My dog has heart failure & a toe wound. Amputation or other options?

Question

My 12yr old Doberman was diagnosed w heart failure Nov 2017. He’s on Diltiazam, Enalapril, Furosemide, Pimobendan. Later Gabapentin was added. Over a month ago he started limping, thought it was joint inflammation. Saw vet. We added Phycox, Rimadyl, 20 days ago vet they drained puss/blood out of his toe said it could be cancerous. Been on antibiotics for 20 days toe looks like raw ground beef & side is raw. Talking amputation now, is there any other option? What r chances of successful surgery? Pet's info: Dog | Doberman Pinscher | Male | neutered | 12 years and 4 months old | 83 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, when wounds don’t heal given appropriate treatment, things like cancer move up on the list of possible causes. Surgery may be the only option that he has for a complete cure. Due to Trader’s heart disease, you may want to consider having the procedure done by a specialist. You may also consider a referral to an oncologist who may be able to get a small tissue sample to determine if it is cancer or not. Your regular veterinarian may also be able to do this. Certain types of cancers may respond to chemotherapy or radiation and avoid surgery. It is all based upon what type of cancer is present however. I recommend to discuss these options and your concerns with your veterinarian. They will be best able to guide you in making this decision. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

My dog has heart failure & a toe wound. Amputation or other options?

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