Why is my dog's paw swollen around the IV tube at the animal hospital?

Question

Hi there, my dog Hunter has recently been diagnosed with leptospirosis, fortunately he is getting better. i visit him everyday at the animal hospital, now when I went to visit him this after noon i noticed his right paw where the IV tube is, is severely swollen which has made me very concerned. I did notify the technician and she said she will the the doctor know, but i am just curious how this could be caused. He started yelping once she started to touch it. Please help! Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 11 months old | 5.5 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

When an IV catheter is placed in a blood vessel for several days, it can eventually pull out of the blood vessel so that the fluids are going under the skin rather than in the blood vessel, or it could mean that the tape holding the catheter in place is a bit too tight. Both of these events occur very commonly in animals that are hospitalized on IV fluids. While a swollen paw is a bit uncomfortable temporarily, the vet and vet tech will be able to either remove or replace the catheter, or simply adjust the tape holding it in place. I've seen several of your posts about Hunter and I'm thrilled to hear that he's doing much better! :-)

Why is my dog's paw swollen around the IV tube at the animal hospital?

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