Could This Be A Corn?

[Guest SillyIzzysMom]

Okay, we had the scare where our local vet thought Zamm had OS. . .Dr. Couto (thankfully!!) said "no" when he saw the films. But that still leaves us with an unexplained limp.

 

Zamm has an old hock injury--he's 8 now, I think he broke when he was about 4. One thought our vet had, at first, was some arthritic changes from that injury plus the fact that Zamm walks a little funny on that foot--at kind of an angle, so that might have caused some arthritis stuff in other areas of his leg/hip as well.

 

The x-ray of his hock area did not impress them as looking bad--whatever that means. I guess arthritis can be seen on x-rays and they didn't see it (which was why they x-rayed hips and spine and got us spooked on the "greyhound gas masquerading as cancer".

 

Anyway, I got to thinking--what if it's his foot, not his hock not his hips. so I started feeling around on that right foot and on his right foot his "ring toe" (haha--not the one closest to the outside of is foot but the next one in) there is an extremely hard spot on the outer edge of the pad. Now, this could be a callus. . .what do I know? I don't see a perfectly deliniated circular light spot (like some of the photos) but it does look funky. Here are some (terrible) photos.

 

You can kind of see that the whole pad is cracked and although the second photo is bad, there is an area where there's a flap/tab looking circle along the edge of the toe--that looks corn-like but it's not a real circle all the way around--it kind of blends into all the cracking on the pad.

 

I'll call the vet and talk to them about this next week and take him in--but although I know that they have some other greyhound clients, I am not super-confident right now of their diagnostic abilities (for obvious reasons!).

 

Any opinions?

Edited February 13, 2010 by SillyIzzysMom

[Guest trevdog]

Yep, looks like the corns we have seen here! They will cause a limp and can be painful. You can try soaking in epsom salts or we have had luck with bag balm.

[Guest Energy11]

YEP! Looks like a corn to me!

 

Staggerlee has BAD ones, and he limps all the time. Best thing is get some toddler socks, keep them on the foot, ast least during the day, and also some booties. Staggerlee wears The Voyagers Canine Booties. Good Luck! http://www.k9apparel.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=5

 

 

[Guest lanielovesgreys]

Vivie's I think was slightly more defined, but when we soaked her foot in epsom (just soaked towels and ace bandaged on for about 5 minutes), it was VERY clear where it was. Try that and see if you get a better view. We soaked it and saw it and we were able to wedge it out.

 

I'm very much NOT the expert on this subject, but learning as I go.

[Guest Energy11]

Vivie's I think was slightly more defined, but when we soaked her foot in epsom (just soaked towels and ace bandaged on for about 5 minutes), it was VERY clear where it was. Try that and see if you get a better view. We soaked it and saw it and we were able to wedge it out.

 

I'm very much NOT the expert on this subject, but learning as I go.

 

 

Yeah, when Staggerlee's corns get really large, I "hull/wedge" them out. Although, after this last one was done, he seems even more sore :-( That is why he is wearing his sock bootie.

[Batmom]

If you soak it in Epsom salts maybe twice a day and bag balm (or similar) in between, you might be able to tell better whether it's a corn or just a big ol' callus.