Dog acting drunk, shy, tongue out after thorn removal & treats?

Question

Dog randomly started acted jumpy and strange, shying away from me, not licking my hand. Not acting like his normal self, I took him on a walk and found a thorn in his back right paw. I removed it, it was penetrating the flesh but it was lodged up their pretty good. When I arrived home I gave him some treats, now he's acting somewhat drunk, shy, and his tongue is now partially sticking out of his mouth. Also his nose is very dry. Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Schnauzer | Male | neutered | 3 years and 9 months old | 12 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Ouch, poor Oliver! The good news is there is no need to worry about his dry nose, as the nose is not used to determine illness in dogs. A dog's nose can go from wet to dry simply by laying in the sun or laying next to a heat source. I am concerned that he is acting somewhat drunk, as that can be a sign of toxin exposure. Now, he could be walking funny because of the thorn that was in his paw and it's painful for him to walk on. I would gently wash his paw with warm water and antiseptic soap. Monitor him for now, and if he keeps acting drunk or develops other symptoms such as vomiting and extreme lethargy, then I would take him into a vet immediately. Otherwise, monitor his paw for signs of redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. If you see any of those signs, it's infected and Oliver will need to see a vet for antibiotics.

Dog acting drunk, shy, tongue out after thorn removal & treats?

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