My Dog Is Lame. Again.

[retiredracers]

Hi, Meredith.

 

I got your PM but thought I would post in Turbo's thread so that other people can see what we've done for my mom's grey and his corns.

 

A little background on Foose. He raced until he was over 5 years old and my mom adopted him just before he turned six years old. He will be 8 in July. He is a bigger boy with a very sweet, somewhat goofy personality. After having him just a short time, Mom started noticing that he seemed to be having trouble walking and also getting up and down. When I went home next time, I looked him over and discovered that he had corns... he had 6 corns... on all four feet!!! Over the next few months, he was basically becoming crippled. His "wrists" were hyperextending because he was shifting his weight from his toes to the back of his front paws. We tried hulling the corns out but they returned within just a short couple of weeks. I know that toe amputation is often recommended for dogs with really painful corns but he would have had to have six toes amputated and that wasn’t an option! At GIG last year, we talked to the lady who founded TheraPaws and she told us to start him on Missing Link Plus and OmegaDerm (a fatty acid supplement). I also brought him back to Virginia with me (my mom lives in Western PA in a really small town) to have my vets look at him and also have him seen by the holistic vet who comes to my clinic once a week. Dr. Faber looked at his tongue color and read his pulses to determine what he needed to help become balanced (that's the best way I can describe it) and also adjusted his spine.

 

During our appointment she told me that she had recently been told that in the Chinese sense of things, all (or most) greyhounds have a "blood deficiency" and should be given Chinese herbs and foods that help to strengthen the blood. She had also read that there were two Chinese herbs specifically to help with the corns. Based on Foose's tongue and pulses, we started him on California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato dog food and on three Chinese herbs. Si Wu Tang is an herb to strengthen the blood and we've started not only Foose on this herb but also several of our other greys who show signs of being blood deficient (the baldness that many greys have is apparently a sign of blood deficiencies... who knew?). (As a side note, one of the greys is my sister's girl, Money, who had some majorly bald thighs. Since starting on the herbs the end of last year, Money now has a fuzzy coat of hair on most of her bald patches.) The two herbs that were specifically for treating the corns are: Hot Hoof II (2) & Tendon/Ligament (which also helps his hyperextended wrists). All of these herbs can only be prescribed through a veterinarian who has been trained to prescribe them so you'll need to see a vet that practices Chinese medicine. Those visits can be expensive but I think well worth it.

 

Foose has been on the herbs, supplements and food for just over a year now. For the first 8 months or so, she also hulled the corns out every month or so. The good/greyt news is that Foose no longer has 6 corns!!!! He only 2 corns left and those two are much smaller than they were originally (they were pretty big to start with). His wrists are still hyperextended but they are much better (we've recently purchased some neoprene braces for him to wear on his wrists to help, too).

 

I STRONGLY recommend that if your dog has corns and they are bothered by them that you should have them examined by a holistic veterinarian. Depending on where you live, I've heard that exams can be as little as $100 and up to $300.

Foose has done so well that I would recommend trying this route.

 

Good luck!!!!

 

Sheila

 

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!

 

We tried this with my bridge boy, Buzz, but it didn't help at all. By the time his pad healed, the corn was already back. I hope it works better for Ripley.

[turbotaina]

Thanks for your reply, Sheila. When he first went lame in December '05 (and before we realized it was a corn (wasn't visible yet)), he was seen by a holistic vet who prescribed an herb called "bone sore" - at the time we thought he had a strain of some sort. She also did acupuncture on him. Neither of these helped (of course, knowing what I know now, they wouldn't have ). She didn't go through the whole thing your vet did though.

 

Oh and after another epsom soak and filing session, the boy is still on three legs this morning. Looks like he'll be staying home for Expo

[Guest bugsmom]

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.

 

That's not the first time I've heard good results from the laser- has anyone else tried it? I've heard that the corns don't come back with the laser. My guy has corns on a front foot and a back foot, we have been battling them for years, I'm thinking of trying the laser.

 

[turbotaina]

Hmm. I wonder if there is a form of acupuncture for the toes...there must be, right? Anyone have any experience with it?

 

I need to get Malinda back out to adjust him - since he's been quasi-lame (and now really lame) for a couple of months, he's gone all out of whack.

 

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.

 

That's not the first time I've heard good results from the laser- has anyone else tried it? I've heard that the corns don't come back with the laser. My guy has corns on a front foot and a back foot, we have been battling them for years, I'm thinking of trying the laser.

 

 

Turbo had laser treatment for an iliopsoas strain. I've heard good things about laser. If the PT vet would do corn hulling, I'd haul him back up there and have it done and lasered, but she doesn't do it. *sigh*

[Batmom]

Just a note: The laser my vet used on Zema was the surgical laser, not therapeutic laser. Vet said he just barely touched the surfaces, not really removing any extra tissue. The techs bandaged her up but there was really only a single drop of blood on the bandage (which came off on the driveway on our way home ) and she walked fine on it after.

[Burpdog]

Marilyn's vet does the laser (surgical) and the corns do not come back near as quick as regular hulling!

[turbotaina]

Just a note: The laser my vet used on Zema was the surgical laser, not therapeutic laser. Vet said he just barely touched the surfaces, not really removing any extra tissue. The techs bandaged her up but there was really only a single drop of blood on the bandage (which came off on the driveway on our way home ) and she walked fine on it after.

 

 

Oh, wow - all this time, I thought it was a therapeutic laser that was being used! Must talk to my vet about using a surgical laser - they must have one there!

[NeylasMom]

Man, this really stinks! Poor Turbo (and poor you)! I know Turbo is suffering, but could you please let him know that continuing to drive up the vet bills is not getting him a sister anytime soon!!!

[lothianjavert]

I'm so sorry that Turbo is still hurting! Corns just plain suck. I can see where the three-legging it and limping would throw the rest of him out of whack too. It puts a lot of stress on the other legs and his back/spine moves differently, so he's going to hurt more everywhere. Give him a big ol' hug. :grouphug

 

I think I might ask around about the laser as well. Gosh, it would be so nice to not have to worry about the corn!

 

I feel the same way about toe amputation. I had it suggested to me by a vet as well, but I just can't see losing an entire toe because of a corn. And if he gets corns on the other toes? How many are we going to lose?? You can't just keep lopping off toes for every corn! (I understand amputation w/ bad breaks, etc. where it really makes a huge difference, and it's not likely to develop on other toes too)

 

Booties truly have been a godsend here, though now, it's too hot for walks. The pups are perfectly happy to crash in the AC. They want nothing to do with being outside today! (it was 90 degrees at 8:00 this morning. )

[racindog]

Try Thera-paws. They are wonderful (especially for greyhounds which is who they were developed for). They protect and comfort their feet, they stay on even if they decide to fly, and they are easy to put on and take off.

[NeylasMom]

Has it always been just the one toe? If it has, and it's throwing his whole body out of whack, I might actually consider taking it off. This coming from the girl who is absolutely waiting until it has to be done to take Neyla's problem toe off.

 

I'd try the laser first of course, but if that doesn't do it, and he can't use that foot....???

[turbotaina]

Try Thera-paws. They are wonderful (especially for greyhounds which is who they were developed for). They protect and comfort their feet, they stay on even if they decide to fly, and they are easy to put on and take off.

 

 

He's been in therapaws for two years Helps sometimes, doesn't help when it gets this bad.

 

Has it always been just the one toe? If it has, and it's throwing his whole body out of whack, I might actually consider taking it off. This coming from the girl who is absolutely waiting until it has to be done to take Neyla's problem toe off.

 

I'd try the laser first of course, but if that doesn't do it, and he can't use that foot....???

 

He's got a corn on the outside toe as well, but it's nowhere near as severe as the real corn toe. I was going to take his toe off last year because he was like this then and it didn't seem like it would ever improve. But then it did. I probably should have gone ahead and taken it off then - I wouldn't be complaining today

[inugrey]

I feel the same way about toe amputation. I had it suggested to me by a vet as well, but I just can't see losing an entire toe because of a corn. And if he gets corns on the other toes? How many are we going to lose?? You can't just keep lopping off toes for every corn! (I understand amputation w/ bad breaks, etc. where it really makes a huge difference, and it's not likely to develop on other toes too)

 

When we started talking to out ver about amputation Brian and I did have one of those interesting conversations about losing toes. Our morbid humor got the best of us as we envisioned Inu walking about like a pirate on a stump.

 

I've been inactive just thinking about different options this thread has helped to lay them out.

1- holistic vet

2- laser

3- cut the sucker off

 

 

[Guest greysadv]

We just discovered that one of our boys is sporting a corn on his front left foot - 4th toe. I'm very interested in the laser treatment several of you have tried. I mentioned it to my vet and I think he'd like to talk to a veterinarian who has done the procedure. Would it be possible to provide the veterarian's contact information in this forum?

 

Thanks,

Cindy & Austin

[Batmom]

We just discovered that one of our boys is sporting a corn on his front left foot - 4th toe. I'm very interested in the laser treatment several of you have tried. I mentioned it to my vet and I think he'd like to talk to a veterinarian who has done the procedure. Would it be possible to provide the veterarian's contact information in this forum?

 

Thanks,

Cindy & Austin

 

Hi, Cindy,

 

The vet who did our corn treatment -- hulling and then the surgical laser -- is Dr. Long at Hillcrest Animal Hospital, phone 815-398-9313. Your vet might have to remind Dr. Long with some keywords like "Zema the greyhound, corn, removal, laser" as it was more than a year ago that he did the laser part.

 

If you haven't tried just hulling it yet (plucking it out of the pad), sometimes that works and that is all it takes.

 

Good luck with your corn!

[Guest greysadv]

Batmom,

 

Thank you so much! I'll pass this along to our vet. He's not familiar with corns and he was a little hesitant of the hulling until he got some more information. He's going to be attending 2 veterinary conferences in July and was going to see if anyone had any great ideas. For the next couple weeks our boy is wearing TheraPaws, which do help some. I told our vet that if he comes up with something brilliant to get rid of corns once and for all, he's going to be one popular vet with the greyhound community:-)

 

Cindy

[Batmom]

I printed this out for my vet the first time: http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corn_hulling.htm

 

He was so tickled! "It worked just like they said!"

 

A version of this article was published in one of the vet journals @ 18 months ago. It's one that most vets get for free, forget the name of it. Dr. Feeman would know as I believe he was co-author.

[Guest greysadv]

I had come across this website before our appointment with our vet so I sent him the link. He has reviewed it and before he does any "digging out" he wanted to check around and see if there are any longer term solutions. He read the part about how many corns come back after only a few weeks.

 

Thanks,

Cindy