I Think We Have A Corn....

[Guest BlueCrab]

I watch Trixie's feet pretty carefully and in the last week or so have noticed a tiny spot on one of her front paw pads - looks like a pencil lead, about that size and color, flat, not raised at all.

 

We normally walk almost entirely on grass at home and out at the car races, but this weekend up at the NY house we walked around the block on the street and sidewalk. Trixie was definitely ouchy on her front left foot, same location as this spot. I palpated and manipulated the foot and leg and get no reaction. But on the hard street surface she definitely is lame. Once she's on grass (or carpet inside) she's fine. Continued palpation of the entire foot, leg, etc. gets no reaction - even when I press on the spot.

 

Does this sound like a corn forming? Any advice on what I need to do to keep up with it and what to expect down the line?

 

I was thinking of buying her a set of boots - she is terrible about walking outside in the winter and will completely stop moving when her feet get cold (to the point where we've had to carry her home multiple times). Would a boot serve any purpose at this point if this is indeed a corn?

[Guest bigbrindlebunny]

Derwood? Hello from Rockville.

 

For wintertime we got boots from K9 Voyager. They were lifesavers. I don't know that Pete minds the cold, but we worry about ice cutting his foot pads and chemical de-icers. We live in an apartment so we have to walk him everywhere. Here's the link to those boots http://k9apparel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=130_118&products_id=2570

 

As for the corn, it's possible. But I think you need to get it checked out by a Vet. When there's lameness in a Greyhound you want to rule out the really scary stuff. They'll palpitate and manipulate the leg, maybe take X-Rays. I'm a first time Grey owner, I'm sure some more experienced folks will chime in on that issue.

 

Hopefully it turns out to be nothing, but if it is a corn, Pete has gotten a lot of relief from wearing a Thera-paws in addition to some ongoing care and maintenance by us. Here's what they look like, Pete wears a size T/E. http://www.goinghomegreyhounds.org/node/262

 

 

 

 

 

[Walliered]

I have read really good things about Greyhound/Corn and Callus Cream. Here is the web site: www.MurrayAvenueRx.com

[inugrey]

My first thought based on your description is that it's a cut rather than a corn. I've seen more than a few pencil leads in paws that upon close inspection are cuts and pooled blood. Try soaking her foot for five minutes a few nights in a row in a weak iodine (yellow) or epsom salt soak. If it's a owie it should resolve or reveal cut skin.

 

I really hope it's not a corn they just plain suck.

[TwiggysMom]

Twiggy came up lame once, and I could see a small spot on her pad. I ended up taking her in to the vet, and after I pointed the spot out, she took her into the back to investigate it.

 

Turns out the vet found a PEBBLE stuck all the way inside her pad. Apparently, she had a small cut, then stepped on the pebble and forced it inside her pad (not between her pads, inside her pad). It was not at all visible by looking at it, except for the tiny spot.

 

Highly unlikely this is the same, but you never know what it could be!

[turbotaina]

My first thought based on your description is that it's a cut rather than a corn. I've seen more than a few pencil leads in paws that upon close inspection are cuts and pooled blood. Try soaking her foot for five minutes a few nights in a row in a weak iodine (yellow) or epsom salt soak. If it's a owie it should resolve or reveal cut skin.

 

I really hope it's not a corn they just plain suck.

 

 

Yup, I agree with Colleen, Carolyn. When I give Turbo espom soaks for his corn, I mix up the solution, soak it in paper towels so they're very wet, wrap the paper towels around his foot, then top with a plastic bag. Helps if you have a slug of a dog like Turbo who's happy to lie there and nap while he's soaking.

[MarcR]

I agree... have a vet take a look to rule out anything especially nasty, but it sure does sound like a corn. When Nadia developed hers (on her left front foot) it was initially very difficult to see... just a slightly lighter spot on her pad. But I could feel the corn as a slightly raised, hard spot.

[turbotaina]

Oh, and one way to tell if it's a corn, take either side of the pad and give a firm but gentle squeeze. If she pulls back, it's a good indication that it's a corn.

[Guest Ola]

Oh, and one way to tell if it's a corn, take either side of the pad and give a firm but gentle squeeze. If she pulls back, it's a good indication that it's a corn.

I second this - pressing directly may be okay, but have you tried squeezing (gently) the sides of the pad?

[Guest chaoran22]

Our two get corns and it's actually not too bad - they only bother them if they're raised. When I see one of them shuffling their feet I just dremel the corns down when I do their nails. Neither of them are bothered at all by the dremel (in fact, they're much better about me dremeling their corns than their nails). I get it so that it's flat, if it's particularly large, i'll sometimes dremel it down even more so it's a little concave (actually i don't know if you're supposed to do this, i've just always done that if they're huge). and then they get up and they feel immediately better. it's a little bit of a bother because it's one other thing you have to look out for and take care of, but no real biggie - we've never gotten them removed or anything - they don't seem to be bothered by them at all once I dremel them down. If it is a corn, try dremeling and seeing if that's enough to make your pup comfortable without any other more invasive treatment first.

 

PS - Hi Twiggy's mom! This is Cathy with Oscar and Lula. Funny thing about your post, when we were living where you live, the exact same thing happened to Oscar!

[Guest BlueCrab]

Thanks all for the help. We're off to the vet Friday just to make sure everything is ok. But looking at it, it reminds me of what a plantar wart would look like on a human foot. I haven't tried the "squeeze test" that Meredith recommended - I'll try that tonight. Pressing directly on it doesn't get a reaction, and it hasn't curtailed her morning zoomies around the house and the yard (nor her morning games of pin-Opel-the-cat-to-the-floor)but get her onto the hard driveway and immediately she starts the head bob. It appears to be relatively flat at this point, but it seems to have grown in size since I started this message.

 

Thanks, Carol, for the links for the boots. The K9 voyager ones I looked at last year but didn't purchase. Then ended up carrying her home more times that I care to remember, cursing each time "why didn't I buy those damn boots..." so I'm gonna get them this year.

 

Thanks, Cathy for the advice about the dremmel. DH dremmels everyones claws regularly and Trixie is fine about it, so it's good to know that's an option to try if indeed this turns out to be a corn.

 

edited to fix spelling and to add one thing: y'know, I feel a little guilty posting relatively minor stuff like this when there are so many really serious maladies out there afflicting our houndie friends. ~sigh~

Edited June 23, 2010 by BlueCrab

[Guest bigbrindlebunny]

No Guilt! A lot of us struggle with corns.

[turbotaina]

Carolyn, if it's a corn, I'd get therapaws rather than any other type of boot. They're specifically made with cushioning and they've been a lifesaver for Turbo. Trixie will get used to them, I promise You might want to start with two so she doesn' t know which foot to limp on