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A Possible Alternative To What You May Think Is A Corn


Guest UESBrindle

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Guest UESBrindle

I just figured I'd post this for other people dealing with corn-type issues incase corn treatments aren't working and you're looking to explore other causes.

 

William has had one spot on his paw for a long while that was not like his other paw pads. It was raised, rough and circular. I brought him in for a limp in the fall of 2010 and asked if this could be the culprit - thinking it was a corn.

 

He was limping on hard pavement, did much better inside on carpet and outside on grass and would still enjoy the occasional run in the dog park.

 

They said that it didn't look like it (and x-rays didn't show anything in the paw) and did some other x-rays and found calcium in his shoulder and we went on to 2 different ortho specialists, 2 seperate joint taps/injections and nothing seemed to clear this up. We would give deramaxx when the limping was bad, but usually just took it easy on walks.

 

Fast forward to Dec 2011, I notice the limping is getting more noticable and decided to bring him back to the vet thinking his paw pad is definetely the culprit. He agreed and wanting to try the least invasive options first, started a daily antibiotic and epsom salt soak wraps 2x a day for 10 days, thinking maybe it was a foreign object lodged in there and we could coaxe it out. Nothing came out but he did have beautifully soft pads :)

 

After soaks his paw looked like this:

 

williampaw.jpg

 

With no luck improving the limp, we decided last week to just have him go in and surgically remove the calloused tissue and whatever he found inside. He called after the procedure and said he did find something that the body had walled off inside and when he cut into it, it was brown and degraded, so we were thinking maybe it was a wood chip that he'd stepped on and it couldn't come out.

 

He called yesterday with the biopsy results, and it turns out he had a cutaneous horn - which, if you google it, is really grose. Hopefully it's a one-and-done situation, although I believe he said it's caused by a virus (similar to warts, where if you get one, have it removed, you could still get another in the future).

 

I just figured I'd post this since I know a lot of folks here struggle with corns dogs and some may not have any luck with corn treatments so I maybe people could also talk to their vets and consider this too when looking at paw pad issues/growths.

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Guest Geostar

Oh dear, I'm sorry that happened to your grey. We had the same problem with our late greyhound, Grace. We had the 'corn' cut out several times, but, it just came on back. Then, she got another on another foot...got it cut out, as you have had done, and again, it came back. Finally, we went a holistic vet and she administered some liquid orally to Grace and told us to do it every day for three weeks. By the end of three weeks, the corn had disappeared and never, in the rest of her life, came back. It would be good for you to see a vet who does work with holistic medication.

Good luck with that!

Hugs to your grey..

-star

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One of the dogs we placed had a similar issue. She had what looked to be a corn, but was much bigger (longer). My vet (who is a very savvy greyhound vet and knows corns) had tried to hull it and found it was very deep. They did x-rays and it turned out to be an aberrant nail growth through the pad, growing down from the P3. Unfortunately, the adopter had the pup off-leash and the dog was hit by a car and broke her leg. During surgery to repair the leg fracture, the horny growth was also removed. Immediately after the surgery, the dog threw a clot and died, so I don't know if it would have grown back or not.

Edited by turbotaina


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Isis has one. Before we knew what it was we had it hulled. It grew back. It is long and actually looks like a toe nail coming out of her pad.

 

I've gotten used to it over the years. It causes her no pain at all. Sometimes it breaks off on it's own.

 

I'll try to post a picture in a bit.

 

Here is a picture of isis's.

 

IMG_9620.jpg

 

IMG_9621.jpg

gallery_12867_3348_20333.jpg
~Beth, with a crazy mixed crew of misfits.
~ Forever and Always missing and loving Steak, Carmen, Ivy, Isis, and Madi.
Don't cry because it's ended, Smile because it happened.
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Guest RNJaney09

Thanks for sharing! I've been having quite a bit of trouble with 2 of Fin's feet... I have dug out the suspected corns several times but there hasn't been much improvement. Grrr! Are greys predisposed to corns for some reason? Some sort of genetic thing? :dunno

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Thanks for sharing! I've been having quite a bit of trouble with 2 of Fin's feet... I have dug out the suspected corns several times but there hasn't been much improvement. Grrr! Are greys predisposed to corns for some reason? Some sort of genetic thing? :dunno

From what I've learned, greyhounds are the ONLY breed of dogs that gets corns. Lucky us, eh?

Our vet says that they 'think' it's caused by not enough fat tissue on the pads. Also that they've ruled out that corns are viral (like a wart). Our vet also suggested removing Jack's worst corn, but admitted that 'about 50%' of them come back. Sorry, not good enough odds for me. Besides, if it's caused by too little fat tissue, how could REMOVING tissue help? :blink:

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Isis has one. Before we knew what it was we had it hulled. It grew back. It is long and actually looks like a toe nail coming out of her pad.

 

I've gotten used to it over the years. It causes her no pain at all. Sometimes it breaks off on it's own.

Wow that's crazy

 

I'll try to post a picture in a bit.

 

Here is a picture of isis's.

 

IMG_9620.jpg

 

IMG_9621.jpg

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Guest RNJaney09

Thanks for sharing! I've been having quite a bit of trouble with 2 of Fin's feet... I have dug out the suspected corns several times but there hasn't been much improvement. Grrr! Are greys predisposed to corns for some reason? Some sort of genetic thing? :dunno

From what I've learned, greyhounds are the ONLY breed of dogs that gets corns. Lucky us, eh?

Our vet says that they 'think' it's caused by not enough fat tissue on the pads. Also that they've ruled out that corns are viral (like a wart). Our vet also suggested removing Jack's worst corn, but admitted that 'about 50%' of them come back. Sorry, not good enough odds for me. Besides, if it's caused by too little fat tissue, how could REMOVING tissue help? :blink:

 

 

Good point! Interesting...

I certainly hope it's not a virus that's transmittable to humans :eek !

Figures I would pick the one breed (or one of the few breeds) that has this issue ;)

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Guest greytexplorer

To the OP and Beth:

This is fascinating! I went to wikipedia to see what it had to say about horns.

I've copied it here, and note that the italicized phrases are mine:

 

Cutaneous horns, also known by the Latin name cornu cutaneum, are unusual keratinous skin tumors with the appearance of horns, or sometimes of wood or coral. Formally, this is a clinical diagnosis for a "conical projection above the surface of the skin."[1] They are usually small and localized, but can in very rare cases be much larger. Although often benign, they can also be malignant or premalignant.[2]

Etiology

 

The cause of cutaneous horns is still unknown, but it is believed that exposure to radiation can trigger the condition. This is evidenced by a higher rate of cases occurring on the face and hands, areas that are often exposed to sunlight. Other cases have reported cutaneous horns arising from burn scars.[3] As with many other wart-like skin conditions, a link to the HPV virus family, especially the HPV-2 subtype has been suggested.[4]

[edit] Prominent cases

 

Zhang Ruifang, aged 101 (living in Linlou Village, Henan province, China), has grown a cutaneous horn on her forehead, resembling what those who have examined her and her family call "Devil's Horns." Notably, this growth has expanded to reach a total of 6 centimeters in length. Another is forming on the opposite side of her forehead.[5]

Madame Dimanche, called Widow Sunday, a French woman living in Paris in the early 19th century, grew, in six years from the age of 76, a 24.9 cm (9.8") horn from her forehead before it was successfully removed by French surgeon Br. Joseph Souberbeille (1754–1846). A wax model of her head is on display at the Mütter Museum, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, US.[6]

 

[edit] Mortality/Morbidity

 

The lesion at the base of the keratin mound is benign in the majority of cases. Malignancy is present in up to 20% of cases, with squamous cell carcinoma being the most common type. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma increases to 37% when the cutaneous horn is present on the penis.[7] Tenderness at the base of the lesion is often a clue to the presence of a possible underlying squamous cell carcinoma.

[edit] Treatments

 

As the horn is composed of keratin, the same material found in fingernails, the horn can usually be removed with a sterile razor.

 

However, the underlying condition will still need to be treated. Treatments vary, but they can include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

 

Isis's horn indeed looks woody, as was described in the first sentence of the article.

What I don't understand is how radiation or chemo would work if they suspect HPV to be the culprit.

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Guest verthib

One of the dogs we placed had a similar issue. She had what looked to be a corn, but was much bigger (longer). My vet (who is a very savvy greyhound vet and knows corns) had tried to hull it and found it was very deep. They did x-rays and it turned out to be an aberrant nail growth through the pad, growing down from the P3. Unfortunately, the adopter had the pup off-leash and the dog was hit by a car and broke her leg. During surgery to repair the leg fracture, the horny growth was also removed. Immediately after the surgery, the dog threw a clot and died, so I don't know if it would have grown back or not.

 

OMG this is awful !!! Why do people have their hounds off leash??? Poor dog! UGH!

 

Isis has one. Before we knew what it was we had it hulled. It grew back. It is long and actually looks like a toe nail coming out of her pad.

 

I've gotten used to it over the years. It causes her no pain at all. Sometimes it breaks off on it's own.

Wow that's crazy

 

I'll try to post a picture in a bit.

 

Here is a picture of isis's.

 

IMG_9620.jpg

 

IMG_9621.jpg

 

That looks uncomfortable! Can you clip it off with dog nail clippers instead of letting it grow that long? When it falls off does it look like a toe nail? OMG what I have I adopted? lol

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Guest Geostar

The one thing which helped our late Grace's 'corns'..like a raised wart was what we used from a holistic vet:

Homeopathic Causticum 30c. The medication is given by mouth..and, as I stated, after 3 weeks, it disappeared.

I don't know why.. or what caused the corn.

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Isis's horn doesn't hurt her in any way. It is very "woody". It can't just be clipped as it is very thick. I had it hulled one time and it was awful. Right now it is not as long as it was in that photo. Isis even sometimes "chews" on it and takes care of it herself. The one on her foot is the only one she has.

gallery_12867_3348_20333.jpg
~Beth, with a crazy mixed crew of misfits.
~ Forever and Always missing and loving Steak, Carmen, Ivy, Isis, and Madi.
Don't cry because it's ended, Smile because it happened.
Before you judge me, try to keep an open mind, not everyone likes your taste.

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Guest Geostar

Good question..you would have to ask a Holistic vet to learn if that would work on that other material. I don't have an answer for that as I have never seen such a thing. But, I will be seeing our vet again towards the end of this month and then ask her..taking a photo with me for reference.

-star

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Guest eva1634

The vet hulled a "crumbly" corn from Kadi about 3-weeks ago. Now I wonder if it could have been a cutaneous horn. Hmmm

 

One comment mentioned Causticum in a liquid form. I wonder if this was a tincture prepared by her holistic vet.

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