Swollen paw

The vet called this morning and I pretty much told her what I wanted them to do. She was going to say something after I told her what was wrong but I kept talking. I knew she wasn't going to say anything I wanted to hear. I told her I want his paw cleaned with an antiseptic and wrapped. She agreed and that's exactly what's going to happen tonight, come hell or high water. I think it will heal much better if it's clean. I didn't bother putting the sock on again since it doesn't stay on long. The swelling is way down, almost back to normal and he's walking fine. It really doesn't seem to hurt and he's using it to touch people and hang on to the kitchen table when we're eating. The skin (or whatever it was) that was coming off yesterday is gone (I think I'll freak out if I find it in the couch months from now). I believe it was healing and he just undid that a little. Other than that, the incision on his belly looks really good so maybe he'll get to take the e collar off after tonight's visit!

Here's what it looked like 2 days ago. It's a little smaller now.

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeINGzNi0ZNnDQ

Poor little guy. It breaks my heart to see what they did to his paw. I just can't understand why the vet is not more concerned. The prolonged pain and discomfort that your little boy has had to deal with is totally unnecessary. They should be ashamed of themselves. It seems you are practically forcing them to do something for his paw.

Keep on them though. Don't let them rest until your little boy's paw is better.

I have a friend whose little dog (3 years old) had an injured leg. The vet wrapped it and sent them home. The next day, the dog was in apparent pain and would not get up from his bed. My friend took the dog back to the vet and they looked at the bandage that the dog had been chewing at a little and they said he is fine. My friend believed the vet. The dog continued to show signs of discomfort and pain but it became less and less so my friend thought he was healing. When it was time to take the bandage off, the vet took it off and the dog's leg had zero circulation. It was dead. The leg had to be amputated. And then they had the nerve to charge my friend for the operation. My friend sued the vet. The judge offered him reimbursement of the vet bill. When my friend said, "but what about something for the fact that this dog suffered and will now spend the rest of his life having lost a leg?" He was told that because dogs are considered property, and he was already 3 years old, he has depreciated in value so there would be no monetary award. And that since dogs can function just fine on 3 legs because they adapt easily, there doesn't seem to be any harm done.

So please, don't let your little guy end up like my friend's dog. Fight for him and just keep bugging those vets until they get his paw back to normal. They OWE him and YOU that.

And I am in no way saying that you are not doing just that. You are. I'm just trying to stand behind you with support to cheer you on as you continue to hound them to cure your cat's paw.

Well, I'm glad he is feeling a little better though and able to walk on it now. I will pray that he continues to do well and makes a full recovery.

Karen

I can't say I blame the vet for what happened. I mean, I am a nurse, and despite the best technique sometimes patients get infections or blood clots at IV sites. But what I don't understand is the reaction of the vet. I would expect them to take full responsibility, to apologize and to do every thing in their power to make it right. If they did that, you might tell a couple of people. If they don't, you might tell 20 people and tell them not to go there. And they should just feel bad. Something is wrong if that is not the way they responded. Becky

Hell or high water didn't come BUT, they did clean it and snipped off most of the dead skin (it was, in fact dead skin). The rest fell off, or he licked it off last night and I found it on the floor this morning (eeeww). It was very red last night but it's lightening up. He has more of the anti-inflammatory and antibiotics. It needs to stay incovered or it won't dry up and heal. I saw a different person when I took him last night. She's concerned about a big scab on the back of his leg b/c scar tissue can cut off circulation if it's all the way around the leg (which it isn't) and I'm bringing him back for the day on Monday. She said the symptoms are consistent with a burn, but his paw wasn't burned - not on the outside anyway. I can't imagine the pain if he was burning on the inside. She's going to have the hospital write-off the cost on Monday b/c this is "so uncommon" (read: it shouldn't have happened and we've never seen this before). But I had to pay for the visit yesterday ($40) plus the medicine (another $17+). So I'm massaging it and applying cool compresses periodically. He really seems to like the massage. I think it must really itch b/c it's healing. But he's still walking ok, and he's actually tucking that paw under himself when he's lying down, which he hasn't done in a week, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I'm pretty upset about the whole thing but I'm still very hopeful that he'll fully recover.

Originally Posted by zanniesmom

I would expect them to take full responsibility, to apologize and to do every thing in their power to make it right. If they did that, you might tell a couple of people. If they don't, you might tell 20 people and tell them not to go there. And they should just feel bad. Something is wrong if that is not the way they responded. Becky

Click to expand...

Oh, and trust me, I told EVERYBODY the same day I brought him home.

OK are we allowed to name names? I guess if we're not I'll get a warning and someone will remove this post. So, ANGELL MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER IN BOSTON, MA tells me they're going to write off the hospitalization charge but they want a $25 deposit this morning. Granted, $25 isn't a lot, but the fact that I have to pay for anything related to the paw that they messed up is beyond me. And I bet he'll get more medicine, which I'll also have to pay for. This is his last trip there.

Oh yeah, I don't think I ever mentioned this, but when I picked him up the very first time after his surgery, the young lady that brought him out to me said he didn't need the e collar.....because he didn't have an incision....for bladder surgery....after I had already explained to her that I saw the incision. I pray to (God, Buddha, whoever) that they didn't have someone with her "qualifications" inserting IVs into any animals.

I've been gone for a while but here's the scoop. Red's paw is completely back to normal size. The fur is starting to grow back and the skin is mostly healed. BUT there is this stubborn little spot right on the top of his paw that refuses to heal. It dries up but then he licks it. He still has antibiotics so I'm going to see if it gets any better by the end of this week. If it doesn't I'll have to take him to the vet (uggh!). He limps a little on that paw so it's hurting him. I don't know what an abcess looks like but that's kind of what I'm suspecting.

I just saw this thread. How frustrating for you!!!
My cat Pippin came home with a swollen paw from him sleeping weird on his IV, but the swelling went down in a couple of days, didn't cause him any pain and CERTAINLY wasn't all jacked up and red!!! Poor Big Red!!
I'm sorry that you've had such bad luck with your vet. I hope Big Red is back to normal soon.

Dev

Are you going to a new vet?
Either way I hope his little paw heals very soon, you both have been through so much and both of you are in my thoughts!

As I looked at the picture, the first thing I thought was "but that's a burn. Did someone spill a chemical on his paw???" and then, reading through the rest of the thread, I noted that your newer vet indeed thought that as well, but considered it unlikely.

It really struck me as a chemical burn...and those kill skin just as fast as a heat burn. And the skin will peel off, growing back from the inside and peeling/sloughing off (and moist, rather than dry peeling), on a topical burn. It's that red color which got me thinking about that, because I just couldn't justify anything making it red. If the circulation was cut off/disabled, then his skin would have a pallor or a lack of color, rather than being raspberry red. That red...to me, man, that's something which hit him outside his skin.

Know what I'd do? I'd see another vet, with those photos, and ask him if there is anything which would cause this. Get another opinion as to what happened, and bring in the photos as a demonstration. See what someone who doesn't have connections to the clinic says.

If in fact there was a burn, then I'd likely get the authorities in and investigate them somehow. If what I think happened, likely it was just a stupid accident, rather than deliberate/intentional. Someone may have accidentally spilled a chemical or the like, or left a spill on the table, and Red's paw got the brunt of it.

BTW, anesthesia is incredibly painful if you don't have a numbing agent mixed with it. I have an allergy to novacaine/lidocaine, which is commonly used to mix with the anesthesia as the numbing agent. I had a surgery just about a year ago without any numbing agent (we had to move rather quickly, an "almost" emergency) and there was no time to search for and then remix another numbing agent in with the anesthesia. I went under in so much pain (and that was after sedatives) that according to my Dr. he knew I was out because I stopped screaming. So yes, there is pain without a numbing agent from the anesthesia, and it's rather scary.

I really don't mean to be a downer, but I just wanted to share my thoughts and experience.

Best of luck to you-
Michele

We went to the vet today, just to make sure the spot on his paw wasn't infected--and it's not. But he keeps licking it so it's not healing. The vet suggested that I either put the e-collar back on, which never worked, or spray it with something to make him stop licking. I've heard of sprays that you spray on furniture to keep cats from scratching, but is this something that's safe to put on his paw? I wouldn't put it directly on the affected spot of course. Also, are there any natural products I could use to keep him from licking it? Like something I would have in the kitchen? I was thinking of vinegar but I don't want him to be repulsed by himself. That might be too strong.