Corinna's Limping Badly.

[greytluck]

Sorry this is part rant part question so please bear with me.

 

Corinna has had corns on 3 of her feet for a couple years now. I've managed them fairly well with hulling and duct tape.

 

Recently she's been limping more and more on her right front foot. I became quite concerned something more was going on as the usual hulling hasn't helped. I brought her to our vet clinic over a month ago and the vet then said it may have been an injury and prescribed tramadol for her. She took it for about a week and the limp although still present wasn't nearly as bad.

 

So last week I noticed the limp getting a lot worse again.I was able to hull the corn on the foot but even after that there was no real improvement. I went away this last weekend and came home Sunday night to Corinna not even being able to put her foot down. She is now just holding up the paw and hopping on three legs.

 

So the earliest appointment I could get for her was today. I had never dealt with this vet before but I believe he owns the clinic.

 

The first thing he told me was that corns in dogs don't exist. I do understand that greyhounds are a unique breed so I was just trying to kindly say that they are quite common in the breed when declared" I've been a vet for 35 years and never seen a greyhound with a corn" I then informed him Ive only owned greyhounds for 7 years but I can name at least 10 I know personally with them.

 

He then proceeded to tell me that I hulled the corn ( which I guess now just magically do exist) too deep which I know I didn't as it's just flush with her pad and I never dig down.

I explained I didn't in which he told me because her teeth are bad ( and I do realize she needs a dental) that it's worsening her limp so if I did a dental she might get better. Now I do understand bad teeth can cause poor health but I hardly think it's the cause of this particular issue.

 

When I told him I was worried that it's something more then the corn bothering her he suggested I xray the leg when we did the dental. I'm sorry but I don't have the $1000 quoted for a dental right now and I really would just like to focus on the immediate issue. So I asked if they could just xray her leg he told me he wouldn't do it with out sedating her even though she's had xrays at that clinic without sedation. I would have been willing to pay for the sedation up until he said I should wait anyways because if it is cancer it would still be there once I could afford the dental. I was livid by this point and basically told him I'd be seeing another vet either at this clinic or another one. I was charged $90 for the examination fee which I'm also annoyed at because he did nothing at all for her. He did come out while I was paying and said he didn't feel we were on the same page and he would do research on corns and get back to me. Not that I want his advice anymore.

 

So during the exam he told me to put hydrocortisone on her pad. Would this help and if so how long would it take? Also should I give her the tramadol I still have left for her? I'm still debating if I should see another vet clinic or just as a different vet in the clinic as the other two I've seen I've liked.

 

I guess lastly could you spare some good thoughts for her. At only 7 I hate to see her in this much discomfort.

[greytpups]

that it is something very simple that can heal quickly.

[Houndtime]

I hope it something minor and she will be fine before you know.

[Guest Amy_Bee]

I'm sorry to read all this and hope it turns out to be minor. Assuming it's corns, have you tried Thera-Paw booties? They've helped Gretchen a lot, and the company is so great to work with and make sure you get the right size.

[Potomacpupsmom]

I would definitely go to a different vet right away. I can't believe he treated you and Corinna that way. If you are comfortable at that clinic and have confidence in one of the other vets there, then by all means make an appointment with one of them. Otherwise, try another clinic. But you need to get help for her soon.

[greytluck]

I'm sorry to read all this and hope it turns out to be minor. Assuming it's corns, have you tried Thera-Paw booties? They've helped Gretchen a lot, and the company is so great to work with and make sure you get the right size.

I have a therapaw for her. It's not making much of a difference with the limp though. Nor is walking on carpet or soft grass which is unusual for a her normal corn pain.

[Guest june]

What a jerk! Get another vet. Either at that clinic or somewhere else. Then if you feel the limp is not from the corns get an x-ray. Praying that it is nothing serious.

Edited October 8, 2014 by june

[greytluck]

I would definitely go to a different vet right away. I can't believe he treated you and Corinna that way. If you are comfortable at that clinic and have confidence in one of the other vets there, then by all means make an appointment with one of them. Otherwise, try another clinic. But you need to get help for her soon.

I'm going to make an appointment tomorrow after I get a chance to discuss with my DH if he thinks we should switch clinics or not. I'm leaning towards just asking for a different vet there because they have her history. I definitely don't want to wait on it.

 

If it does turn out to be just a corn though what can I do to alleviate the pain?

[dmdsmoxie]

If he owns the clinic I would find another place to spend your money. I wouldn't give him or his clinic another dime.

[Bogangles]

What a jerk! Get another vet. Either at that clinic or somewhere else. Then if you feel the limp is not from the corns get an x-ray. Praying that it is nothing serious.

I agree "what a jerk". Don't they understand they are there to help our guys. We are in the Toronto area also and $90 is at the high end in my experience especially when they don't know what they are talking about. We have definitely heard of many greyhounds with corns but fortunately not ours. Can any of the other greyhound owners you know recommend a better clinic/vet. I have been to many and will never go back (I'm setting myself up here!). It seems that you need someone who is truly greyhound savvy and sincerely understands your concerns.

 

Quite honestly, I have received much better direction from this forum in many cases, for which I am grateful.

[Charlies_Dad]

I am sorry you experienced this. Bottom line is you know your pup and I would not go back to this vet nor likely the clinic but if you can find another at the place that will listen to you and work with you, that is ok. Hope it's nothing serious and believe you are doing right by Corrina.

[BatterseaBrindl]

How rude.....I would have told him off.

If he is the owner, I'd switch clinics.

I have never had a corn dog, so no advice there, but I would not hold off on getting some Xrays of the leg.

[Guest MnMDogs]

He sounds awful and I'm so so sorry you had to go through this. I do hope it's only a corn, but if you can, please get her in as soon as possible for an X-ray. If it is cancer, she needs pain meds much stronger than tramadol if it's causing her to limp that badly, I really hope it's nothing more serious than a corn though.

[galgrey]

I'm so sorry you were so poorly treated. I would not be going back there. Sending good thoughts that the cause of her discomfort is something minor and that she recovers quickly and completely.

[greysmom]

I'm sorry you had to deal with a jerky vet - nothing worse. You're already worried, and scared, and he was not only a jerk, but an officious know-it-all jerk with absolutely no compassion.

 

Get her to a vet you know and trust asap. You need to know what you're dealing with, one way or another. You can't make an informed decision about treatment until you know. If you're on Facebook, there's a good group called "Greyhounds With Corns" and there's lots of good advice there.

 

Good luck. Please let us know how she is.

[IansMom]

What a jerk! You kind of expect people's doctors to be jerks (not all are of course, but some are), but not vets! And $1,000 for a dental? What the heck? Is she getting gold caps on her teeth or something? Good grief!! I hope you are able to find another that treats you and Corinna with respect and concern and that is more competent than this vet seemed to be.

[greytluck]

I found out the vet I saw is not the owner of the clinic. I also got the owners email address and I'm considering writing an email listing my concerns regarding the appointment.

 

I think I will try a different clinic though. I'm just very angry about the whole situation.

[Rickiesmom]

I'd change clinics. In a pinch you have to see who is available, and that could mean seeing this vet again. And I agree with others, have xrays done as soon as possible. Hopefully it's something easily addressed once identified.

[MP_the4pack]

 

I hope it's nothing serious.

[Bogangles]

I'm glad you are changing clinics. Wish I could recommend someone as I know they are here. My boy was misdiagnosed this year and they went off in the wrong direction doing multiple tests. Quite simply, they were not paying attention to the real problem.

 

Best wishes to you and Corinna.

[cometdust1]

If he owns the clinic I would find another place to spend your money. I wouldn't give him or his clinic another dime.

I was in a similar situation in that I had no respect or confidence in the owner of the clinic I was going to but trusted the other vets there. My dog became seriously ill and was hospitalized there. Being the owner, she took over his difficult case and because of that I feel at the very least caused my dog uneeded suffering and at most killed him. I would choose another clinic.

[macoduck]

When you email the clinic owner, include these links so that jerk of a vet can learn about corns.

http://www.ngap.org/greyhound-health-corn-y301.html

http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corns.htm

[mom2four]

I'm sorry the vet was such a jerk. I would definitely email the owner and go to a different clinic.

 

that Corinna's limp is nothing serious.

[Bogangles]

I found out the vet I saw is not the owner of the clinic. I also got the owners email address and I'm considering writing an email listing my concerns regarding the appointment.

 

I think I will try a different clinic though. I'm just very angry about the whole situation.

Just checking into see how Corinna is doing and if you found a clinic/vet to help her.

[Guest normaandburrell]

My first grey had corns. Hulling and a therapaw helped. I agree that you need to look at something else. I am sorry you have to go through this without a vet that you feel confident in.