You are here:
Ask the Veterinarian/Swelling
Advertisement
Question
Hi, my dog who is a rotty x lab had an operation to remove a growth on his back leg near his knee area, this operation was last week. The growth was not attached to the bone, it was just under the skin, vet said it was like a fatty deposit that just grew bigger. Yesterday we noticed his foot getting bigger and he was in alot of pain, he managed to tear the bandage of and then after a while his leg was quite large. We have a great Dane and his paw was the same size as his paw. The swelling ranges from just above his knee to his paw. We have re-bandaged him to stop infection, but is this normal to happen ??
Some swelling can be normal but this sounds like some excessive swelling. You need to contact your vet and let him know that he has this swelling.
My question is this: did the swelling go down any from the bandage being off? And why is it bandaged after a week? Usually the sutures are not covered that long.
A fatty tumor removal usually doesn't have any problems like this but if a nerve was affected near the tumor or the bandages were too tight he could have some major swelling issues. Also if he is over using the leg it might swell.
Call your vet in the morning and get him in if you can.
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.