weeks, not much has changed. The swelling is about the same size and the dog seems oblivious to what is going on.
What should be done next? Our vet suggested the possibility of a tumor that might need to be removed but what kind could it be and what is the likelihood of malignancy? Since our dog is old, will there be much benefit to surgery given the fact that he seems to show no discomfort whatsoever?
There are several possibilities as to what might be going on. I am sure that, given the findings, your veterinarian had a reason for trying the medications that were given to your dog. Torn off dewclaws are not uncommon and can lead to localized swelling and discomfort. When acute, there is usually more pain and discomfort associated with the lesion and since your dog has not exhibited those signs, there might be something else going on.
Your comment that there was still some tissue that feels like a nail leaves me curious. My initial thought is that your dog may have a localized mass that is developing that can originate either in soft tissue or in the bones. Since not much has changed in two weeks, I would suggest doing two things starting with a radiograph and then doing a needle aspirate to see if whatever is there does histologically appear as neoplasia or not, benign or malignant, or anything else. Without needle aspirate or surgical biopsy, it is impossible to say what kind of tumor might be there.
Your veterinarian’s suggestion for surgical excision would follow these two initial steps and biopsy would likely be diagnostic. If there is a tumor, benign or malignant, surgical removal could be curative and be beneficial to your dog. Some tumors stay localized whereas others can metastasize and only following up on these steps will give you the answers that you seek. Hopefully, it is nothing serious and your dog will be fine.
Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic. He can be reached at 781-899-9994.
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