Surgical management of syndactyly in a dog

This report describes the treatment of simple syndactyly in a Golden Retriever. The left forepaw lacked cutaneous separation between the digits and had confluent metacarpal and digital pads. After vigorous exercise, the dog had intermittent non-weight-bearing lameness involving the affected forepaw. The lameness may have resulted from stretching of the thin skin on the dorsum of the paw as the digits attempted to spread during weight bearing. Surgical separation of digits 3 and 4 was performed by creating an interdigital web space with dorsal and palmar skin flaps and by covering the exposed axial surfaces with full-thickness skin grafts. At 11 weeks after surgery, the lameness had improved and the dog's level of activity had increased.