Corn Toe Is Swollen And Inflamed

[Guest Katwoman]

Baron is our corn dog. We have been battling corns for a long time. We have tried hulling, Lori Rose, Jack's Gel, different essential oils, etc. NOTHING has worked. Not to say these methods don't work for some, but not for Baron. I am needing some input on a new development with one of Baron's corns. Baron has a corn on his front right paw and a newly developed corn on his back left paw. This newer corn has been different from his original corn in its development. It has been very slow to emerge or break through the pad. It stayed a black dot for months, but created an enormous amount of pain for the boy. It has finally begun to surface. About a month ago, my husband and I noticed that his rear corn pad was HUGE! Way bigger than any of his other pads. We watched it for a couple of weeks, and it did not get any better - looked inflamed. We took him to the vet two weeks ago. The dr thought it was an infection of some sort, but took x-rays anyway. Radiologist and dr both agree no bone cancer, but a very small chance it could be "soft tissue neoplasia" -- soft tissue cancer. We were sent home with NSAIDS for inflammation and an antibiotic for infection. After two weeks, the pad looks no different. The dr wants to do a biopsy on the pad to see if it is indeed cancer. We are hesitant to go ahead with the biopsy for many reasons, but we will if necessary. We are considering a second opinion.

 

 

Anyone out there have a corn dog whose toe is HUGE and inflamed? Anyone who doesn't have a corn dog but has had a toe look like this? Anyone have a toe biopsy and can tell us what we are in for?

 

Thanks so much for your input.

 

[ZoomDoggy]

My vet just recently mentioned to me that he's seen corns which have developed an infection inside the toe much like this. If there is an encapsulated abscess, the antibiotics may not be reaching it very well. Or perhaps a different antibiotic is needed (which you'd need a culture to determine accurately).

[tbhounds]

I would surgically cut that sucker out and send the tissue to pathology.

[cleptogrey]

I would surgically cut that sucker out and send the tissue to pathology.

agreed

[Guest FawnFan]

I had this happen with Dawson. He has SLO too (the autoimmune disease with the toe nails) and I think it had something to do with that flaring up and the toe being infected. He did have MRSA in 2010 in his corn toe at one point and that was a bear to treat. The first Vet didn't think to culture the pus. The second Vet, different practice, happen to squeeze the toe some and white pus came out. She decided on a whim to culture it. Then she called to tell me he had 3 different infections going on in that toe and the most series was the MRSA. The antibiotic had to be handled with plastic gloves and came with a "could be fatal to humans if you are allergic to this medicine...won't know until you touch it" warning.

 

If you remove that corn - and it may be easier to remove yet need to be cut away at the end because there's mucus underneath - have the Vet test/culture the mucus/pus. He went on antibiotics and after two doses (I don't remember what ones), the toe started to heal and go back to "normal" size. This was last year. Also it looks like there is dried blood under the toe nail and right at the base of the toe in that last picture. Has he been diagnosed with SLO?

 

This is just my personal opinion. I'm hesitant to do toe surgery of any sort because toes are so slooooow to heal. That's just my opinion given my experience with Dawson and having a corn on each foot, plus the SLO, plus a toe amputated because it had a chronic infection that would never heal.

 

Good luck and I hope you find a solution that works soon!

Jean

[claudiav]

oh dear.... that dos look infected, or something else more serious than just a corn... I would hull and see if there is something under the corn, or squeeze and see if something comes out.... or of nothing else works, biopsy...

[Guest Katwoman]

My vet just recently mentioned to me that he's seen corns which have developed an infection inside the toe much like this. If there is an encapsulated abscess, the antibiotics may not be reaching it very well. Or perhaps a different antibiotic is needed (which you'd need a culture to determine accurately).

I spoke with the dr last night and mentioned this. She agreed it was something to consider. Question - how do you get a culture? Is that done with the biopsy? I can ask the vet, just thought I would ask while I'm here.

 

We are hesitant to have the toe biopsied, only because of the ramifications of opening up that toe pad............risk of infection, healing time, and Baron is already so crippled by his other corn on his front right paw. The dr spoke of using a needle and aspirating?(not sure if that was the term she used) rather than cutting. Although she admitted cutting would give a better sample for pathology.

 

The corn is not ready for hulling. It has barely surfaced. I suppose the dr could 'work' on it. Baron is a BIG baby. We love him dearly, but he is our 'delicate flower'. Unlike our Amber who will let you do anything to her - she loves the attention- Baron does not tolerate our attempts at doctoring his corn toes. Consequently, we have to take him to the vet for hulling. Those vet visits are excruciating for all involved. Just to look at his toe and x-ray, Baron had to be slightly sedated (twilight). Even then he let the dr know he did not like her touching his swollen toe. It hurts! She checked all toes, nails, etc for anything and everything. They cut and dremeled the nails and she dremeled his other corn.

 

FawnFan - you went through quite an ordeal with Dawson. So glad you had a happy ending to what sounds like a nightmare! I will pass this information along to the dr as well - see what comes of it. Re the photo - I think that might be mud/dirt under his toenail because I don't see it when I look at his toenails now. He has not been diagnosed with SLO - we've not had any claw problems.

 

So my question becomes this: For those who had toe biopsies, what can we expect? Recovery, healing, pitfalls......... I realize the dr can tell me, but I want to hear from those who KNOW. We are scheduled for a biopsy on Tuesday, but are thinking of postponing---looking at getting a second opinion before we do anything else.

 

Thanks to all who responded! We appreciate the input.

[ZoomDoggy]

To culture the material inside the toe, it'd need to either be cut open surgically, or a needle biopsy taken. The needle biopsy would be less invasive and fast healing, but it's also less accurate a test. They could miss where all the "stuff" is really growing. And yes, toe pad incisions do take a long time to heal. But it's starting to look like this painful toe will take even longer to resolve on its own. If it ever even can. Even if it's just a particularly nasty corn, surgically excising it is no guarantee it won't simply grow right back as the toe heals. That happened to my first "corn-dog" and I would never try it again just to get rid of a corn. But what you have going on here is more than "just" a corn, by the look of it. Probably time to consider the biopsy or a minor surgery.

Edited September 23, 2013 by ZoomDoggy

[Guest Katwoman]

To culture the material inside the toe, it'd need to either be cut open surgically, or a needle biopsy taken. The needle biopsy would be less invasive and fast healing, but it's also less accurate a test. They could miss where all the "stuff" is really growing. And yes, toe pad incisions do take a long time to heal. But it's starting to look like this painful toe will take even longer to resolve on its own. If it ever even can. Even if it's just a particularly nasty corn, surgically excising it is no guarantee it won't simply grow right back as the toe heals. That happened to my first "corn-dog" and I would never try it again just to get rid of a corn. But what you have going on here is more than "just" a corn, by the look of it. Probably time to consider the biopsy or a minor surgery.

Needle biopsy - that is exactly what our dr told us ZoomDoggy! Very frustrating that the test can't be more accurate. We really don't want to cut out the corn either....we've heard too many stories of them growing right back. I talked with our local GPA and was given the name of a very experienced greyhound vet. Unfortunately, we couldn't get in to see him until next Monday. Baron doesn't seem to be any worse. The toe looks the same and as long as he wears his boots, loves his walks. Not sure what the second opinion will do for us except confirm we should do a needle biopsy...........I suppose there is an outside chance the dr will have seen this before and know exactly what to do.........hmmmmm.

[Guest nix]

I just came across this old post while looking for something our guy Andy is going through. His corn sounds very similar to Baron's, and now his toe just keeps swelling too. Our vet aspirated the toe from a couple spots but didn't find anything revealing. Has anyone had any luck with this sort of issue?