Need Help -- Mystery Toe Problems

[Guest mab149]

Hi everyone,

We brought Jake -- a sweet as can be 4.5 yo fawn male -- home last June, and he has had toe problems ever since. It started with what our vet thought was a puncture wound in one of the pads on his hind right foot, which got better, and got worse, better, worse, better, worse, etc., etc. When it isn't doing well, he has a clear limp. But now, it seems as if he has a persistent infection in that toe, the calluses are overgrown and continue to grow, and he is developing very deep (and what appear to be incredibly painful) sores between his toes. Worse yet, he seems to be at the starting stages of the same problems on his other hind foot. He has been on a couple of rounds of antibiotics for the infection, and our vet has sent some of the abnormal tissue to be cultured, has taken x-rays, has looked for foreign bodies that could still be in the pad/toe and causing the infection and/or pain, and has to date not come up with any plausible explanation. We sought a second opinion, and that vet opined that it was just a problem with the toe, but had no specific explanation. Jake also in the past day or so started developing a rash, but I don't know if that is another symptom or simply a coincidence. We are going back to the vet tomorrow, but I thought I'd at least ask if anyone else has experienced anything like this on the chance that it is something unique to greys. Thanks for your thoughts.

[greysmom]

I've never had that happen, but I'm sure someone will have some advice. If your vet is open to it he might contact Dr Couto at Michigan State University (a noted greyhound expert and a vet quite willing to help) if he's still stumped. Greys are prone to several weird foot ailments including horrible corns and other viral infections of the toenails.

 

greysmom

[packmom]

Dr. Couto is at Ohio State. http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/1872.htm Is the greyhound health and wellness program.