Talk To Me About Corns

[Guest FireHorse]

Poor Luke. He's been limping on and off since he last got a corn hulled (a day shy of a month ago!), but last week I noticed he was limping more heavily, and almost continuously. Got him to Dr C this afternoon, and she hulled another corn. Same toe, same spot, even, and she said this one was even bigger than the last one-same diameter but more cone-shaped where the last one was pretty flat.

 

So if I count back to when he started limping, it was not quite three weeks after he got the last one out. Is that fast (it seems like it to me!) or typical? And how do I keep the stupid thing from coming back, or at least make it come back more slowly?

 

Poor guy. She said this one was really deep. He was leaving little polka dots of blood in the vet's lobby, and now has neosporin and a sock on it. He's sleeping the sleep of the traumatized, hoping I'll hurry up and get off the computer and get him dinner.

[Guest Naty]

Unfortunately, for the most part, it's a maintenance thing - regular hulling, regular hydrating and applying Kerasolv. Some had gone for surgical removal but I heard mixed reviews - sometimes they disappear forever but oftentimes they come back. The rate that they grow back varies. My vet does hulling on the average of 4-6 weeks.

 

Do you have Therapaws for him?

Edited November 6, 2008 by Naty

[Guest FireHorse]

Unfortunately, for the most part, it's a maintenance thing - regular hulling, regular hydrating and applying Kerasolv. Some had gone for surgical removal but I heard mixed reviews - sometimes they disappear forever but oftentimes they come back. The rate that they grow back varies. My vet does hulling on the average of 4-6 weeks.

 

Do you have Therapaws for him?

 

Two questions (well, three): What is Kerasolv and is it available over the counter? And I don't have Therapaws, but I'm considering it-do they really make that much of a difference?

 

[Burpdog]

If there is blood, she went too deep. Have you shown her the hulling article?

 

Can you dremel it? I kept Rob Roy's down with the dremel and sometimes "hulled" them with my finger nail!

 

Any vet around that has a laser?

 

[Guest FireHorse]

If there is blood, she went too deep. Have you shown her the hulling article?

 

Can you dremel it? I kept Rob Roy's down with the dremel and sometimes "hulled" them with my finger nail!

 

Any vet around that has a laser?

 

She hulled it, but in the middle of the process Luke, silly beast that he is, sneezed, (of all things ) and when he did, she poked him.

 

I hadn't thought about using the Dremel, but I've got one, so I'll definitely give it a try.

[calif_chaz]

After finding out Sam had corns on one foot earlier this year (as opposed to all the other things considered) we have gone with the duct tape and therapaws. I don't know exactly what the tape does (very small circles cut out with a hole punch is what we apply to corn areas) but eventually the corns went away. The therapaws are the best thing! They keep him comfortable and able to go on his walks. Now we have learned that when he begins to lag behind regularly on a walk, even tho no limp yet, there are corns coming on. he now has them back on two feet but is still his old self and comfortable and going on his walks. I cannot say enough good about the therapaws.

[Guest Naty]

The KeraSolv is gel with salicylic acid - the same ingredient in the wart remover for humans. I bought it at my vet's office. Hydrating the pads with corns and applying this softens the corn and makes for easier filing.

 

Therapaws makes a world of difference because of the padding that it offers. I also have the cushy paws for my boy for indoor use since we have hardwood floors.

 

I tried the duct tape but that didn't help although some swear by it.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2008 by Naty

[Guest FireHorse]

The KeraSolv is gel with salicylic acid - the same ingredient in the wart remover for humans. I bought it at my vet's office. Hydrating the pads with corns and applying this softens the corn and makes for easier filing.

 

Therapaws makes a world of difference because of the padding that it offers. I also have the cushy paws for my boy for indoor use since we have hardwood floors.

 

I tried the duct tape but that didn't help although some swear by it.

 

We have hardwood everywhere too-When Luke is really sore, he stays in the office where there's a rug. The more I hear about Therapaws, the more I think I'm going to order one! I'll just wait until the post-breakfast nap to measure for it. What size do you have? From the site, it looks like there are two sizes that would fit.

 

I'll ask Dr C about the Kerasolv next time we go in, because at this point, I'm pretty sure there's going to be a next time!

[bjnno1]

I clip the boys with fingernail clippers. Does the trick Just be sure not to cut too deep.

[Guest weisster]

Three months after I got Darrel...he limped. At first my vet said "I don't know what it is" even though I said CORN. He operated...took out a hard substance (corn) and of course it came back. The surgery was an expensive waste. I now take him about every 3 weeks to have the corn hulled. He really doesn't walk any better with it removed. I bought the Therapaw...he refuses to wear it, so we walk on the grass strip and hop over the crossroads. I now leave my car half way around the walk area because he can't make it. He's driven home. It saddens me but there's nothing more I can do. Good luck.

[Guest Patti604]

I have found that hulling did not help my girl at all. Dremelling and applying shea butter has worked the best for us.She still limps but appears to be more comfortable.

[FountainLady]

My experience with corns have been completely different from all of yours.

 

When we adopted Doc at the end of January this year he had a terrible problem with corns - he literally had 2-3 corns on every one of his feet! (poor guy) He came with full medical records for the past five years and this was a constant problem with him, to the point that surgery was being seriously considered for him.

 

I hulled them out myself the first of February and filled the empty holes with Bag Balm and kept filling the holes with bag balm until they grew back closed.

 

Guess what .... 9 months later - he has NO corns on any of his feet today --- not a single one has grown back. I still check him every week for them coming back.

 

I don't know if the Bag Balm did it, or if was the change in his enviroment.

But my boy is corn free and limp free for the first time in years.

[turbotaina]

Definitely invest in therapaws. Get two - one for the foot with the corn and the other for the foot on the opposite side without the corn. I find that's the best way to break them into wearing the boots - they can't hold both feet off the ground at once My boy's corns used to grow back really quickly and he wouldn't get much relief with hulling. We're now getting long periods between corns - I think I only had to have him hulled a few times this year and he's due again next week (he has two corns on the same foot).

 

One thing you can do which may or may not help is to use Abreva in the corn bed. Abreva has anti-viral properties and if it's true that corns are caused by a virus (which seems to have good evidence), Abreva will help fight the virus. Even if corns aren't caused by viruses, the Abreva will help keep the pad soft and make the corn easier to remove when it returns.

 

Good luck.

[Guest Naty]

Regarding your question about size, the Therapaws site tells you how to measure Luke's paw. Most male greyhounds wear T/E or Medium. The indoor Cushy paws tend to be bigger. I bought Medium but should have bought a smaller size. Bailey wears that after I apply the gel to prevent him from licking.

 

One other thing my vet recommends is to minimize the walks on pavement which is sometimes hard. We're lucky that we have a state park close by so we walk on softer ground. Good luck!

[Beautybabe]

Emmet wears size medium. He weighs about 78 pounds. We bought the larger size but it was way too big. You have to watch their dew claws. Our vet recommends putting a little gauze under the dew claw to keep it from digging into his leg while wearing the Therapaw. Also, we found that kids-size socks work well with the Therapaw..

 

I understand that the company will customize the boot to fit the hound. Maybe that would avert the dew claw problem that we had with Emmet.

 

BTW, we go to one vet for the corns and a different vet for everything else. The corn vet is on the way to my husband's job in Boston, so they make it a "bring your dog to work" day.

 

 

[Guest FireHorse]

Regarding your question about size, the Therapaws site tells you how to measure Luke's paw. Most male greyhounds wear T/E or Medium. The indoor Cushy paws tend to be bigger. I bought Medium but should have bought a smaller size. Bailey wears that after I apply the gel to prevent him from licking.

 

One other thing my vet recommends is to minimize the walks on pavement which is sometimes hard. We're lucky that we have a state park close by so we walk on softer ground. Good luck!

 

I just ordered both the Cushy Paws and and a TheraPaw, so we'll see how it goes. He doesn't mind the occasional sock, so I'm hoping he won't mind booties, either.

 

Fortunately, we don't walk, (sketchy neighborhood) so any outside time is backyard grass. Also unfortunately, inside is all hardwood, which is why I got the Cushy Paws too.

[Guest sage7]

hi all, I'm new on here but my grey has corns. my vet is not used to corns and there are no decent vets for greys anywhere local to me (she is an excellent vet with greys but never treated corns)

I am learning the hard way but one thing I did was to buy thera-paws. She couldn't possibly walk on hard surface without them. She has one for each front foot although only the right foot is really bad. I find that 2 boots evens up the body and helps with the wearing of the boots. You do have to be careful the dew claw is lying in the correct position before you close the boot.

I have tried the dremel, the corn remover gel, hydration, tea tree oil, F10 gel, filing etc but they just get worse.

I have to ask as I'm confused. what's the difference between hulling and the removal of the corn with GA. I have googled corns in greyhounds and every site says the corns will re-appear. I don't want her to have a GA and be limping for weeks simply to have them re-appear a short time later.

[Batmom]

Corn hulling is described here: http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corn_hulling.htm

 

It was also described in a veterinary journal a year or two back, but I've forgotten which one .

 

ANAESTHESIA IS NOT NEEDED FOR HULLING !

 

Zema's corn was hulled every 3 weeks for several months. Then, when she was anaesthetized for another procedure, doc hulled the corn one more time and just barely touched the hulled surface with his surgical laser -- sorta cauterized it. NO CORNS for 9 months. Then she had 2 small ones on the same toe; hulled and have not reappeared yet.

 

We also found that sometimes a good bit of callus builds up around the corn, and unless you trim that callus back, the pup still doesn't get much relief from hulling.

[MandysMom]

Mandy has corns on each foot (actually on almost every toe). We use Abreva (2x daily) and Kerasolv (at night with toddler socks over her paws to let it soak in). Also, Therapaws whenever we are outside (I have carpeting in the house). At first, we were hulling every week to 10 days. Now, we are down to about once a month. Dr. Kellogg told me it didn't have to be Kerasolv--there are other similar ointments available--but the idea is to keep the paw pads more pliable--Mandy's are naturally very dry and cracked.

 

Mandy is a bit of a drama queen, but she seemed to "get it" right away that the Therapaws make it possible for her to walk--without them, she starts limping, shaking, whining, and arching her back in less than 2 minutes outside.

 

Best of luck in dealing with the corns.

[Guest sage7]

thank you for your help. What I meant when I asked the difference between hulling and removal under GA is what exactly they do. i thought in hulling they popped the corn out (as in the article) but what do they do different under a GA? surely hulling the corn is removing the corn the same as they would under GA ?

also, has anyone heard of the laser being used to cut away the corn & destroy it?

another I would like to ask, sorry for all the questions, but when you say hydrate the pad, are you talking creams to soften or fo you mean soaking in water to soften?

thanks again

[Guest EMcElfresh]

I have a question - do corns just show up? are they inevitable? what causes them? is it enviromental or genetic or like human warts (some kind of virus/bacteria)? I have NEVER had a dog with corns, though Gordon is my first greyhound I have had him for 2 yrs and haven't ever seen a corn...will he get them eventually? or no? Are there some greys that are just predisposed to them?

[Guest MnMDogs]

I have a question - do corns just show up? are they inevitable? what causes them? is it enviromental or genetic or like human warts (some kind of virus/bacteria)? I have NEVER had a dog with corns, though Gordon is my first greyhound I have had him for 2 yrs and haven't ever seen a corn...will he get them eventually? or no? Are there some greys that are just predisposed to them?

 

I'd been told by a greyhound vet in MA that they're warts, so they're viruses. I have to guess that for us, it's genetic. Mork started with one 4 and a half years ago. He's up to 4 now - one of which is causing him severe pain and discomfort - more so than the other 3 ever did. It's gotten so bad he seems to still be in pain with the TheraPaws on. Neither of the girls has them (thank god). I'd never heard of them, and really cannot believe just how debilitating they are for our Mork man.

 

I don't think Gordon is destined to get them - but if there is a latent virus in there, who knows. I don't think most greys will eventually get them. But it would be the first thing I check if he starts limping.

 

 

[MandysMom]

thank you for your help. What I meant when I asked the difference between hulling and removal under GA is what exactly they do. i thought in hulling they popped the corn out (as in the article) but what do they do different under a GA? surely hulling the corn is removing the corn the same as they would under GA ?

also, has anyone heard of the laser being used to cut away the corn & destroy it?

another I would like to ask, sorry for all the questions, but when you say hydrate the pad, are you talking creams to soften or fo you mean soaking in water to soften?

thanks again

 

 

I know a few people who've had their greys' corns surgically removed (under GA). They actually cut the pad open and cut out the corn. Every one of them had the corn grow back pretty quickly. AND, the recovery from the surgery was pretty rough.

 

I know several folks here on GT have had success with a laser after hulling, but my vet's office doesn't have a laser.

 

As far as hydrating, when I first started treating Mandy's extremely dry paw pads, I'd "soak" them by wrapping each paw in a wet washcloth for several minutes, then applying one of the thick ointments (like Kerasolv), and putting toddler socks on (secured with surgical tape)--to let it soak in and keep the greasy oinment from staining everything. Now I just do the ointment and socks.

 

Believe me, I had what seemed like a zillion questions when Mandy became a corndog!

Edited December 15, 2008 by MandysMom

[Batmom]

If they do a surgical removal under GA, they're going to take more tissue. Often, that seems not to work any better than hulling -- the corn is still apt to grow back -- and the recovery time is ghastly. With hulling, there's virtually no recovery time. Might be one teensy drop of blood where the corn is attached at the base, but that's it.

 

AFAIK, wouldn't be any reason to laser the corn out rather than hull it. Hulling is easy, painless, etc. With the laser, you wouldn't know how deep you could go; too deep, and you're going to have trauma to tissue other than the corn and significan healing time.

[Guest sage7]

thank you, that has answered mt question perfectly. I want to avoad anything that involves GA. My vet (and all other vets in locality) have never hulled a corn and I don't want my winnie to be the one they practice on!.

She has thera-paws which are amazing. The dew claws can be a problem if you're not very vigilant but I hadn't though of kiddie socks, thanks.

There-paws are available in 6 sizes

http://www.animalrehab.co.uk/webshop/catal...php?cPath=52_57

one more question please. When you talk of hydrating, what exactly do you do?

thanks you so much