Inflamed Nail Bed / Quick

[Hurlock 114]

Lads and lasses. I am having a bit of bother with my young bitches feet this season.

 

I know the wet weather we've had won't have helped and I religiously clean her feet after every time we've been out with a toothbrush round her toes. However, a lot of my running is on big fields of freshly Sewn seed and no matter how hard I try some fine silt must be working its way behind the nails.

 

It's mainly the outside toes on her front feet. Nails are well maintained. She has tight feet having thrown to her sire (whippet). I haven't had any grief before with my saluki types which have slightly flatter feet and don't seem to be affected as much. Certainly her dam never got sore feet.

 

I'm bathing her feet in salt water / Hibiscrub twice a day, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to something I can apply to the inflamed area itself? I dont want them to get infected.

 

Thanks

 

Hurlock

[skycat 6,172]

It sounds as though she is prone to this. Some dogs are, no matter what the shape of their feet or their breeding. As you say, it is the fine silty stuff that works its way under the nail bed, and there is only one way to sort this and that is to bind the ends of the toes up before every run. Just the bit where the claw joins the toe, and use tiny cut down strips of elastoplast fixed with a dab of Superglue. It's a pain in the rear, but worth it. With a bit of practice you get very quick at it and all you have to do is soak the foot in hot water to get it off. Best to get someone who already knows what they're doing to show you> where are you located?

 

Also, you have to lay the dog off until the area is completely healed because if you try and bind up the nail beds which are still inflamed it will cause infection, and a lot of pain.

[taz2010 1,297]

you might be creating a problem with the tooth brush try washing it with warm water and a sponge then dry the feet and then get yourself some whitchhazel and dab on with cotton wool around the nails you find whitchhazel hardens the area you apply it on and less chance of infection

[DeerhoundLurcherMan 997]

+1 on skycats post... Take note of that last part to! My dog had a sore nail bed, which when I carried on running him became infected... Ended up costing me a small fortune at the vets and he was out of action for 8 weeks!

 

Lesson learned the hard way!

[J Darcy 5,871]

I use a soft hand brush when I'm cleaning the dogs feet. however, once I know theres a problem I switch to a sponge as it's gentler.

 

Could we have a photo if possible?

[Hurlock 114]

I'll try and grab a photo. I'm using a soft children's tooth brush to clean.

 

I'll defo tape her nails up once these are better I was shown a video of how to do it, but like you say until they're healed I'm a bit stuck so need to manage them best I can.

 

Agree deerhound I'm trying to avoid infection at the minute they're just a bit sore. I never thought of witch hazel. Some people have suggested cornucresine that they use on horses feet or fucithalmic eye drops the gel ones that thin right out once in contact with your eye. They contain fucithalmic acid which help apparently but I haven't had any experience using these.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Hurlock

[taz2010 1,297]

whitchhazel great stuff chemist sell it

[thefensarefarbutistillgo 2,480]

Cut a plastic 2 pint milk bottle in half and put some surgical spirits in it, enough to cover the top of the nail beds when you put dogs foot in it, and dip the dogs whole foot in it twice a day, it will clear up infection aswell as toughening up the skin, then squeeze the foot after so any excess of the spirits drip out

[logan 447]

I dont no if many other people do this but i use sudocreme before i run my to dogs fingers crossed up to now its worked a treat ,my old bitch use to have problems with them till a coursing lad told me thats wat he does and it sorted just smear it into there whicks not much can get in then .

[logan 447]

I dont no if many other people do this but i use sudocreme before i run my to dogs fingers crossed up to now its worked a treat ,my old bitch use to have problems with them till a coursing lad told me thats wat he does and it sorted just smear it into there whicks not much can get in then .

quick

[Hurlock 114]

Cheers lads and lasses.

 

Spoke to one of the top whippet men and he basically suggested a bit of all the above really.

 

The main prob I had was how to remove anything that was still in the bed. I remembered me nan removing a splinter from my hand as a kid with a sugar and soap poultice. I used this and while it took a while to apply and then strap her feet up removed a lot of rubbish.

 

TD suggested the best brush to use was a badger hair shaving brush (thanks grandad) I worked that in circular motion to free up the last of any dirt in the foot having bathed them in Epsom salts. Once clean i then applied surgical spirit to the bed which like fens said seems to have pulled any loose skin back tight and hardened the skin up around the nails.

 

He then recommended using pettifers green oils on and around the nails now the inflammation has gone down and her feet are now back to normal.

 

He said that I'll have this for her career to think about taping them and if not sometimes a bit Vaseline before lamping will help.

 

Thanks for all the advice and PMs.

 

Hurlock