Dog with nerve damage in paw - Answered by Dr. Van Lienden

[mattmdjj]

Hi, my dog was hit by a car 5 weeks ago. He now has nerve damage to his right-front paw. He has feeling in the outside of the paw, but the nerve that controls the motion of the paw itself has no feeling (the one down the middle), so he can't walk normally without the help of a support/splint or a boot of some kind on that paw.
I took him to a veterinary neurologist three weeks ago, and have spared no expense in his medical care since the accident.

The neurologist said that it was possible the nerve might regenerate/repair itself, but that if Charlie (the dog) started to chew on the paw then amputation was the best recommendation. The neurologist didn't seem to have a lot of experience with nerve damage, and had no opinion on an alternative treatment (accupuncture, holistic healing, or whatever else is available). Charlie's regular vet had even less experience, and recommended amputation before even seeing the x-rays or anything! Surgery of any kind is out of the question because of Charlie's size (about six pounds). Obviously I'm a little frustrated with them both, and am looking for someone with some REAL experience with this type of problem or just some advice from someone with some experience.

He started to chew on the paw less than a week ago, and has broken the first few layers of skin near the joint. I have since been washing it with disinfectant soap and applying neosporin several times per day, and Charlie now has a collar on to prevent him from chewing the leg during the day. It's already starting to heal.

With all that being said, my questions are these:

Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you know of any alternative treatments that I didn't mention for this type of injury? Money isn't the issue, it's the quality of life for my dog. I can't keep a collar on him all day long for the rest of his life! I also don't want to simply give up trying and amputate the leg when there could be something out there that could help him. I know he'll adapt a lot quicker than I will to having three legs, but why do that if something can be done to save it? He's getting exercise on it every day, several times per day (being forced to use it by walking slowly with the paw in a support boot).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Matt & Charlie

[Trinitie]

I'm so sorry to hear of Charlie's horrible accident.

The fact Charlie is paying attention to his paw is a good thing, even though he's causing himself damage. The way I see it, and I'm not a vet, is the paw is starting to tingle, making him try to stop the "itch". Of course he can't, so he continues to chew it in futile hopes it'll stop.

I would think that acupuncture would be a viable alternative to help with the tingling. I think amputation is a bit premature at this stage. After all, it's only been 5 weeks. I think he's made remarkable progress and deserves to see if the feeling comes back. Please think of acupuncture before you opt for amputation! There are many people who swear by it! I'm sure your vet could direct you to someone in a place of authority who could provide information about it, since your vet can't. Good luck and please keep us posted on his recovery!

[mattmdjj]

Trinitie,

Thank you for responding. Do you think that's the reason? The vet told me that when the feeling comes back that it does not itch or tingle (that was one of my first questions, because I was concerned about chewing from that perspective) and I have been wondering whether that's accurate or not. My vet is definitely inexperienced.

I am trying to find a vet who does accupuncture down here (Miami, FL) to make an appointment. Maybe there are some here who can give some suggestions (I would even be open to a phone consultation).

Matt

[BMDLuver]

Perhaps you should post this also on Petfinder.com message board. It seems to serve a broader area of the United States and perhaps a rescue may have some suggestions for alternative vets in your area?

Nice to see someone who loves their pet and is willing to do what is in his best interest.

[Karin]

Originally Posted by mattmdjj

Trinitie,

Thank you for responding. Do you think that's the reason? The vet told me that when the feeling comes back that it does not itch or tingle (that was one of my first questions, because I was concerned about chewing from that perspective) and I have been wondering whether that's accurate or not. My vet is definitely inexperienced.

I am trying to find a vet who does accupuncture down here (Miami, FL) to make an appointment. Maybe there are some here who can give some suggestions (I would even be open to a phone consultation).

Matt

Try calling an equine vet...the have more equine vet's with accupuncture experience than small animal vet's in this state. There is also the University Of Florida vet college.

Unfortunatly the few case I have seen like yours does result in amputation.

[mattmdjj]

Thank you to you all for your replies. I will try posting on Petfinder and also look for equine vets in my area who have more experience with nerve damage.

Thanks again...

[Bugsy]

Matt

A big (((Hug))) for Charlie. Please don't give up... exhaust all avenues before making a decision and please keep us posted!

[Trinitie]

Originally Posted by mattmdjj

The vet told me that when the feeling comes back that it does not itch or tingle (that was one of my first questions, because I was concerned about chewing from that perspective) and I have been wondering whether that's accurate or not. My vet is definitely inexperienced.

I think you have a vet who needs to learn a bit more before giving advice such as amputation! Amputation is ALWAYS a last resort.

I think your Charlie IS experiencing some sort of tingling/sensations. I have nerve damage to my left foot from a bad break many years back. While I can use the foot, it always has that "not quite awake" feel to it. Kind of tingly. Since nerves are the same in any species, I'd think that it's totally possible to have the same sensations in animals that people feel. Having said that, I'd think that if we get tingles when a limb wakes up, it would most likely feel the same way for the animal. They can't tell us what it feels like, so we have to rely on their actions. Chewing his foot makes me think he can feel something and can't quite make heads or tails of it.
I sure hope you find a vet who can do acupuncture. I think Charlie will get a great amount of help from it.

You're such a good dad to care so much. It's always nice to hear from caring parents! Keep us posted on Charlie's progress.

[db7]

Ditto, call a vet college. The dog will chew the paw if there is no feeling. So your thought that it is beginning to heal is not necessarily so.

[Lucky Rescue]

The neurologist said that it was possible the nerve might regenerate/repair itself, but that if Charlie (the dog) started to chew on the paw then amputation was the best recommendation.

I agree with this. The nerve will either regenerate and heal, or it won't. As far as I know, there is no way to heal or repair nerves.

If it doesn't the dog will chew it because it has no feeling and he thinks it's some kind of foreign object stuck to him.

Sorry this happened!

[Terre]

Matt, I am interested in what happens to Charlie as my dog, Fancy may have the same problem. She jumped out of our truck while we were driving down the highway and is badly injured. She is in the hospital now and will see the neurologist tomorrow morning. Her front paw was badly cut and since she wants to curl it back, the vet is worried about nerve damage. He did mention fusion so that the paw is always in the right position, and she can walk, but will not be able to run. I'm hoping that something can be done other than amputation. She weighs 125 pounds and I'm afraid that if they amputate her front leg she will be falling forward all the time.

Good luck with Charlie and keep posting to let us know how he does.

Terre

[Prin]

Sorry but he hasn't been back since Dec 2004, so I don't think you'll get your update.

[t.pettet]

Hi Matt, have you tried any physio in warm water? Had a foster westie-mix years ago who was recovering from surgery after patella (knee) damage from being kicked by his previous owner who didn't seek immediate medical attention so by the time he underwent surgery he'd been favouring it for over a month. When he arrived would just tuck up the leg close to the body, refused to use it, so 2-3 times a day (vet's recommendation) I would fill up the bath with warm water and make him do laps. I started to notice after the 5th day of therapy the leg was more flexible and he wasn't holding it so close to his body plus in his sleep he started to extend it very gradually. Its alot of effort and you'll have a soggy dog everyday for a while but it might be a remedy as he'll have to flex and move the paw while swimming. Fortunately for me the weather turned warm and I could take him into the lake and he'd dog-paddle in circles around me. His water physio lasted about 1 month and 1/2 before he started really using the leg. The poor guy had to wear a cone during this time as he'd also chew at the surgery site. Good Luck.

[LolaHess]

My dog Lola was hit by a car last week and has a similar problem with her paw- the vet says there is nerve damage and that we may have to amputate it.

I wondered if your dog recovered, and if you knew of any physical therapy or other proactive things we could do to help Lola regain the use of her paw.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks.

[the gang]

just a shot in the dark, but you might want the dog to see a chryo, my min pin was parillzed and it was----- the chryo that made a world of differance good luck brenda and the 4 pins.

[dinoclassic56]

I to have a dog with a recent car accident that has a nerve damaged front paw. Can you tell me about your boot you have for him...

I bought one form handicapp pets... It helps him what, and I massage his leg and toes.. When he walks with out it he drags it and folds up in under him...
His shoulder is working, he has no feeling in the paw itself,,, this happen a week ago. Our vet send watch and wait but he is figuring to amputate as well.

Let me know what you have learned.
Oddie is a 8 month old golden retriever...
thanks for your help and all of that of others on this topic

[tycats]

Originally Posted by dinoclassic56

I to have a dog with a recent car accident that has a nerve damaged front paw. Can you tell me about your boot you have for him...

I bought one form handicapp pets... It helps him what, and I massage his leg and toes.. When he walks with out it he drags it and folds up in under him...
His shoulder is working, he has no feeling in the paw itself,,, this happen a week ago. Our vet send watch and wait but he is figuring to amputate as well.

Let me know what you have learned.
Oddie is a 8 month old golden retriever...
thanks for your help and all of that of others on this topic

Hi Guys,

I am new to this forum but I found you when I was researching nerve damage to my cat's leg. Her history is that she had a bad fall in May which resulted in a fracture to her back femur. She had surgery to repair with a pin and wire. After 6 weeks the pin was removed and the fracture has healed just fine. The bad news is that she has no feeling from about her hock down. That means that although she can walk and run around the paw is folded under as she has no feeling or awareness perception in her paw. My vets are saying that there was possible sciatic nerve damage from the pin and that we should take a wait and see approach. They thought that a time frame of 8 weeks after the pin removal should show results. We are now at that time but she is still not using the paw. Fortunately she is not self mutilating and the skin on the top of the paw has calloused over and so there is no injury to skin. She is an indoor cat and only walks on carpet. I noticed that a vet had posted a reply saying that the nerves heal very slowly. Does anyone have any encouraging reports on their own pets nerve repair after an injury, and how long it took. I keep pinching her toes to see if the feeling is coming back, but I am not getting any reaction. She has started to shake that leg a little bit in the past couple of days - hopefully that may mean she is starting to feel something tingling. She is only a year old so she does have youth on her side.
Any info or experiences would be appreciated.
Thanks, Thai's Mom

[krdahmer]

Um... I don't have any experience with this but you may want to start your own thread so that the dr's that post here are more likely to see it and reply. Best of luck to you I hope you and kitty find an answer.

[lulusmum]

Originally Posted by mattmdjj

Hi, my dog was hit by a car 5 weeks ago. He now has nerve damage to his right-front paw. He has feeling in the outside of the paw, but the nerve that controls the motion of the paw itself has no feeling (the one down the middle), so he can't walk normally without the help of a support/splint or a boot of some kind on that paw.
I took him to a veterinary neurologist three weeks ago, and have spared no expense in his medical care since the accident.

The neurologist said that it was possible the nerve might regenerate/repair itself, but that if Charlie (the dog) started to chew on the paw then amputation was the best recommendation. The neurologist didn't seem to have a lot of experience with nerve damage, and had no opinion on an alternative treatment (accupuncture, holistic healing, or whatever else is available). Charlie's regular vet had even less experience, and recommended amputation before even seeing the x-rays or anything! Surgery of any kind is out of the question because of Charlie's size (about six pounds). Obviously I'm a little frustrated with them both, and am looking for someone with some REAL experience with this type of problem or just some advice from someone with some experience.

He started to chew on the paw less than a week ago, and has broken the first few layers of skin near the joint. I have since been washing it with disinfectant soap and applying neosporin several times per day, and Charlie now has a collar on to prevent him from chewing the leg during the day. It's already starting to heal.

With all that being said, my questions are these:

Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you know of any alternative treatments that I didn't mention for this type of injury? Money isn't the issue, it's the quality of life for my dog. I can't keep a collar on him all day long for the rest of his life! I also don't want to simply give up trying and amputate the leg when there could be something out there that could help him. I know he'll adapt a lot quicker than I will to having three legs, but why do that if something can be done to save it? He's getting exercise on it every day, several times per day (being forced to use it by walking slowly with the paw in a support boot).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Matt & Charlie

Take a look at our dog Lulu's website she had a similar thing to your pet, see if anything on her site helps you, all the best
http://www.simplesite.com/lulus-tale

[clboyer]

If any one is still concerned about damaged nerve in the paw, what I would recommend trying is laser treatment. My dog got hit 3 weeks ago and he has been going through the treatment for 2 weeks now, and he has been using his paw 95% of the time. It may take longer for some dogs, all injuries aren't the same.

[SilverBearHollo]

Originally Posted by mattmdjj

Hi, my dog was hit by a car 5 weeks ago. He now has nerve damage to his right-front paw. He has feeling in the outside of the paw, but the nerve that controls the motion of the paw itself has no feeling (the one down the middle), so he can't walk normally without the help of a support/splint or a boot of some kind on that paw.
I took him to a veterinary neurologist three weeks ago, and have spared no expense in his medical care since the accident.

The neurologist said that it was possible the nerve might regenerate/repair itself, but that if Charlie (the dog) started to chew on the paw then amputation was the best recommendation. The neurologist didn't seem to have a lot of experience with nerve damage, and had no opinion on an alternative treatment (accupuncture, holistic healing, or whatever else is available). Charlie's regular vet had even less experience, and recommended amputation before even seeing the x-rays or anything! Surgery of any kind is out of the question because of Charlie's size (about six pounds). Obviously I'm a little frustrated with them both, and am looking for someone with some REAL experience with this type of problem or just some advice from someone with some experience.

He started to chew on the paw less than a week ago, and has broken the first few layers of skin near the joint. I have since been washing it with disinfectant soap and applying neosporin several times per day, and Charlie now has a collar on to prevent him from chewing the leg during the day. It's already starting to heal.

With all that being said, my questions are these:

Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you know of any alternative treatments that I didn't mention for this type of injury? Money isn't the issue, it's the quality of life for my dog. I can't keep a collar on him all day long for the rest of his life! I also don't want to simply give up trying and amputate the leg when there could be something out there that could help him. I know he'll adapt a lot quicker than I will to having three legs, but why do that if something can be done to save it? He's getting exercise on it every day, several times per day (being forced to use it by walking slowly with the paw in a support boot).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Matt & Charlie

Matt & Charlie,
I have a dog whose leg was broken before he was 3 mos. old. There was also nerve and tissue damage to his shoulder. I was lucky. I had a vet who beleved in alternative treatments with homepathic remedies.
All were 30 C in strength. Hypericum (treats nerve damage) Symphatum (heals broken bones) and Vitamin B complex along with a good puppy vitamin.
Also daily massage of the shoulder, down the leg, and even into the paw. As it was healing you could actually feel the tendons tighten under the leg and paw trying to curl the toes under. GENTLE stretching of the toes, also. You also need to massage the other front leg as it is used to compensate and muscles tend to be overworked.
He turned 1 yr in October, and is able to use the leg. He does still have a limp, but when he is running with another dog or interested in something he sees there is no indication that he has a bad leg (until after). That is when you can use Arnica, or Rhus Tox, or Ruta Gravalens (again 30 C)
Please contact me if you need further info. I am not computer savy, and only get to the library infrequently, but PLEASE, try these before amputation!
Thank You, SilverBearHollo

[Lulu Persil]

Has anyone researched or tried an electro-magnetic machine or magnets to help with nerve damage?

[MaxaLisa]

I think the magnetic stuff is subtle. I have a magnetic thingee and my girl with a neuro problem felt better after a treatment. I did by her a magnetic mattress pad, but since she was also getting other therapies, I really can't say what the effect was. She did really well on alpha lipoic acid though.

Acupuncture and laser work should help too.