Did youre Vet inject around the ligament ??

Sometimes the joint area will remain like it is due to the ligament damage & being injected to help repair the ligament itself,or if there was damage to the joint as well.

Im just wondering if the ligament(s),that run down both sides of the joint actually snapped,not just strained,it seems a bit odd that there is that much swelling from a strained ligament alone.

You can diagnose a snapped ligament youreself by seperating the toes next to the affected toe,gently push the toe at the injury site to one side ( left & then right ),then release it,the affected toe should " spring" back to its orinal natural positon,if it doesnt & stays in the position when you moved that toe to the side,there is a pretty fair chance the ligament(s) have snapped or torn.

If that is the case,synthetic ligament can be sewn in to help support the joint area of that toe,a fairly simple procedure for most vets,once healed & returns to galloping,use a "Toe Band",this will prevent that toe from spreading during triallig,free gallops & racing,& reducing the chance of the damaged ligament (s),from tearing or snapping again when the dog is gripping whilst galloping.

Maybe take youre dog back to youre Vet & get it checked again if you arent confident enough to check for a " sprung toe" mate.

Hope this helps in some way.

PS,

Send Carole Browne or use the tab," Ask the Vet" on G/D a message,im sure they would have some possible scenario's for you as well.
Good luck mate.

Brent do you have a good muscleman/checker to go to? Also I suggest you find yourself a greyhound training mentor. I was blessed to have a mate who was a genius with dogs. I was constantly picking his brain and seeking advice.

Well that eliminates a couple of possibilities,given the ligament was diagnosed as being stretched,the may have been a blood vessel that burst & has caused a small bleed,& this can cause a Haematoma to form under the skin,in simpler terms- a blood blister,& they can become quiet firm & hard over time,but again,i would go back to youre Vet & ask the question.

If it is that,it can be fixed simply,youre Vet can do it a few ways,bu either draining the blood sack ( Haematoma ),using a syringe,or by lancing it with a scalpel & leave it to drain & dry out & heal,this normally has a better result over draining with a syringe,syringing can drain the Haematoma,but the entry point of the needle can close up & heal quiet quickly,& the " blood sack" can fill back up with blood,by using a lancing method,it is left open to drain & heal slowly & naturally,if it is a large cut,a couple of stitches are sewn in to close the cut,but the bottom of the cut will be left open so it can drain,its a fairly simple proceedure for Vets to do.

This is just another possible reason why that swelling is still there,but Brent,im only speaking from my past experiences, i would still take youre dog back to youre Vet,& ask about the possibility of this being the problem.
Let us know how you go mate.

PS,

I'm pretty sure that " blistering" has been banned mate,it is deemed as cruelty due to the nature of what it does to the skin,maybe someone else can confirm that.

Brent Dunlop wrote:

Hi Daryl Appreciate your response. No the vet didn't needle it or xray. He said it wasnt worth xraying it. I remember him saying he tested for sideways movement and it seemed very strong and stable indictating that the ligaments were just a bit stretched. It seems rock hard but it's a very bulbous type of swelling. Is there anyway to upload you a picture? Really the swelling hasn't changed from day 1, but it is rock hard and springs back in place ( i think) Brent

Well now "Dr Time" will do its thing mate,hopefully it wont be too much longer & back to normal.
Penetrene solution is fantastic for that stretched ligament as well ,but if your'e happy with the results from what you are using,then stick with that mate.

Keep us updated :)