Duncan

Duncan Jenkins came to Cogges with a swelling between his toes in 2 different places - between his 3rd and 4th digits and next to his dew-claw. Upon examination we discovered a small sinus (hole) and some discharge on both sites.

Unfortunately this is a common complaint at this time of the year, especially in dogs with a lot of fur between their toes. Often they feel some pain, and lick and chew on the site of the swelling.

Often this turns out to be a problem with grass seeds - although it should be noted that other things can cause the same symptoms. Grass seeds get caught in the fur, and then with their pointed tip are pushed through the skin, creating a sinus, and disappear into the tissue behind. This causes the body to react and leads to swelling, often with some pus and discharge.

In Duncan's case, we sedated him so that we could explore the sinuses without causing him discomfort. We found part of a grass seed in the sinus beside the dew claw and a complete seed in the tissue between the other toes. We flushed out the holes and applied a poultice (a type of bandage) to the tracts to draw out further vegetation of anything else.

Sometimes, if the pocket is large and the grass seed small, it can be extremely difficult to find it. Occasionally e have to repeat the exploration as the grass seed migrates to a different location in the tract.

It is important to check the feet of your dog every time it has been out, and make sure that the fur around the feet is not too long.