DUCLAWS AND LARGE LUMPS

Question
IS IT NORMAL FOR MY SHELTIE TO HAVE ONLY 1 DUCLAW? AND
THERE ARE THESE LARGE EXTRA PAD LUMPS ABOUT 2 INCHES ABOVE THE PADS ON HER FEET, ON THE LOWER PART ON THE PAW  KINDA RIGHT AT THAT JOINT.  IS THAT NORMAL?  SHE HAS BEEN FAVORING THE RIGHT LEG LATELY.  SHE IS ONLY 18 MOS OLD.  THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR PROMPT REPLY

CHERYL

Answer
The pad on the back of a dog's front leg is called a carpal pad, as it protects the carpal joint when a dog lands after jumping over something with a bit of height to it. If one ever watches a dog jumping in slow motion, the front end of a dog sort of collapses a bit as it absorbs the shock of landing, and that carpal pad will take some of the pressure off of the carpal joint.

As to dewclaws, if you are referring to the front legs, all dogs are born with one on each leg. They may or may not have them in the rear. Some breeds, shelties being one, often have their dewclaws removed shortly after birth. Dewclaws can sometimes grow back if they were not removed correctly, so if your dog only has one dewclaw in the front, it most likely is one that grew back.

If your dog is lame, she should be seen by a professional. I recommend taking her to a veterinary chiropractic as he/she should be able to pinpoint the problem area. http://www.avcadoctors.com/search_for_avca_certified_doctor.htm

Keep your dog off of that leg as much as possible; I recommend crate rest for several days, and carry her up and down any stairs and don't let her do any jumping whatsoever. Gently run your hands over her shoulder and down her leg and see if you can feel any area that is warmer than the surrounding area. If you do, ice it for 20 minutes a couple times a day.

Also check her nails to be sure that she doesn't have a broken toenail which would have to be removed.