Right Front Paw Issue

[Guest dolo1967]

I am looking for some advice with my newly acquired GH, Patsy. She came to me with a paw injury on her right front foot. She has been limping for a good deal of time; I am going to say at least 6 months (from her time with her foster family and even the time she spent in the prison training program in MI). I have contacted the foster’s family’s vet and also have seen my vet and two sets of x-rays have been taken. The foster’s family’s vet pushed for a toe joint injury, the info I received from the prison program favored a "corn" issue on one of her pads (which is clearly visible), and my vet said it was a deep bone infection in which we have her on strong antibiotics. We have been on the meds for two weeks and there seems to be a slight improvement??

 

When she walks on any hard surface (hardwood, concrete, etc) she pulls the right paw up and just walks on three. When we are in the grass, or recently the soft snow, she does walk on all 4s but gingerly. When we go to the fenced in grass area she does interact and has no issue running and showing her “stuff” as a track star…lol.

 

Any guidance?

 

Thanks, from Bill (& Patsy)

[Batmom]

Is there a corn on the pad?

[Guest dolo1967]

Yes, there is a corn that can be seen. But my vet really did not see that this was the issue.

[Batmom]

A corn can cause horrible pain and lameness. See here for how to remove: http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corn_hulling.htm

[Guest dolo1967]

Thanks, for the info. I need to schedule another vet appt for Patsy and I will bring this up again.

[GeorgeofNE]

I'm guessing your vet is not familiar with Greyhounds if he's unaware of how painful corns can be.

 

On what did he base his bone infection theory??? I almost lost my last dog to osteomyelitis (sp?) an entire YEAR after he had surgery which involved cutting his tibia. Dogs (or people) don't just catch a bone infection. I believe the bone has to be opened--either broken or surgically.

 

I would suggest making sure an experienced radiologist read the dogs x-rays too. Your vet may not recognize certain conditions common in greyhounds if he's so naïve about corns!

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

There is at dog with horrible recurring corns in the adoption kennel I volunteer for, it really looks he has horrible pain from them (He was just returned for the 4th time, so he's going to the vet to double check that it's nothing else and remove the corns that came back in the last home)

[Guest BlueCrab]

Unfortunately, my vets didn't know how to recognize when Trixie formed a corn, and they wanted to operate on the pad, thinking there MUST be a foreign body in there someplace after we did xrays and found nothing. I mean, I like my vets and they claim to have a number of greyhound patients, and they're 5 minutes from my house, but this made it clear to me they didn't really have a full grasp of greyhound issues. So I'd vote that "yes", it's quite probably JUST the corn that's causing all the trouble and your vet may not have even known to recognize it. I'd pursue the other things just to be sure, but I'd also work on that corn, particularly if you can see it, and keep after that.

 

Trixie's corn seems to be permenant now. We use tape on it to draw it out, but it does come back pretty quickly. We have boots we use when we are going to do a long walk on hard surfaces, as she just shows such pain on hard or rough surfaces. Not a hint of pain on grass.

[forevergrey]

I had allot of issues with corns on my dear Henry, he struggled with them for years. My regular vet thought Henry had a foreign body or some kind growths in his foot pads. I took him to an orthopedic vet and she diagnosed him with hip-dysplasia, without doing ANY testing. My guess is she was so used to seeing hip dysplasia on so many dogs, that she assumed that is what must be wrong my greyhound. I refused to pay that vet bill. Another vet thought Henry had an infection and so on.. It was ridiculous.

 

I finally took him to a really greyhound savvy vet who was not only familiar with corns, but his own greyhound suffered from them. Henry's corns was terribly painful and yes he was better walking on grass, dirt or sand then on any type of hard surface. There is a good group on Facebook: Greyhounds with Corns. The group has lots of information and people sharing their experiences with this affliction. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Greyhoundswithcorns/?ref=ts&fref=ts

[Guest dolo1967]

Thanks for the Jack's Gel info. I have a vet appt this Monday and I am going to make sure we really look at this paw and the corn that is there. I have been going to my vet for over 10 years and I do trust her, but I really do not think she has a lot of GHs.