What issues will a dog with missing paw digits experience over time?

Hello. Without x-rays it is impossible to know what is actually going on in the paw. It is difficult to say if this will bother her more as she matures, but you really do not have too many options. Perhaps a surgery to fuse & stabilize the paw may be helpful, but will not eliminate all pain & discomfort & you certainly would not amputate the leg unless she began to self-mutilate the paw. So, unless you can have the paw x-rayed, I would take a wait & see how she does. If she over does it when you play with her, then make sure she rests the leg. Otherwise, I would try to avoid pain relieves in such a young dog. Perhaps, once her bones are finished growing & maturing, she may actually do quite well. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is hard to say if Rufus has congenital brachydactyly without seeing at least a photo of the toe. My guess though is that is the most likely cause based on your description. I highly doubt this is going to cause him any mobility problems and it should not affect his health in anyway. It is hard to know how short the toe will end up being until he is full grown. The shorter the toe ends up being then it is more likely he will have a joint/mobility issue. Honestly, I wouldn't give it a second thought if he was my dog. I would not put him on any joint supplements until he is an adult (like 11-12 months of age). Just make sure he is on a high quality diet and then when he is about 1 year old you can start a prophylactic joint supplement. I like this one by Missing Link but I don't know if you can get it in India. ( https://missinglinkproducts.com/product/canine-hip-joint-coat/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello. Thank you for the additional information. It is possible that Poppy was born this way, but the important point is the description of the pad on the top of the foot. You see, the only reason to consider amputation is if Poppy was self-mutilating the foot by dragging it. But if she is managing, then there is no need to do much of anything. A boot might help, but may also not be necessary. I wish I could see a video of how she walks & uses the leg. But if you just keep an eye on things, she may do just fine. And thank you for rescuing her, & clarifying things for me.

It would be incredibly difficult to do anything about broken bones in such a young puppy. It looks from the second picture that it did heal, but not in the proper alignment. We would need a new x-ray to determine what is going on now. Kenji is likely a perfectly adoptable puppy now, but depending on what the bones did while healing, he is at an increased risk of developing arthritis in that foot earlier than he would from simple old age. It's just something to watch every year at his annual checkup.

Hello, and thanks for your question. It's difficult to tell in the picture where the injury is. I'm possibly seeing a small area with minor irritation on the edge of the metacarpal pad (the larger pad behind the toe pads), almost like a rug-burn type injury... If that's the case, it will be a bit sore until the tissue starts to heal, but there isn't much to do other than monitor for infection and protect it from further injury. You can apply a topical ointment such as neosporin, and sometimes they're more comfortable if you apply a sock or bootie when Blitz goes outside. Avoid long walks and running off leash for a week or so, especially on abrasive surfaces such as concrete or gravel. Monitor for redness, swelling, or discharge that might indicate infection. If you see any of these, or if Blitz seems uncomfortable enough to need pain medication, then it's best to bring her in to the vet. Of course, if there's further injury besides the suspected "rugburn" or scrape I described above, don't hesitate to question again with a description of the injury you're seeing, and maybe a close-up with an arrow to the injury in question... Hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, the skin on the paw pads grows quickly, so any minor tears or scrapes should heal in without complication, as long as they are not too deep! If the scrapes are deep enough to result in bleeding, Matilda should be seen by a veterinarian. Otherwise, they should heal on their own. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without examining Brutus it is difficult to say but he may have developed soft tissue trauma from an injury or injured his bone / carpal joint. If the limping persists for the next 3 days, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him and take x-rays of the leg to help rule out some causes of the lameness. For the next 3 days I would recommend exercise restriction and keeping him on a leash whenever he is outdoors and discouraging him from jumping up or down on any furniture to allow this injury to heal. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.