Can Corns Get Infected?

[Guest Amber]

My senior Petra (who is 13) went lame on one paw the 2nd week of December - I was away on holiday and my parents were looking after her, so she went to their local vet (they're in a different city), they x-rayed and made an incision in her pad, as they saw an abnormality in the pad and thought there may be a foreign body, but found nothing except a lot of pus, which they drained, then gave her antibiotics.

 

Well she was on the a-bs for 3 weeks without much improvement, a little, but her toe still hot and swollen, so when I got her back home, we went to my regular vet, who gave her one week's supply of very strong antibiotics (from 4 Jan). She seemed to get better and was walking better, the toe was still swollen. My vet thought it was septic arthritis. The x-ray showed bone abnormalities in the affected toe: he didn't think it was a tumour, more likely arthritis.

 

After the a-bs finished, this weekend, she got really lame again and then I noticed that the incision (a small round incision) made by the first vet had broken down and was weeping pus.

 

So back we went to vet today, more a-bs, but now he thinks maybe this abnormality that the first vet saw in the pad and cut into, was a corn and that the corn was causing the lameness all along.

 

But can a corn cause infection and pus like this? And the toe was hot and swollen?

 

I am hoping it is not a corn, as if so, he recommends putting her under again and hulling it, but she does badly after anaesthetics these days given her age, and will not eat for over a week afterwards (she is already down to a tiny 24 kilos and is not a small dog).

 

She has already lost a toe on the paw to cancer several years ago, so removing the affected toe is not an option.

 

I am loathe to put her through another anaesthetic and surgery...it would seem odd that a corn could cause infection - has anyone any experience of this please?

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited January 23, 2012 by Amber

[MaryJane]

She doesn't have to be put under to hull the corn - they can do it while they are standing up. I usually put a muzzle on them but. if done right -- the dogs don't usually make any fuss.

 

There is a video online somewhere that a vet put together that shows how to hull it while they are awake.

[rschultz]

Lexie just had a corn hulled and it didn't hurt her at all. If that is what yours has..((hugs))

[tbhounds]

Sounds to me that she may have a foreign body like a sliver of glass-- glass will not be picked up on an x-ray. Never saw a corn become infected. I would do multiple warm water soaks daily. She may need an explore.

[Guest Amber]

Sounds to me that she may have a foreign body like a sliver of glass-- glass will not be picked up on an x-ray. Never saw a corn become infected. I would do multiple warm water soaks daily. She may need an explore.

 

Thanks - as I understand it, the first vets did explore the pad and couldn't find any foreign matter. If there is pus, heat and swelling then surely there is an infection of some sort present, wouldn't you say?

 

Yes, I read on here years ago about corn hulling (for a friend who has a corny greyhound) and how it can be done without anaesthetic, but at the present time, with her toe being so sore with the infection (if that's what it is) I can't imagine it could be done with no anaesthetic.

 

I suspect it is septic arthritis, which is very difficult to get rid of, even with multiple courses of antibiotics, but for some reason my vet seems to think a corn may be the culprit.

 

Well, if she improves on the antibiotics, I think that rules out a corn as causing the pain, so we will see.

 

 

I just SO don't want her to have an operation, I feel it is unfair at her age and the way it affects her afterwards.

 

Thanks for your replies.

[Guest FawnFan]

Did either vet do a culture with the pus from the infection? This would help in determining what is going on there.

 

Here's why - two summers ago, my corn dog had a never ending infection in the area where one of his corns were located. Finally during one of the 4 or 5 vet visits and after at least 3 doses of different antibiotics, the vet took a sample of the liquid/pus coming out of his foot and sent it in for a culture. The results came back with 3 different bacterial infections. One was e-coli, another was MRSA (the most alarming/difficult to treat) and the third one I don't remember what it was. The lab made recommendations for the antibiotics which would kill all 3 bacteria. This antibiotic required us to be extra careful when handling it in the rare chance we might be allergic to it. If we were allergic, one of the consequences for us humans was death. Thankfully neither my husband nor I had any reactions to the drug and we followed orders as to how to handle it.

 

The meds worked as the infection went away and he was back to normal after about 5 weeks.

 

This might help in your quest to avoid surgery.

 

Good luck!

- Jean

[Guest Amber]

Did either vet do a culture with the pus from the infection? This would help in determining what is going on there.

 

Here's why - two summers ago, my corn dog had a never ending infection in the area where one of his corns were located. Finally during one of the 4 or 5 vet visits and after at least 3 doses of different antibiotics, the vet took a sample of the liquid/pus coming out of his foot and sent it in for a culture. The results came back with 3 different bacterial infections. One was e-coli, another was MRSA (the most alarming/difficult to treat) and the third one I don't remember what it was. The lab made recommendations for the antibiotics which would kill all 3 bacteria. This antibiotic required us to be extra careful when handling it in the rare chance we might be allergic to it. If we were allergic, one of the consequences for us humans was death. Thankfully neither my husband nor I had any reactions to the drug and we followed orders as to how to handle it.

 

The meds worked as the infection went away and he was back to normal after about 5 weeks.

 

This might help in your quest to avoid surgery.

 

Good luck!

- Jean

 

Thanks, that's a good idea. I thought cultures don't generally work if the dog is already on antibiotics though?

 

Neither of them took a culture...there is no shortage of weepy pus coming out as we speak!

 

when she did have the super-strong antibiotics for a week, that was when I saw the most improvement, which makes me think it is some nasty infection, rather than corny-related (though could still turn into a corn of course!)

Edited January 23, 2012 by Amber

[Guest Geostar]

Hmmm..loved those replies to that question about the swollen toe. Our late Gracie had an enlarged toe which formed a boil like 'pimple', broke open and bled red blood. I never thought to have the pus examined, but, after further problems, that toe was taken off. It was said that something had irritated the protective shealth about the toe bone. That was on her left hind foot. Yeah, here's hoping you don't have it removed..

 

Good luck..

-star

[silverfish]

I've never seen an infected corn, either - in dogs OR humans. I suppose it could theoretically happen, if there was a wound or a crack for bacteria to enter, but I have never seen it or heard of it.

 

I'd suspect a foreign body, too. Just because the first vet didn't find one, doesn't mean it's not there. I'd do the epsom salts soak and see. It can't hurt, and may actually solve the problem, alongside the antibiotics.

 

Much better to find a non-invasive, non-surgical option if you can. However, yes, it still could be septic arthritis, poor soul. Good luck with her!

[Batmom]

I thought cultures don't generally work if the dog is already on antibiotics though?

 

If you're still seeing lots of gooky pus, the culture would stand a chance of showing you something useful.

 

Antibiotics can be an issue, but we do cultures on people on antibiotics all the time.

[Guest Amber]

Bad news, when I got home at lunchtime today, Petra's whole paw and her leg up to the hock has swollen up! It's blown up really quickly - before it was just her middle toe.

 

So we went back to the vet straightaway, she had only had 3 doses of the new a-b, but he's changed her back onto the strong ones that she seemed to respond to before (Veraflox). He was going to take a swab but the hole has dried up too much for that, he said.

 

We have to go back on Friday and if the a-bs haven't taken the swelling down by then, then he says exploratory surgery & taking fluid for culture is the only option. This wasn't my usual vet, as he was off today...this one didn't have anything to say about corns, well obv. it is an acute infection, whatever else may be there corn-wise.

 

I really don't know...just really hope the a-bs start to work. Should I poultice/epsom soak it as well?

 

Strangely, it doesn't seem to hurt any more than it did yesterday (in fact she is less limping) and in herself is OK, no temperature.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Amber

[silverfish]

I would check with the vet, but personally, I can't see any harm in using Epsom salts, unless the skin breaks down as sometimes happens with really bad septic arthritis. In that case you'd need to be very careful what you used because the skin can get extremely fragile and I can't advise you if Epsom salts would be safe. Probably ... but I'd check.

[Guest Amber]

Thanks for your reply.

 

Well, good news! Just a few hours after her first dose of Veraflox, the swelling went right down again and she also seems to be walking better and less pain.

 

So at least the a-bs are working, so glad.

[Guest FawnFan]

Glad to hear she's doing better. Hopefully the Vets will be able to get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later.

 

In response to your response, we had already been through 2 or 3 antibiotics when they took the sample of Dawson's foot. There was oozing pus and the whole area where the corn was happened to have this whitish film on it, like it was new skin trying to take. It was weird. And thankfully the Vet got the brainy idea to take the culture once she saw more liquid/pus/discharge had oozed out during her manipulations of his toe. This was the only way we found out he had a serious 'resistant-to-almost-all-meds' type of infection. His infection didn't go up his leg though.

 

Will keep you both in my thoughts. Hoping she's on the road to recovery soon!

- Jean

[Guest Amber]

Thanks

 

Well her leg is normal size, so that's good but the paw seems to be still very painful, she's not walking on it at all well . Maybe it is some sort of corn, I don't know.

 

The small round incision is still weeping slightly (she is licking it a lot though), she doesn't seem too happy with it today, lifting her paw up a lot (is is hind leg, so she really hobbles).

 

I'm going to keep on with the antibiotics and then take her back in to the vet one week from today (providing she doesn't get drastically worse of course and I have to rush her back before then). Then we'll review the situation. I just really hope it's cleared up and that she is no longer so lame by then, and we can avoid any operation.

[tbhounds]

Still think its a possible foreign body- I would do aggressive soaking.