My dog walks on her foot top. What boot can help her injured leg?

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.

Hello. I can not see what you previously wrote, so you may need to provide the history again. Your poor dog looks like she suffered a badly broken leg that has healed in a totally inappropriate manner. If this is the case, the easiest solution ( and fastest ) is to amputate the leg. This sounds harsh, but I am looking at the way she is putting the top of her paw on the ground & not only is this uncomfortable, it can lead to skin damage resulting in infection. Dogs can do wonderful once a bad & painful injury like this is taken care of. It is, of course, only one possibility. X-rays & a consult with an orthopedic surgeon may show a potential different outcome, but if this leg has been this way for some time, any meaningful correction to normal is unlikely. I hope I have addressed your concerns, & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. It is hard to tell how this pup might do as it grows. If there are no pads, & the pup has to walk basically on just skin, this can definitely cause pain & lameness, even with the intact metacarpal pad. If he manages just to walk on this, he may be comfortable, but I would imagine his gait will be off or awkward. In the long term, he may do really well wearing a protective boot on the foot. Only time will tell. An x-ray of the foot may give more information. And yes. This defect in various forms, happens in many breeds. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

If you’ve checked her paw and it’s normal she may be holding her foot up because she has injured her knee and doesn’t want weight on the leg. Knee injuries are common and when first injured dogs hold it up like you are describing. If it’s a knee injury it can heal with rest if the cruciate ligament isn’t fully torn, if it is torn then she may need surgery to repair it. I recommend leash walks only for potty breaks for a week. If she isn’t using the leg normally after that time then please bring her in for and exam and diagnosis. If she’s currently painful then certainly bring her in right away so they can find the problem and get her on pin medication. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pup.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Poppy! I recommend that Poppy be seen by your Vet. Possible causes are distemper virus, a congenital abnormality, toxin ingestion, trauma or a brain issue. Hopefully this is just an injury that needs time to resolve but it is hard for me to say with out examining her or seeing a video. It may be very helpful for you to video tape an episode so your Vet can help you the best they can. I hope this helps and I wish Poppy a speedy recovery!

Thank you for reposting your question with pictures. The second x-ray is a little dark and is difficult to read, but I can certainly see that the area is not normal and why your vet would recommend amputation since the area will not get any better. However, if Ella only has a slightly limp, then I'm not sure why the amputation needs to happen now. Some dogs do very well with an abnormal leg for many years. If at some point it starts causing her more problems, it can always be amputated at that time. And certainly only having 3 legs puts more strain on the other legs, so we try to wait to amputate unless the leg is currently painful or causing problems. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.