My dog had melanoma. Now a nail infection. Is toe amputation right?

Dogs do get malignant nail bed tumors. This area does look angry and it certainly could be a malignant tumor. If you wish to be cautious you can get a second opinion from a veterinary oncologist or another veterinarian. It's difficult to get a good sample from this area so your veterinarian is correct to recommend a toe amputation. Since Hailey is young there is a chance that this is an infection also. You could try a course of antibiotics for a couple of weeks to see if it heals. If the mass continues to enlarge then I would definitely remove the toe as if it's a malignant melanoma they do spread and it could go into her lungs which is a life threatening condition. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Hailey.

The problem with a bacterial infection that does not respond to antibiotics is that the infection can spread to other areas of Zula's body. It will not resolve on it's own, and it can get worse. You can see if there is another antibiotic that the bacteria may respond to, but if it doesn't amputation may be the best option. A dog can live a normal life without one of their toes. I'm sorry, it sounds like you are in a tough position, hope this advice helps you :-)

Melanoma that is found in the toes has more potential to be malignant, but this is not a definite. One thing that's in Ada's favor is that she is a Miniature Schnauzer. About 75% of melanomas in this breed are benign, which decreases the likelihood of malignancy. The biopsy results should give some indication of malignancy, so I'd double-check with the vet that gave you the results. Staging of tumors requires that a veterinarian takes samples from nearby lymph nodes and takes x-rays. If this hasn't been done, then you can ask your veterinarian if this is necessary. The prognosis will depend on the grading and staging of the tumor, so I cannot comment about that at this time. I hope this helps and all turns out OK with Ada.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hank. I am concerned that his toe is not healing. Infections in the nail and digit can be hard to treat. Sometimes aggressive antibiotics are needed. I will usually prescribe two separate antibiotics for a broader spectrum of coverage. However, I am always suspicious of cancer when there is a non-healing on a toe. In this case, you may discuss amputation with his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Your vet is correct. You actually have a choice now: a fine needle aspirate where a little tissue is harvested from the lump and then examined to determine what kind of growth this is. Should it be benign, or just inflammatory, treatment would be either benign neglect or treating the inflammation or possible infection. Should it be malignant, then your vet will probably elect to amputate the tail well above the tumor and then this would often be curative depending on the type of tumor. In that case it is actually good that it is in the tail and not somewhere else on the body. Trust your vet, he is on the right track.

Sorry that Myles is having this issue. This is every concerning. If he just had a simple torn nail it would have healed by now. The way you are describing it sounds like a tumor to me. Especially with his breed and age. I strongly recommend you get him back to your vet ASAP for a biopsy of that toe. This is very concerning. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes.

Ideally, Cameron should be seen by your veterinarian. The toe is likely painful and a constant risk of infection. It should be removed if possible. Any bootie should be taken off when indoors. A bandage or sock should be changed whenever it becomes soiled. An e-collar (cone) can be used to prevent licking or chewing.