# Help! Badly Injured Paw



## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2020)

Hi all! 

Unfortunately, this morning, during our daily runs, Oscar cut his paw pretty badly. So bad that a chunk of his paw fell off when we were preparing him for the ride to the doctor, horror. We rushed at he vet as he was bleeding like a fountain, and here is where my issue starts.

Reading older posts on this matter, I saw that in each case the paw was stitched. Our vet said that she cannot stitch a paw since it is very "bouncy" and at his back foot and the suture would keep breaking. She put on some kind of pressure bandage after disinfecting the wound and that's it. Sent us home with a bag full of antibiotics and painkillers and made an appointment for Thursday to come and change the bandage. 

Is this normal? Should they have stitched it? Should I look for a second opinion? 

My second issue is regarding what on earth am I supposed to do with a Vizsla that is not allowed to run, or even walk more than just to pee for two whole (long, sooo long) weeks?!?! I'm pretty sure he will bring down the building. The vet suggested tranquilizers, but really, I find that excesive. 
As exercise, I have devised the following plan: 

Each day to office, no exception (car rides and meeting people seem to tire him to some extent). And during the weekend taking him for car rides around the block so he can hang out the window.
Peanut butter Kong
15 minutes walk x 2 per day + some going out just to do his business
Obedience for 30 minutes per day (maybe learn something completely new)
The End - I have nothing else and looking for some ideas for indoor fun.


----------



## InTheNet (Jun 1, 2016)

As I remember, when our wild child (Zoltan) tore a pad it was stitched up then bandaged ( to many injuries to remember them all)

Obviously a cone of shame is necessary to keep him from chewing at it

keeping him slowed down will be a challenge. Leash on all the time while outside.

He also dislocated his hip which was 6 weeks of only three legs. That was very challenging.
2 weeks will go by fast.


----------



## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

Bende had a paw injury cutting one of the hind paws when he was a wild child pup. It was at a spot where stitching would have done more harm than healing as with every step at walking there is pressure being put at that part of the paw so chance of stitches being ripped off would have been high. We got bandage too and antibiotics, just as mom`s sock with bandage band fastened to Bende`s leg, as he would try and take off the bandage, but he would not touch mom`s sock , gotta use that mom`s boy attitude to your advantage sometimes lol. When going out to do his business we put a plastic shopping bags around it, again fastening with the bag holder. No tranquilizer, but just as you described lots of mental activities to try and tire him out. It was still a several weeks of drama, but luckily it all healed up. The paw pad looked for a while bigger than the other, but even that went back to normal after some time and you could not tell anymore how bad it was. In fact no visible damage has lasted.


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

If it was the actual foot, it would probably be stitched. With it being the pad, I agree with your vet.


----------



## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2020)

Thank you for the replies! I am more relaxed now to see that stitches were not used each time for these kind of injuries. I am still a bit worried that his bandage is now soaked in blood (even if yesterday all we did was go out in the evening to get his business done). I assume the wound will continue to open up for a while, each time he walks. 
@InTheNet - dislocating a hip is definitely a challenge, I am glad your pup recovered just fine. I do hope they become more aware as they get older. Oscar sometimes is always in a rush and doesn't seem to evaluate danger correctly. Luckily the cone was not needed. He tried to lick the foot a couple of times, we said "no" and he gave up. I slept with him last night on the couch just for extra supervision, but each time I woke up to check on him, the bandage was fine. 
@Gabica - The sock idea is great! However, Oscar loves my socks, so I don't know about that ). We gave up the plastic bag and opted for wrapping foil (also in the house we wrapped some foil for a while around the bandage as the blood soaked the bandage and it would have stained the couch otherwise). 
@texasred - thank you, that is a comfort! 

It seems they all are a bit head in first, without being very aware of surroundings and dangers posed by the environment. Sometimes Oscar jumps without thinking in thorny bushes and afterwards I spend hours plucking the thorns out . I do hope that just like your pups, he will make a full recovery in a few weeks and he will be back to his jolly, silly self .


----------

