Therapaw Cushy Paw Slippers

[Guest MnMDogs]

Well, Morky and I continue our battle against his corns (4 on 3 paws now). He can walk just fine with his TheraPaw boots, but even with dremeling the corns, he is becoming increasingly lame in his back left leg without them.

 

We went to the vet for a thorough exam of that leg, and she couldn't elicit any pain reaction except from the toe with the darn corn! It's horrible to watch him walk lately, and this is a dog that has ALWAYS limped from corns, arthritis, etc...

 

This time is much much worse, and it's mainly that corn toe. We don't keep his booties on inside since he seems bothered by them, and I think they get hot - they also make his feet stinky.

 

So, rather than watch him gimp around painfully in the house, I'm considering these. But would like to know if anyone has tried them with success.

 

Thanks for any input.

Edited September 9, 2008 by MnMDogs

[ElizabethGPAPS]

I've not heard of those booties before...but just wondering - if it's just the one toe that's causing most of his misery and nothing else has worked, have you ever considered amputation of the toe?

[phall]

I have a pair of those indoor booties that Therapaw makes. They work very well in the house. They have the same non-slip rubber bottom that the regular Therapaw booties have but they're softer and more conducive to use inside. They're like bedroom slippers. In the summer, though, they will be warm but now that the fall is coming and cooler temperatures with it, they might work well for you greyhound.

 

Pat

[BrGreyhndz]

Well, Morky and I continue our battle against his corns (4 on 3 paws now). He can walk just fine with his TheraPaw boots, but even with dremeling the corns, he is becoming increasingly lame in his back left leg without them.

 

We went to the vet for a thorough exam of that leg, and she couldn't elicit any pain reaction except from the toe with the darn corn! It's horrible to watch him walk lately, and this is a dog that has ALWAYS limped from corns, arthritis, etc...

 

This time is much much worse, and it's mainly that corn toe. We don't keep his booties on inside since he seems bothered by them, and I think they get hot - they also make his feet stinky.

 

So, rather than watch him gimp around painfully in the house, I'm considering these. But would like to know if anyone has tried them with success.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Have you tried having the vet hull them out? It might help for a while then it will need to be redone.

 

Yo could remove the toe but as we found out that although it is a quick recovery if its just one toe- if it becomes the need to remove two for any reason its much more difficult.

[silverfish]

I've never tried them, but they look interesting! I'm thinking they might also work to slip on an unstable senior for trips to the vet etc, if they have shiny floors. Jack's done the splits before now...

 

Thanks for the link!

[Guest MnMDogs]

Thanks, everyone. I haven't considered amputation. Mainly because he's got an amputated toe on the front (it was gone when I got him, so I don't know the circumstances), and it seems to cause him pain when walking. It's hard to tell, since he's got a corn on the adjoining toe, but even when hulled, and flat he limps without the booties.

 

Also, with the frequency corns have been appearing on him (2 new ones in less then a year ), I hesitate to take off the toe, only to have one appear on the adjoining toe.

 

We've had them hulled, but he's really a pain about his feet, so he needs some sedation. He's going for a dental in a few weeks and they'll be hulled then. I really hope he gets some relief. What is strange, is that I keep it dremeled very very low, and he is still very obviously in pain - much more than I've ever seen. The vet mentioned it looked really "thin"? And suggested I not dremel for a little while.

 

I think I'm going to order the booties and give them a try. It does seem like it may give them some traction, and that can't be a bad thing

[Guest MnMDogs]

I have a pair of those indoor booties that Therapaw makes. They work very well in the house. They have the same non-slip rubber bottom that the regular Therapaw booties have but they're softer and more conducive to use inside. They're like bedroom slippers. In the summer, though, they will be warm but now that the fall is coming and cooler temperatures with it, they might work well for you greyhound.

 

Pat

 

My sleepy brain missed this post thanks for the input...I'll definitely be ordering some today! Does your hound wear them all the time inside?

 

[Guest caiteag]

I haven't tried them... but they look really good. My only concern would be that they are multi-layered sherpa fleece.. that means they will be VERY warm on his feet. As was mentioned above, that will probably be just fine for winter, but it will be a problem come next summer.

[Guest MnMDogs]

I haven't tried them... but they look really good. My only concern would be that they are multi-layered sherpa fleece.. that means they will be VERY warm on his feet. As was mentioned above, that will probably be just fine for winter, but it will be a problem come next summer.

 

We live in the land of unrelenting summer sun, so I tend to keep the ac at a pretty comfortable level in the summer - especially since I'm home all day, too. But he'll probably still have warm tootsies. I wonder if there's a way to ventilate them... Guess I'll order and find out!

 

[inugrey]

Good luck with those boots, they look great!

 

I do want to throw out one more idea for the corn deal too. It's my new personal soap box so bare with me. Have you taken an xray of the affected toes/feet? I ask because we got to the point with Inu's one corn that he wasn't putting weight on that foot or very reluctantly. It turns out he has some chronic damage to his joint in that toe that is either a long term problem or one that we keep re-injuring. Either way, a long course of a strong antibiotic with usual treatment of the corn has him limp is negligible inside the house.

[Guest MnMDogs]

Good luck with those boots, they look great!

 

I do want to throw out one more idea for the corn deal too. It's my new personal soap box so bare with me. Have you taken an xray of the affected toes/feet? I ask because we got to the point with Inu's one corn that he wasn't putting weight on that foot or very reluctantly. It turns out he has some chronic damage to his joint in that toe that is either a long term problem or one that we keep re-injuring. Either way, a long course of a strong antibiotic with usual treatment of the corn has him limp is negligible inside the house.

 

I'm considering having it xrayed when he's under for his dental. Did Inu's limping get worse after he had the obvious corn for a while? I did consider that it may be damage, but his toes "look" perfect on that foot. It's his other rear foot that's all ganked (my medical term for it) up from chronic injuries. When Inu wore the bootie, was he ok?

 

It's the strangest thing...Morky has started to walk so tenderly on that foot (his 2 front feet have corns that are MUCH larger and worse), yet as soon as his "running shoes" are on, he's got no limp whatsoever!

[inugrey]

I don't know where to begin with our story of the big bag corn, but yes the limp did become more pronounced. Early on before we figured out the corn thing he was on a keflex sort of antibiotic with rimadyl and it helped. Then we figured out the corn thing and didn't do anything antibiotic-wise targeted to deal with his limp. The limp was pretty consistent - only outside on sidewalks and streets for a good year maybe two. We use therapaws whenever we leave the house. Inside the house for a long time he was perfectly fine wandering along the carpets and hardwood both. It seemed for a few months his limp never improved even immediately after a hulling. Then we moved in May to a house with mostly hardwood and the limp became really pronounced. Then the weekend of grapehounds he decided life was better on three legs. I could only get him to walk on all four with the boot. He definitely can and will walk once the boot is on too, much like Mork.

 

I've been thinking hard on cutting that one offending toe off for much of 2008 and after his show during grapehounds I was gang busters to cut that sucker off. I went to see our local greyhound guru to talk about amputation but being a good vet she wanted to examine him fully. The first thing she did was squeeze above the pad in the joint area and my stoic boy cried and pulled his foot back. She said yep there is more going on than just the corn. (That may be a good place for you to start. Squeeze around the knuckle and see how he reacts). Dr. K decided to do rads based on his pained reaction and voila messy joint damage and inflammation. We are in week seven of an eight week course on Cipro. We go in for a second set of xrays once this course of cipro is done. He does still show a bit of a sensitive foot but really only when we are on pavement. Inside the house including on the hardwood he looks ok. During this course of treatment I have not hulled his corn so it's there and growing.

[Guest MnMDogs]

Oh wow...thanks for sharing all of that. I just squeezed his toe, and he pulled back pretty quickly. Maybe that is the problem?!?! Like I said, this limp looks like he's hitching up his leg from the hip...much different from the normal corn limp. I guess will be doing xrays in a few weeks!

 

I really hope this is it, and can help him.

[phall]

Tally, my boy who has a corn, doesn't wear them all the time in the house, but when he seems to be in a lot of pain and is limping a lot, I put them on him.

 

I don't have his hulled as the corn grows back full size in less than two weeks. But I file it (he won't put up with dremeling) to keep it flat and I often soak it in epsom salts. The corn grows and then eventually comes out on it's own. My goal is to keep Tally as comfortable as possible as he goes through these cycles.

 

Good luck! I hate corns!

 

Pat

 

 

My sleepy brain missed this post thanks for the input...I'll definitely be ordering some today! Does your hound wear them all the time inside?

 

[Guest WhenIGiveIn]

I have used them when i loki cut his pad and had stitches. They worked very well and he didnt seem to mind them. They also sell them at the GEM Store http://www.gemgreyhounds.org/gem_store/medical.htm