My dog's toe is worsening. When should I seek a second vet opinion?

Poor Panda! I would expect to see some improvement in his toe within 48 hours after starting antibiotic treatment, and it is concerning that his infection is still bad. You can talk with the vet about giving it a few more days, but the concern is the infection can spread. Other options besides removing the toe include culturing the area to get the exact bacteria causing his infection and then using antibiotics that kill that bacteria in the hopes getting rid of the infection, or taking him into another vet today for a second opinion. You can speak to the vet about doing a culture on his infected toe, but it may be in the end that removing the toe is best. I'm sorry I can't give you an exact answer, but I hope this was helpful!

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.

Since the medications did not help, Kye will need a recheck. Due to the size and location, it is best to have x rays done to see if it involves the bone in any way. From there surgery would be next to have it removed to find out if it is from an infection or a type of cancer. The surgery may involve removing the toe nail and first joint to make sure it is completely removed.

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 :-)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like this could be a benign or malignant growth. This is possibly what is causing her pain. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. They could start pain control medications if she appears to be painful. Good luck and have a good day!

At. This point, I would surgically explore that lesion. There may be a foreign body in there, there may be a small mass or tumor inside, but at least it should be surgically debrided. Debriding it will remove all of the dead necrotic tissue. It should be kept clean by doing daily bandage changes and your pet likely needs a different antibiotic. If this was a routine infection that was responsive to Cephalexin, it would be better by now.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Abby. I am glad that she will see her veterinarian. She could have a cancerous growth, but hopefully it is a benign mass such as a cyst or other type of growth. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is commonly performed to diagnose a mass. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. Based on these results, treatment recommendations can be made. For example, if the mass appears cancerous, then surgery will be recommended. Bone cancer occurs in dogs, but is not common in the location shown in your pictures. So this is less likely. I hope this information helps!