Sorry Another Question About Corns ! How To Hull

[Guest Amber]

So Fey has one stubborn corn that she's suffered for 2 years. Normally it is not too painful and she can walk on soft surfaces OK, wears a padded boot for walks and copes alright with that.

 

Sometimes though it gets a lot more painful and then I feel I need to do something more. My vet won't hull without sedation and he suggested I try myself at home.

 

So I soften it up first with camrosa ointment, then cut round the margins with a scalpel, then used the root elevator to lift it. the stuff I took out was all like black hard, dried, dead skin matter. This alleviated her pain to the normal level - but she still limps on hard ground.

 

I posted a photo of her 'hulled' corn on the FB group and people said the corn is still there. I don't know how to put pic up here, but there is a round whitish part with a black dot in the middle (this was underneath the matter that I removed). Folk are saying that with home hulling, even this soft whitish matter should come out?

 

I'm really quite afraid of hurting her or going into the pad too deep with a scalpel though? I don't want to do that or cause an infection in her pad. She didn't like the part where I separated the dead skin from the underneath.

 

When you guys hull at home, do you take the whole thing out, including the soft white 'kernel' or whatever it is and doesn't it hurt your grey?

 

Advice gratefully received !

[XTRAWLD]

I've never hulled, but duct tape on the corn itself is what remedied it for me. The whole thing came out on it's own. Corns can be very difficult to cure. In the meantime, you can soak the paw in some epsom salts to try to make her feel a bit better.

[Guest Amber]

Thanks muchly. She had another corn before this one, that I got rid of with duct tape. But I taped the current one for over a year and it didn't work on this one.

 

Not tried soaking but am moisturising it in the hope that more of it will loosen.

[XTRAWLD]

I've tried Murray's Apothecary before. It sort of worked whereas it made him more comfortable to walk on it, but never really removed it.

Edited August 31, 2017 by XTRAWLD

[Scoutsmom]

My Bree recently developed corns on her hind feet. I contacted my adoption group (Greyhound Pet Adoption-NW) and this is what they recommended:

 

"Corns- we (gpa) have had great success with Hot Hoof II (there is a Hot Hoof I so they need to be sure to get the II) in helping loosen and get the corns to come out and then prevents regrowth. It has worked with 4 dogs so far. It is an equine product. They should get her started on it asap. It is an herb so they need a vet that uses Chinese medicine. Because it's an herb it takes a period of time to build up in there system. This is a life long addition to keep the corns from regrowing. To help get them out, they should soak the foot twice a day in Epsom salt, Chlorhex, betadine....they rub either coconut oil or essential oil should into the pad. Some have also used human corn remover on it which has also worked but it does take some time."

 

My vet has ordered Hot Hoof II for me and I have started the soaks (1/2 cup salts/gallon of water + enough Betadine to make it look like weak tea). I soak a piece of an old washcloth in this, wrap it around her foot, put a baggie over it, and use a Velcro strip (from Home Depot)to hold it on for about 15 minutes. I've been doing this once a day for about 4 days and the corns are definitely loosening. I expect that I will soon be able to pry most of the corn out. The problem is that they will come back because you don't get the entire corn with this method. That is where the Hot Hoof II comes in.

[Guest Amber]

Thanks for that. There are so many methods and remedies, it's confusing. I wonder if Hot Hoof II is available in the UK, I'll look into it.

[Neighsayer]

Watch some of the YouTube videos. What you described taking out doesn't sound like a corn. Keep it moist. Soaking does help. I would just keep poking at the edges to make sure that they are free. Just push the sides back like a cuticle. You shouldn't have to cut anything if it's ready to come out. There are plenty of expensive products and treatments out there. Most people find that they don't work, but you will always find a fan for each of them. Good luck!

[greysmom]

I wouldn't use anything like a scalpel at home. The chances of a serious accident are too great. The root elevator should be plenty sharp enough for any hulling needs. But you will likely not ever get the whole corn out with home hulling.

 

If you're on the Facebook page, you know there are three different types of pad lesions we call "corns." One is caused by a mechanical issue in a dog's gait and is basically a giant sort of callous; one is caused by tendon and ligament damage deep inside the foot where the corn is the outgrowth of that injury; the third is caused by a type of virus similar to plantar warts in people.

 

What works for one type of corn will probably not work for another type. Surgical excision can work on the injury type corn, herbal and viral remedies on the plantar wart type, and boots and moisturizing help the callous type be easier to walk on. Moisturizing and soaking can help loosen all three types. Some people have had success packing the hulled corn divot with various human corn remedies.

 

I've never heard of the substance that Ruth (Scoutsmom) quoted above, but you can bet I'll be looking into it!

[cleptogrey]

i hull them with the needle of a syringe. there are quite a few excellent videos on youtube. look them up, sit there patiently and watch. just make sure the corn is raised- then the edges are clearly defined. it may take more than one time to get the entire corn out, be patient and if at all possible have some feed your pup some tasty treats while you do it. they feel no pain. i can verify that since i had horrible callouses on the balls of each foot. from a botched job of planter's warts removal. removing the callous gave me great relief, it's all dead matter and i never felt a thing. if you are following the edge(the videos will show you) the dogs do not flinch. one person does a beautiful job w/ a nail clipper. watch and learn.

 

oh, and work on the corn when it is dry.

Edited September 1, 2017 by cleptogrey

[Guest Amber]

Thanks all. I didn't know there were different types of corns. I don't read the FB page much, as usually we cope OK with just using a boot and I don't do anything else. Fey often gets toe injuries so I wonder if hers is the extension of a soft injury type of corn.

 

The root elevator I have is not sharp at all, so I need to use a scalpel to lift up the edge and then use the elevator.

 

If I thought actual surgery or a professional vet hull would get rid of it for good, I would deffo do that (even with no insurance) but it seems unlikely.

Edited September 1, 2017 by Amber