Thinking Of Amputating A Toe On Mork

[Guest MnMDogs]

Sorry for another post on Mork and his horrible feet. Just a little background...

 

Mork is a corn dog - he suffers horribly from them. On the front left, he has a long standing corn on a weight bearing toe. The other weight bearing toe was amputated just to the first knuckle before I adopted him. This foot ALWAYS seems to be painful for him, even with the corn dremeled/hulled, etc. I think it has something to do with his missing digit.

 

He has a corn on each of the weight bearing toes of his front right. These are fairly large and I can manage them with dremeling and hulling. He seems to get some relief when they are flat, and softened.

 

The latest (just appeared about 18 months ago) corn is on a weight bearing toe on his back right. It is absolutely horrible, and renders him just about completely lame when it flares up. This level of pain/discomfort has been going on since late November, and is very difficult to manage with dremeling and hulling. But we had about 2.5 months of relief after the last hulling in December, and I thought we were in the clear. However, it came back over 2 weeks ago, and he's miserable.

 

The problem is, it's not visible right now! I know it's nothing more serious as I've had his feet and legs xrayed (more than once, and most recently the foot was xrayed when it came back since he was in so much pain. The pain is isolated to that toe.

 

I'm at the point that I can't stand seeing him like this, and the TheraPaws barely help at all, so we can't walk as much.

 

Do you think amputation is an option? If he didn't have all sorts of other foot issues, I wouldn't hesitate. But I'm worried that if I take that toe off, another corn will pop up on the remaining weight bearing toe. Right now, he has 4 corns on his seven weight bearing toes that have presented themselves one at a time over the course of 5 years.

 

Oh, and the only foot that doesn't have corns, has arthritic toes

 

Any opinions? I'm at my wit's end, and so frustrated that something so small is making him so uncomfortable. He's so unsteady on his feet that I'm really afraid that he's going to take a nasty spill one day. He's going 9 1/2 years old, so not a spring chicken.

 

Thanks for any advice.

Edited March 31, 2009 by MnMDogs

[grey14me]

poor little guy I don't know what I'd do if it were me, but I sure feel bad for him!

[duncan41]

Oh, my feet hurt just reading about poor Mork's toes! I can only pray for the poor guy and hope that someone has an idea that might give him some relief.

[Guest Annie]

I have no experience with corns but wanted to offer up some prayers for you and Mork!

[MaryJane]

My greyhound has had 2 corns and 1 has completely gone away (about 6 to 7 months now) and the other one is barely visible from the last time it was dremeled. I have been putting either kerasolv (generic CVS brand) or bag balm on his pads and I rub them gently at night for about 5 to 10 minutes per paw after I put the creams on. I usually moisten his pads before I put the salves on. I never thought the corns would get to the "manageable" point they are at right now but, I can honestly say that I don't expect this to last and the corns will likely be back again. So I feel your pain about trying to manage the "corns".

 

But having said that and from my perspective, I would find it to be a really tough decision to amputate a toe as a treatment for something that might eventually resolve on its own - you mentioned that it was OK for 2.5 months and just came back recently. I would also be concerned that amputating a toe could also cause additional issues such as more corns showing up on remaining pads because of the weight redistribution.

 

 

 

 

[Guest maggiemay]

Sorry for another post on Mork and his horrible feet. Just a little background...

 

Mork is a corn dog - he suffers horribly from them. On the front left, he has a long standing corn on a weight bearing toe. The other weight bearing toe was amputated just to the first knuckle before I adopted him. This foot ALWAYS seems to be painful for him, even with the corn dremeled/hulled, etc. I think it has something to do with his missing digit.

 

Don't know anything about corns but this comment makes me wonder if Mork has the same post-amputation problem mine had.

 

Maggie had her front outside toe amputated last Oct due to repeated disclocation (old racing injury). At first the vet amputated to the 2nd joint and after a month she was still not walking properly. Turns out a tiny part of the stump was somehow still touching the ground when she walked, so back we went for op #2. This time he took the toe right off back to the beginning. Her recovery was sooo much quicker and the vet (who is very experienced with racing greys) says he will now take off the whole toe for all grey toe amputations to prevent this ever happening again.

 

Also I can remember him saying that with greys he always rounds off the bone so it doesn't pierce their thin skin, but that with other breeds it isn't necessary. Do you know if this was done in Mork's case?

 

I hated having to make her go through the whole process again but now watching her spinning round the yard and pouncing on her stuffies it was definitely worth it.

 

This may all be irrelevant for your boy but its food for thought if you do decide to go ahead with the amputation. Good luck!

 

 

[Ragsysmum]

Just had a corn taken off one of my boy Sonny's front paws. The general opinion over here of the local greyhound kennels and the countrywide greyhound group where I got him, is for removal of the toe if the corn comes back, as they all expect it will.

[FountainLady]

I'm with Mary Jane on trying the Bag Balm ... Doc came to me with multiple Corns on each foot (OUCH !) - two to three toes on each foot were affected. I think the extent of his Corns was one reason that his adoption group had a hard time placing him in a home. Not too many people wanted to adopt a lame, Thunderphobic dog.

 

Hulling each Corn and filling the holes left behind with Bag balm until they healed has worked wonders! I also massage Bag Balm into the pads from time to time. He is now almost corn free (has 1 teeny tiny one that is too small to hull, but doesn't bother him). This has been a year of true relief for him! He is sound enough that we can easily walk in parades, and walk for miles on hard pavement with no discomfort.

 

Before you amputate that toe, try hulling again, fill the hole with Bag Balm (put a baby sock on Mark to keep the Bag Balm on his foot and off your carpets and floors), and try this .....

 

Since the Bag Balm has worked well for more than 1 person here - I'd suggest that you try it.

 

Sometimes the simplest things are the ones that work.

 

 

[turbotaina]

Carol, I know you've been doing everything humanly possible for Mork, and I know the frustration of the "invisible corn" first hand, as you know. Have you met with a veterinary orthopedist to more fully discuss the implications of an amputation?

[Batmom]

Because he has so many corns, before you amputate, I would try what my vet did:

 

Hulled the corn per the Grassmere procedure and then ran quickly over the hulled cavity with his surgical laser.

 

After this treatment, Zema's corn did not return for NINE MONTHS. She got 2 tiny ones at that point, we hulled them once or maybe twice, and she has had none since -- think it's been over a year now.

 

When Zema had corns, I tried everything -- dremeling, Kerasolv, duct tape, the works. Useless. The only things other than hulling that were sometimes helpful were:

 

- Bag Balm to soften the pad when the corn didn't yet have well-differentiated edges. Made it easier to hull.

 

- Trimming the pad where it had built up calluses around the edges of the corn. This was important, because she built up such a callus, it was like a corn all by itself. Vet did this, and there was a little blood. If you've hulled the corn and can still feel some hardness around the edges of the hole a day or two after hulling, you've got callus and may want to consider trimming it back.

 

Hugs and best luck.

[Guest MnMDogs]

Carol, I know you've been doing everything humanly possible for Mork, and I know the frustration of the "invisible corn" first hand, as you know. Have you met with a veterinary orthopedist to more fully discuss the implications of an amputation?

 

That's what is so frustrating...we've done everything possible (starting with surgery 4 years ago which was a big mistake). Hulling, lasering, dremeling, bag balm, abreva, lysine...etc. They do nothing long term. Which is the only reason I'm even considering taking of one of my big guy's toes.

 

My vet is calling today regarding his thyroid, so I'm going to ask her if she'll ask one of her orthopod colleagues. I actually mentioned his amputated toe to one of the vets (orthopedic) who changed my foster's splint the last time. He said the way that Mork only had the toe removed to the first knuckle without saving the pad is probably causing him a lot of discomfort. Of course, now I'm thinking about taking the rest of that toe off too.

 

Thanks everyone for your responses. These corns have beaten Morky and me for way too long. I really can't stand seeing him like this.

[Guest MnMDogs]

Because he has so many corns, before you amputate, I would try what my vet did:

 

Hulled the corn per the Grassmere procedure and then ran quickly over the hulled cavity with his surgical laser.

 

After this treatment, Zema's corn did not return for NINE MONTHS. She got 2 tiny ones at that point, we hulled them once or maybe twice, and she has had none since -- think it's been over a year now.

 

When Zema had corns, I tried everything -- dremeling, Kerasolv, duct tape, the works. Useless. The only things other than hulling that were sometimes helpful were:

 

- Bag Balm to soften the pad when the corn didn't yet have well-differentiated edges. Made it easier to hull.

 

- Trimming the pad where it had built up calluses around the edges of the corn. This was important, because she built up such a callus, it was like a corn all by itself. Vet did this, and there was a little blood. If you've hulled the corn and can still feel some hardness around the edges of the hole a day or two after hulling, you've got callus and may want to consider trimming it back.

 

Hugs and best luck.

 

We did the laser the last time the front 3 were back in about 6 weeks the back lasted about 2.5 months. I would gladly do that again if that dang back one would just show itself! The vet said she was a little conservative with the laser since she'd never done it before, so next time I would let her know that she can be a little more aggressive. Should there be any blood with the laser? The vet has to trim the callouses? He definitely has those on a couple on the front that I try to dremel when I do the corns.

 

The really weird thing is that there seems to be a dark spot on that pad where the corn was...the new one seems to be coming back at a slightly different spot? Is that possible?

 

I really am thankful that this is my biggest issue with him. But they are so debilitating right now and I feel that I can't even do anything to help him.

 

ETA: Maggiemay, I think that's may be the problem with my guy's toe. In all the years I've had him, he never has relief on that foot (even with the corn surgically removed), and is obsessed with licking that toe. I don't think it was taken off properly (a topic I started about him a couple months ago...yes, I'm obsessed with my boy's feet!)

Edited April 1, 2009 by MnMDogs

[packmom]

I overheard someone in the waiting room at OSU whose dog was having a surgery for corns. It involved a nerve not amp. Maybe send a message through the greyhound health and wellness sight for more info?

Edited April 1, 2009 by packmom

[inugrey]

I just want to say good luck to you, my compariot in corn H E double L. Please let us know what an ortho says about removing the toe. I think if the vet could assure me, I'd be inclined to remove the toe. Inu is no where as severe as Mork but on the days when he can't even walk inside the house I am on the phone with the vet discussing amputation surgery.

[Guest Pipi5]

I have had 2 that lost a toe & neither of them noticed.

[Guest maggiemay]

MnMDogs I checked out that thread - poor old Mork he sounds like a special case

 

I am very hesitant about chopping off limbs (I'm sure we all are) and went to great lengths to save Maggie's tail when she broke it (can you imagine trying to stop a dog from wagging for 4 weeks?????)

 

But dogs are so quick to recover from amputations if they are done properly and it really sounds like Mork's quality of life could be improved. Maybe it is worth an X-Ray??

 

Good luck - I know it must be such a hard decision especially with a senior!!

[Batmom]

Should there be any blood with the laser? The vet has to trim the callouses?

 

Don't recall any blood after the laser -- it sorta cauterizes everything as it goes. Vet said he "just kissed" those surfaces.

 

No reason vet rather than person would have to trim calluses; I think mine was better at it than me, tho. Probably willing to go a bit further than I did on my own. I do remember a drop of blood or two from that, the first time.

 

Wish I had more suggestions.

[Guest MnMDogs]

Should there be any blood with the laser? The vet has to trim the callouses?

 

Don't recall any blood after the laser -- it sorta cauterizes everything as it goes. Vet said he "just kissed" those surfaces.

 

No reason vet rather than person would have to trim calluses; I think mine was better at it than me, tho. Probably willing to go a bit further than I did on my own. I do remember a drop of blood or two from that, the first time.

 

Wish I had more suggestions.

 

You've been a huge help already! I never would have known about the laser after the hulling if not for you. It seems like my boy just has intractable corns (if that's a diagnosis ). Your vet describing it as just "kissing" the surfaces makes me think my vet did exactly as yours.

 

This is just so frustrating, and of course I missed her call today. Hopefully will hear from her again soon!

Edited April 2, 2009 by MnMDogs