Corn Is Located Deep Within The Pad

[Guest Shermanator]

I just came back from my very grey-savvy vet, who confirmed Patton has a corn.

However, the corn is deep within the pad, and slightly infected. After 2 weeks of antibiotics, we are going to reassess the corn, and determine what to do.

This is the same toe we had a corn surgically removed 1 1/2 years ago. This is also the only toe we have ever had a problem with corns.

 

My vet said sometimes the corn will not 'pop' through the pad. Has anyone had any experience with this? If so, is my only option surgery to remove it?

Also, since this is the only toe we have ever had a corn problem with, and this is the 2nd time the corn grew deep in the pad, should we think of amputation?

I am loathe to start removing toes, but could that be the best option?

 

Help!

 

[Burpdog]

Looking at the photo you posted, I'd probably soak it, give antibiotics and when it's "normal" have it hulled. Print out the hulling article and give it to your vet

[Guest Scouts_mom]

My Scout had corns deep within her paws. We did have to have surgery to get them out. One came back and there wasn't enough left of her pad to cut it out again so I had the toe amputated. Scout never missed it and I was relieved not to have to worry about that toe. None of her other corns came back, so I didn't have to worry about what we would do if we needed to amputate another toe--actually the surgeon said we'd work on other solutions if another toe caused problems.

[Guest Shermanator]

Looking at the photo you posted, I'd probably soak it, give antibiotics and when it's "normal" have it hulled. Print out the hulling article and give it to your vet

 

Unfortunately, the corn is too deep in the pad. It will most likely never 'pop' out of the pad to hull it.

But, I will also soak it to help soothe him.

What do I soak it in, and how? He'll never stand in a bath. How long do I soak his foot for?

 

Thanks

[tbhounds]

Here's a good soaking trick--ask your vet for an old IV bag. Fill the bag 1/2 way with warm water and epsom salts and slide the bag on--soak for 10 mintues a few times a day. The IV bags are very sturdy and will last a long time and the best thing about them is they are free!

[DustysMom]

Here's a good soaking trick--ask your vet for an old IV bag. Fill the bag 1/2 way with warm water and epsom salts and slide the bag on--soak for 10 mintues a few times a day. The IV bags are very sturdy and will last a long time and the best thing about them is they are free!

Thanks for this. We also have a problem with a corn. Dusty has been limping since January. He has had his corn hulled with absolutely no relief. (All tests and x-rays have been negative.) I just don't know what to do at this point. I will try the IV bag soak also.

[feemandvm]

I've not had a "deep corn". I guess I am having a hard time picturing it. Can you see it superficially on the pad? If so, then I would think it could be hulled (I have seen some that are not as "protruding" as others but as you manipulated them you could separate the corn from the healthy pad just the same as any other corn). If not, how are you sure it is a corn?

 

 

[Finnsliz]

If you have a Therapaw I have an easier soaking method.

 

Saturate a couple of folded papar towels in epsom salts water mixture. Put the saturated paper towels into a baggie and place in on your dogs foot, making sure the wet towels are on the corn area. Then cover with the Therapaw and let soak for 2 to 3 hours.

 

I usually find the most stubborn corn starting to separate after 2/3 hours of this soaking and the pad is so soft you can usually pull the corn right out!

 

[Guest Shermanator]

I've not had a "deep corn". I guess I am having a hard time picturing it. Can you see it superficially on the pad? If so, then I would think it could be hulled (I have seen some that are not as "protruding" as others but as you manipulated them you could separate the corn from the healthy pad just the same as any other corn). If not, how are you sure it is a corn?

 

Here are some pictures of Patton's toe as of this morning:

 

 

 

I cannot get any clearer or closer to it, without the image going completely fuzzy.

It is inflected, so he is on antibiotics.

 

I cannot see the corn superficially on the pad - the pad is completely smooth. It looks like a brownish red round spot on his foot. The vet looked at it closely, and there is nothing in the pad. My vet was once the track vet at Phoenix GP, and is the current vet for several adoption agencies in the city, so he sees a lot of greys. He is completely convinced its a corn. Also, this is exactly what the toe looked like a year and a half ago when he had the same problem, and the corn was removed surgically. Apparently its not the common type of corn.

Patton's new name is 'Money pit.' Kidding.

 

Also, he screams like a maniac when you touch the sides of his toe and squeeze ever so slightly, he only limps on hard surfaces, and his Therapaws give him relief.

 

Thanks for all your help!

[Batmom]

What we did with Zema's that might be worth trying was to laser the surface of the cavity after the corn was removed. Didn't go deep, just touched all surfaces with the laser. That was five months ago. I think her corn *might* be *starting* to come back but I won't swear to it -- she has some other scarring on the side of that ankle/foot that causes a little tenderness sometimes.

 

If it is coming back, we'll probably hull and keep her off pavement until she has to go under for something else, then laser it again. In her case, I don't want to remove the toe because I suspect the ankle/foot injury changed her gait and contributed to the corn in the first place. Don't want to put her thru toe removal and then have it show up on another toe, she only has so many.

 

I tried all the other things people recommend and got zero results. Soaking didn't give her any relief but did help the corn separate enough from the pad that we could see its boundaries and hull it.

[Burpdog]

Marilyn has her guy's corns removed with a laser. I think you are right Batmom in that this might be a good alternative.

 

I am wondering, too, if this is a corn or perhaps a wart(?)

[Guest KennelMom]

I would be inclined to try everything remotely possible before removing a toe. I've had mixed results with home remedies and very good results with hulling. When Grandpa started limping (our greyhound Grandpa ), I examined his pads for corns and didn't find one. Our vet did the same and all he found was a very tiny black dot, smooth and flush with the pad. He actually thought it might be a tiny nail or something imbedded, so he started poking and prodding. The vet pulled back a very fine layer of, what turned out to be, black pad tissue and VOILA underneath was clearly a corn. It was really weird. That corn went away with corn remover and has yet to come back

 

I'm not sure how that helps....just a "weird corn story."

[ZoomDoggy]

I still say that your post-surgery corn photo looks exactly like Sissy's did after her corn surgery failed. I would still try the duct tape method before considering amputation. The thing is, you do have to be very patient and persistent wit that method. But it did work for me.

 

I hope your guy finds some relief soon. :

[turbotaina]

I've had a similar problem with Turbo's corn - hulling gives him no relief, at at best, very limited relief. The first time it was hulled, there was absolutely no difference and he stayed lame. The second time, I got it out myself and we had about 3 weeks where we didn't have to use the therapaws or tramamdol (that's his combination so he can be functional on all 4 legs - take one of the two out of the equation and he goes tripod). I recently hulled the corn again and he only seems slightly less sore - he can go with one 50mg tramadol + therapaws for a day (normally its 50mg tramadol twice a day). Dr. Radcliffe seems to think that the "seed" of Turbo's corn is very deep, so I'm thinking that when it's being hulled, only part of it is coming out, you know? In spite of soaking, etc. It's frustrating, I know.