My Dog Is Lame. Again.

[turbotaina]

Part rant, part pity party part someone-give-me-an-idea-I-haven't tried.

 

Just in time for Expo, Turbo has come up dead lame on his corn foot. We had the corns hulled a week ago and there is no visible corn present. He simply won't bear weight on his back left. And it's definitely the corn toe that's having the problem - squeeze it and he pulls back, squeeze other toes and he'll let you do it all night.

 

If he'd weight-bear with his boot on, he could go to Expo and even run the fun-run sporting his therapaw. But right now, he's toe touch lame at a trot, even with a dose of tramadol, even with his therapaw on. He's even uber stiff on carpet at a walk. If he doesn't make a quick and drastic improvement in the next two days, I'll leave him home and go to Expo without him.

 

It just makes me so sad that I may have to leave him home and forego his getting to do the fun run for the third year in a row. He was SO excited and wanted to run SO badly the past two years - it would be a great gift to let him run at his old track. It also makes me so sad to see him lame. It breaks my heart to have him gimping around.

 

I gave him a hot epsom soak earlier today, plus he's had his tramadol. I'll soak him again tonight. The corn is hulled, so there's nothing there to take out. Any other ideas anyone?

 

I HATE corns!

[Batmom]

Give his pad a good feel, around where the corn was. More than once, a big blob of callus built up AROUND Zema's corn. Vet trimmed that back, and she was good to go.

 

BUT.

 

She did get to a point where hulling didn't provide relief. Shortly thereafter, she was in for a dental. Vet hulled it one more time while she was under and then touched all the surfaces with the laser. Et voila. No corn, no pain for 9 months.

 

Scritchies and best luck to your buddy.

[turbotaina]

Just to the bottom of his corn hole (for lack of better terminology ), his pad is very hard - wonder if that's some sort of callous formation? It doesn't otherwise appear any different from the rest of the pad.

 

We just came off a nice long corn remission. It figures it would come back with a vengeance during "greyhound season." *sigh*

 

Oh, and no laser in my vet's office. I've asked about that.

[lothianjavert]

Sully also gets a huge callus/buildup around the corn area on his toe. We usually take an emery board and sand it down. It seems to help relieve some of his discomfort. Corns are the biggest PIA . I hate seeing Sully gimp around as well, all because of a corn. It's amazing that something so small can cause so much trouble.

 

Hugs to Turbo! I hope he feels better in a few days so that he can go with you to the Expo!

[Guest KateWantsaGrey]

You said it's on a toe, not the main pad of the foot? Could you just have the toe amputated and be done with the problem permanently? I hope that isn't too harsh of a suggestion, but if it's interfering with his quality of life, it might be a good option. I don't know a lot about dogs feet and balance, but maybe he wouldn't even miss it?

[Batmom]

Just to the bottom of his corn hole (for lack of better terminology ), his pad is very hard - wonder if that's some sort of callous formation?

 

Yep. Pads should be nice and soft (altho a dog walked on hard surfaces will have a good tough coating -- but under that, you still want soft).

 

Could try sanding it down some.

 

Corns are the pits.

[inugrey]

Turbo quit faking out your mom! Walk normal so you can get back on track.

 

Hope that works.

 

Seriously, these things suck, no other way to say it. We asked Dr. Collins about the feasibility of amputation on our last trip to get the corn hulled...ugh.

[Finnsliz]

That is too bad about Turbo and his lameness. I lived through so many episodes with Finn. He only got to run the Fun Run the first year of the Expo. It always broke my heart to have to leave him home. I hope he makes a quick recovery.

 

ps: after soaking in epsom salts I would apply bag balm or some form of pad cream and see if that would soften up the pad any more.

[turbotaina]

Liz, I've been applying stuff to his pads, so we're good there. I'm going to go get a pumice stone if DH would ever get back home. *sigh*

 

For those of you who have had callus problems - does the pad look the same, but is hard/tough, or does it look like hyperkeratinization? Turbo's pad looks normal, it just feels hard in that spot. My vet said when she's seen callus formation, it looked like hyperkeratinization.

 

Turbo quit faking out your mom! Walk normal so you can get back on track.

 

Hope that works.

 

Seriously, these things suck, no other way to say it. We asked Dr. Collins about the feasibility of amputation on our last trip to get the corn hulled...ugh.

 

Yeah, when it got really bad last year, I was ready to take Turbo's toe off - he was so lame for so long. Then got weirdly better and stayed that way for months. Huh.

[lothianjavert]

Sully's overgrowth looks like hyperkeratinization. However, now that we file it down regularly, it just gets rock hard and tough before it needs filed. (I guess we're filing it before it gets to looking like it did before)

 

It started w/ limping, and then the corn appeared. We kept it hulled, and that helped. Later, we noticed not too long after his corn had been hulled that he was limping again, and there was this excess hardened pad area all around the corn (however, it was never big enough to outgrow the sides of the pad or over the corn, just a weird area around the corn). So, DH filed it down and it made a big difference. Filing the tough growth down is now part of the regular corn maintenance schedule. Anymore, I do the hulling (Can no longer find a vet willing to do it around here. It's not hard, and the corn usually comes out easily-- literally just like the hulling info page) DH does the filing. While one of us works, the other rubs Sully's ears. He doesn't care for it, but doesn't seem to mind it too much, as long as he gets some love. :lol

 

Sully's boots have an extra neoprene insert for padding. Do you think a bit of extra padding would help Turbo?

[Batmom]

Zema's didn't really look like hyperker so much? It looked like the pad had been compressed, all around the corn, in order to make room for it. But it was hard as a rock there, too.

[GeorgeofNE]

Dang Turbo! That's awful Meredith--but can't you bring him anyway, and just scratch him from the run? She asked hopefully...

 

 

[turbotaina]

Well, we soaked and filed and he's doing better. I'd say he's about a 50/50 go right now. I'll work on him the next two days and see if we can get more improvement.

 

Susan - the reason I wouldn't bring him at all is that it's a LONG day at Wonderland and he'd be on his feet on hard flooring and be really uncomfortable. He was miserable last year (came up lame the day we traveled to Boston and I had no idea how bad he'd be). If I can get him so that he'll be comfortable at least with his therapaw, he'll come. I'm really hoping he can.

 

Zema's didn't really look like hyperker so much? It looked like the pad had been compressed, all around the corn, in order to make room for it. But it was hard as a rock there, too.

 

Hmm. Turbo's pad looks perfectly normal, it's just hard in that one spot below the corn. I'll keep at him.

[greysandmollie]

Poor thing!! You and him!!!

[turbotaina]

Thanks, Donna. Corns suck, no ifs ands or buts.

[Jennifer]

Awwww, I'm sorry. Scooter use to get them too but not as bad. Poor Turbo.

[NeylasMom]

Ugh, that really stinks! No advice, just responding to the rant/pity party portion. Hope the filing/soaks help enough so that Turbo can go with you.

[Guest KRKWMU]

Turbo, please feel better so you can go run! I really hope you figure something out. It sounds like corns are such a pain (for him and for you!).

 

Did Colleen tell you about the Chinese Herbs that helped Sheila's (retiredracers on GT) mom's hound? I talked to Colleen for awhile at GiG about the whole story. Feel free to PM Sheila to ask her about the specific herbs. They worked great for Foose...he was also lame from several bad corns. Not any more!

[turbotaina]

Thanks, Kristin, I'll send Sheila a PM

[inugrey]

I have the name of the vet that Nichole take Kiaba to up in PA. Once you are in POR I bet her vet won't be that far. Though I don't know diddly (hee hee) about geography in that area.

[turbotaina]

*&^*&%^*^(&)(*&)*&*&%$%$#F!@#@QW$##E%^$%&%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I came home and Turbo's on 3 legs again!

 

GAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angryfire

 

Hot soaking him now. He's not amused.

[Guest MnMDogs]

I'm so sorry. As you know, I've had no luck keeping them at bay, and have resorted to dremeling them when they poke out above the pad. I hope you can make progress on Turbo's foot.

[JenniferS]

I hate corns!! I've been battling the same thing you have! Thera-paws have saved my life!

[Guest Pat2003]

Bummer. Fingers crossed for you. I was looking forward to watching Turbo run on Friday. It is supposed to be shown on onlineracing.tv starting at noon.

 

Whatever happens - have a safe trip and lots of fun even of Turbo can't go.

[Burpdog]

Ripley (at the Hall of Fame) has had problems for over a year with corns, especially one. The corn was very deep in the pad and hulling was not fixing it. The vet did a section on the pad and he is in the process of healing. It'll be interesting to see if this works.

 

sending prayers!