We've Started The Murray Ave Corn Cream

[Guest Adrianne]

So, where are we today? Well, a few days after my last post, Chevy started limping harder on his corn foot, so I did hull it. I was hoping the corn was dying and would die quickly, but I didn't want to wait at Chevy's expense. I hulled out as much as I could, but within two days, it had grown back to pad level. What to do, what to do? Being the proud, new owner of a Dremel, I decided to try to dremel the corn down. So that's what I've been doing--every couple of days, I just dremel that little sucker down below pad level.

 

I'm still continuing the treatments, but I admit I'm starting to wonder if Chevy is just going to be one of those cases where the corn can only be managed, not cured. I'm not giving up yet, but I am a little frustrated.

 

 

ETA: I know there's worse things that can & do afflict our greyhounds. I see it every day here in the H&M section. But I gotta say.....corns suck.

Edited August 26, 2011 by Adrianne

[Rickiesmom]

We've been at it, 100% faithfully, for almost a month. The corns I hulled before starting are growing back normally (not black or anything promising). They are almost flush with the pad, and as noted earlier I will start the duct tape once they are, though I am disappointed that your results are not better.

 

FWIW I have been using press-and-seal rather than baggies - less fussy for me, but obviously no difference to the outcome. Next week when I go down to my old neighbourhood to do some shopping I am going to pick up some of the Thuja pellets - figure it can't hurt.

 

(Edited to correct the name of the plastic wrap.)

Edited August 29, 2011 by Rickiesmom

[Guest Bean_Scotch]

I just ordered the cream/hyaluronic acid...we'll be starting the treatment here soon...

[Rickiesmom]

I've been using it on Sage for about 3 weeks. The corn itself doesn't look smaller but what's happening is this. The edges of the pad itself started to peel up.. I thought maybe it was because I was putting the cream all over the pad instead of directly on the corn only. So the edges peeled up.. and broke off. Now you can very clearly see a fresh pad underneath, and the 'old' pad seems to be shrinking inward toward the corn. Has this happened to anyone else? I should really get a picture. It's quite interesting.

 

 

I noticed today this peeling of the pad is happening with Rickie as well. It doesn't seem to bother him but I don't much like it. He's a whippet so his pads are small and so inevitably the hyaluronic acid and corn cream are rubbed onto more than the corn area itself.

What happened after this post? Did the top layer of the pad peel off completely? Did it make any difference to the corn in any way?

 

We're now about a month into the twice-daily treatments and I am not seeing any sign the corns are dying, but we will keep going - I have a 6 month supply of the acid and cream.

Edited August 29, 2011 by Rickiesmom

[Guest Adrianne]

Here we are, five months into treatment. The bad news: Chevy still has a corn. The good news: the dremel has given Chevy almost complete relief from the pain, and his limp on hard surfaces is all but gone.

 

So, while I am disappointed that Chevy does, indeed, seem to be one of those who will not be helped by the corn cream and/or the duct tape, I am happy that I've found a way to manage the corn. I haven't completely given up hope, but I have to be realistic. The corn has the same size, color, & consistency it did back in April when we started.

 

His corn is very fast growing, so I just touch it with the dremel every two, three, or four days. I go in as far as I can, not all at once. I dremel for a couple seconds, pull back for a minute or two, dremel for a couple seconds, pull back for a minute or two. I do this four or five times, until Chevy starts pulling his paw away from me. He still wears a TheraPaw boot for walks, but for around the house & yard (and the back yard is about 50% cement), he's fine without the boot. I can barely detect a limp, and that's only when he's been on the cement for a few minutes.

[Rickiesmom]

I'm sorry to hear that, though glad you've found a way to manage the corn. As noted earlier, the outermost layer of tissue on Rickie's affected toes is lifting. More so on the toe whose corn is nearest the nail. It's almost at the point where the part around the corn should go soon, and I am very hopeful that when it does, this corn, which has always been shallower and more poorly defined than the other, will go with it.

 

The deeper, better defined corn on the other toelooks as healthy and happy as ever. The outer layer of tissue on that toe is also lifting, but much more slowly - just around the edges at the moment.

 

So we continue with the treatment, waiting to see what happens.

[Guest Adrianne]

9-12-11--Huge update: Chevy's corn is gone! I'm sitting here shocked, amazed, tickled, and so so happy for my boy!

 

There is still a light colored circular area on his pad, but there are no defined edges, and the pad is completely soft. I can mash on the area with zero reaction from him. Looking at it under magnification shows lines and grooves forming on it to match the rest of the pad.

 

Wow! I'm so happy! I'm going to start another thread to announce the news.

[4My2Greys]

Wow is right. Looks like all your hard work and diligence paid off. Coming from someone who has dealt with corns in greys I'm so happy for you and Chevy.

[Rickiesmom]

Woohoo!! This gives me hope! Remind me how long it took please, and how long you used the duct tape for?

[6greyhounds]

Greyt news hope other pups get the same relief

[Guest Adrianne]

Woohoo!! This gives me hope! Remind me how long it took please, and how long you used the duct tape for?

 

 

Woohoo!! is right!

 

Timeline of events, and this is just off the top of my head without looking at what I've posted here.

 

We started the corn cream April 1 and did that twice daily for three months. I did go out of town for a few days in May (I believe), and the treatment wasn't done those days. I was also out of town for a week in July, and the treatment wasn't done then. In mid-July, I began using the duct tape, and I also quit hulling the corn. (not sure of the dates) The corn turned black by early August, and I thought something was going to happen. However, a few days after I posted about, Chevy started limping harder on that foot, so I hulled the corn. I was pretty frustrated to find the corn underneath looking healthy.

 

I didn't give up hope at this point, but I came close. This is when I started dremeling the corn every couple of days. I was very pleased at the relief it gave him. He always limped a bit, even after hulling the corn, but the limping almost completely disappeared once I started dremeling. So, I figured Chevy's corn could only be managed, but I was okay with that. I think though, that I was just dremeling away what was left of the corn.

 

So, to answer your question, a couple of months with the duct tape in addition to the cream.

 

And honestly, I can't say which treatment worked. Maybe it was one or the other, or maybe it was both.

[Guest Adrianne]

I want to add a couple things here.

 

I've been asked how many tubes of the Murray's cream I used, and the answer is one. I actually have a little bit left that I'm going to use periodically on his paw. Would I have bought another tube had the first run out? Honestly, probably not, because I had come to the conclusion that Chevy was one of the dogs whose corn could only be managed. Would I now? Yes, but I would also definitely use the duct tape.

 

I had hoped, in the beginning, that I could provide information on how the cream worked and the changes we saw. But like a lot of people, I became frustrated with the seeming lack of results, which is why I added in the duct tape. And which is why I turned to dremeling toward the end. So I can't really point to the cream and say, "It WILL work for your hound." Something worked for Chevy, whether it was the cream or the duct tape or a combination of both, I don't know.

 

I will say that it is most definitely a long, time consuming process either way you go. My hubby told me Monday evening, "Well, you're just bull-headed enough to see it through." And he's right. I am a very stubborn, bull-headed person, and I was determined that I would do twice daily treatments and then that I would keep a piece of duct tape on Chevy's corn. No matter what went on any particular day, whether it was a slow day or a super busy day, nothing kept me from applying the cream or the tape. (Except, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the time I spent out of town, which was about 10 or 11 days total.)

 

It's easy to get frustrated after a couple months when nothing seems to be happening and your dog is still limping. I think, though, that sticking with it is key. I promised I would stick with it through one tube of the cream, whether we got results or not. I did get frustrated, because I didn't know if it was going to work, and truthfully, it didn't seem to be working.

 

I would encourage anyone who is going to try the cream or the duct tape or both of them together to keep the goal in mind when frustration sets in. I don't know if Chevy's corn will come back; I hope it doesn't. But if you ask me if five and a half months of twice daily treatments is worth Chevy being corn free, I will say yes. It's worth it. I would also encourage anyone to give it at least a complete tube.

[Guest rosedog46]

Hello eveyone. I am new to this site

 

 

I have a 10 year old greyhouse with corns (5 corns in all). For the last couple of year we have been using the Therapaws only for our morning and evening walks.

Recently I found Murray Ave callus and corn cream. I have been using it for almost 2 month with very mixed results (we still have all the corns). I am very curious about the duct tape. Can someone tell me, why duct tape, and what it is suppose to do??

 

Will try almost anything

 

Mark and rosie the greyhound

[Guest Lizlou]

Thank you Adrianne for this thread. I've read the all the posts and have found it really helpful and interesting. It is a shame that it was momentarily hijacked by Murray Ave Apothecary as I understand this was just a forum for Grey owners, not a place for businesses to self-promote.

It does seem clear that people have varying degrees of success with all of the treatments available and with Greyhounds being almost the only breed to get corns, and mostly POST-racing, few vets have a clue how to deal with them and it is left to the owners to do the research.

Even with the varying success stories for this cream, and in fact all the other treatments, most owners are adopting a combination of methods and it is still unclear which aspect of any of them works, or indeed if it is a combination of treatments which leads to any success. We all seem to try the duct tape, moisturisers etc before resorting to Lori's oil or Murray cream as the cost for these is high. Especially when there is no one method that seems to definitively work.

Please do let us know if it returns and if anyone's interested, there is a Facebook page, 'Greyhounds with corns', which discusses all the various treatment methods by the hound owners which might be of some help or interest.