# Injured Paw



## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I am petsitting a year old Pemboke Corgi. He went out with the shelties in the gravel play yard and came back in not putting his right rear paw down. I massaged down his back, hip and rear leg and he shows no discomfort. He whimpers a bit when you get to his paw. This has been a couple of hours now. With my own dogs I would wait it out a few day and see if they are improving but these little low slung models worry me with their injuries. I also have not been able to reach the owner to ask what he would like. Pup seems fine otherwise, alert, eats, calm but won't put paw on the ground. He is resting right now. Any suggestions?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i'd see if he will tolerate cold and warm compresses and a few hours of rest if he'll rest or at least slow down.

if he is putting any weight on it....then i would observe. if he is holding it in the air too much longer...i'd go to the vet.

i just saw where you said he was eating and calm...the area is tender but not he's not crying, just whimpering when you touch....i'd wait.....


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Some dogs whimper when you hold their paw because they don't like them touched. If he flinches or pulls away very quickly with that paw then it may be the injured spot (of course test him out on all his paws to see if the same reaction occurs regardless of which paw you're handling). 

Is he weight bearing on it at all? Or is he touching his toe down?


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I appreciate your comments. He is a bit of a whiner - about everything, so I think he is being a drama queen. I can touch him all over except that one paw. He won't put it down at all. He doesn't shriek or anything like that when I touch it just kind of twitches and whimpers a little. He has been hanging out on the sofa with us all afternoon and is beginning to shift around more and flexing the foot. I think he will be fine but if there is not considerable improvement in the morning I will take him to the vet. I am so careful with these petsitting guys but his long back and short legs always worry me, I am used to more proportioned dogs. Plus being BYB and eating crappy kibble I don't trust those bones. I appreciate your helping me out and calming me down, he is my first injury to a petsat dog in over 10 years of doing this. I will post tomorrow if he is better. Thank you.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Liz said:


> I appreciate your comments. He is a bit of a whiner - about everything, so I think he is being a drama queen. I can touch him all over except that one paw. He won't put it down at all. He doesn't shriek or anything like that when I touch it just kind of twitches and whimpers a little. He has been hanging out on the sofa with us all afternoon and is beginning to shift around more and flexing the foot. I think he will be fine but if there is not considerable improvement in the morning I will take him to the vet. I am so careful with these petsitting guys but his long back and short legs always worry me, I am used to more proportioned dogs. Plus being BYB and eating crappy kibble I don't trust those bones. I appreciate your helping me out and calming me down, he is my first injury to a petsat dog in over 10 years of doing this. I will post tomorrow if he is better. Thank you.


i love the drama queen part....because if you did take him to the vet, his foot will suddenly be fine when he hears the car door open....
let us know how it goes overnight.

i can understand the feeling....we know our own dogs....but when you're taking care of someone else's....oy vey...


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Dane Mama, I took the little guy out to the lawn so he could go potty. He touched the ground a few times and his leg moves and foot twitched but won't really put weight on, he kinds just flops into a sit. I massaged his leg and thigh and put him in the crate for the night with a pee pad in case he has to go. He is sensitive on all feet but the one he is favoring seems a little puffy on the top. I appreciate your experience. Could he have hurt his foot because of the rock in the exercise run? It is not sharp gravel rather rounded type butabout the smae size - I am thinking maybe his pads are sensitive and that is causing he pain or slipping in the rocks caused a sprain.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

You probably already checked but I know on my 2, little "rocks" can get jammed up between their toes. I'm talking way up under the "webbing". You'd think with how bare their paws are that things like that would be easy to see but nope. The Old man with his furry paws can sometimes get things "tangled up" between his pads, in between his toes, sticking into betwen his toes from the top, or next to the toenails and it so wrapped in hair you can't see it only feel it. Hope he's doing better.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

how did he do through the night?


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Thank goodness, he is much better! He is still favoring that foot but he can put some pressure on it and walk around pretty normally for a few minutes. I am going to keep him quiet again today and hopefully he will be back to himself tomorrow. Thank you all so much for good suggestions and pacifying my neurosis. My two fear with petsitting are losing a dog and a dog being injured. Celt, thanks for the reminder about the small rocks, I do check but only because mine have such hairy paws they always get pebbles in their feet. Thanks again, I am so grateful to have a group of people to talk to who are kind and knowledgeable.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Liz said:


> Thank goodness, he is much better! He is still favoring that foot but he can put some pressure on it and walk around pretty normally for a few minutes. I am going to keep him quiet again today and hopefully he will be back to himself tomorrow. Thank you all so much for good suggestions and pacifying my neurosis. My two fear with petsitting are losing a dog and a dog being injured. Celt, thanks for the reminder about the small rocks, I do check but only because mine have such hairy paws they always get pebbles in their feet. Thanks again, I am so grateful to have a group of people to talk to who are kind and knowledgeable.


not that i wouldn't pet sit...i would...but the attention i pay to the dog i don't own or know as well as mine is greater...with that, so is the concern. 

glad he's better.


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