My dog's toe looks longer after walks, but no pain. Is it an injury?

Question

Noticed that one of my dogs toe (rt side 2nd last toe) appears longer after a walk. Maybe his foot is slightly flatter appearing. He’s able to walk on it fine, no signs of pain when I palpate his paw/toes, and no signs of injury. He’s on a daily nsaid (meloxicam) for arthritis. Is this some sort of tendon injury? Is conservative management appropriate? Any information would be helpful as it is very difficult to get into our vet right now. Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 9 years and 5 months old | 85 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Yes, it's pretty clear that Louie's right fourth toe is visible longer than his other toes. Normally, the third and fourth digits are pretty comparable in length. As you mentioned, yes, it's possible that this is a tendon injury, but other issues like bony or soft tissue masses, osteomyelitis, or other injuries are certainly possible. For now, I would carefully feel the "longer" toe to see if there is any swelling (soft or firm) relative to the other toes. If there's any asymmetry between the fourth toe and the others, then it's definitely worth having Louie examined by his vet, potentially with some x-rays of this foot. However, if it feels perfectly normal, he continues walking normally, and isn't showing any other signs of discomfort or sensitivity, then yes, it's perfectly reasonable to continue conservative management and monitoring at home. I hope that everything goes well!

My dog's toe looks longer after walks, but no pain. Is it an injury?

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