Feet Again

[cycas]

Today, I fell to worrying about Mollydog's paw again (as you do).

 

She has her dodgy wrist, which we know is arthritic, and for that she has Synflex and sometimes Metacam if it's particularly bad.

 

I have thought for a while there was something odd about one of her toes on the same foot, and have been to the vet about it. I've seen 2 vets. One of them suggested a range of things that seemed to have no effect at all (bathing in malaseb, boots, antibiotics, wormers) she really hates the boots. Then I tried thuja pills and that did seem to make the paw better for a while.

 

However, when I took her back to the vet, the other vet (more greyhound experienced) thought she was in no discomfort from the toe, and that her limp is down to the arthritic wrist only.

 

Problem is that Mollydog is not a vet fan, so she scrunches herself up into the corner of the room by the door, where the lighting is quite poor. As she has usually walked through the mud to get there, this means that the view of the toe that the greyhound-experienced vet got can 't have been that great.

 

Today I took some photos of the toe. Anyone who has experience with corns: do you think this looks painful? Should I persist in making her wear the boot (the wrist is knackered as well, so possibly having a boot on the foot making it heavier might make that worse, as it would be heavier?) Or would you just stick to the thuja? Should I try a third vet?

 

(Or, should I get a life and stop staring at paws? )

 

 

 

 

[ClazUK]

Yes, I'd say that's a corn and it is almost definately affecting her walking. We've had a few with corns and generally resort to having them cut out and stitched if stuff like thuja doesn't work.

 

I can put you in touch with someone who has had 2 corny greys if it helps.

 

What boots are you using, BTW? The only ones we've had good results with are the neoprene Walkers ones.

 

Claire

[cycas]

Thanks Claz, it is comforting to know that I am not fussing over nothing.

 

I mentioned the surgery thing to the vet, as someone on SWT had mentioned it to me, but she said that was unnecessary, so I'm not sure I'd be happy going back there and insisting they do it.

 

I will put her back on the thuja pills and get some ointment as well. I might try the other vet practice round here if it doesn't clear in a couple of weeks: does that sound like a reasonable timescale for thuja treatment?

 

Or maybe I should try the greyhound experienced vet again, but take printouts so he can see the toe in good light... I'm just a bit unhappy that I asked him and he didn't see it.

 

I can't remember the name of the boots now but they were rather chunky things. They had neoprene legs, but I think they were a bit squarer than the Walkers ones.

[ClazUK]

Mikki dog boots = baaaaaad

 

Walker dog boots = gooood

 

I think this might be a sighthound thing, to be honest. There is no real difference, widthwise, between the foot and ankle like there is on breeds like, say, a boxer.

 

I'd take your fab photo to the vet and get another opinion. If they still think shes okay, seek a different vet.

[cycas]

The ones I have are these:

 

 

but I think they may not fit tightly enough round the foot, as you say.

 

I think I shall try one of them on her again before I order a set of Walkers ones, because I'm still not sure whether part of the problem is that having anything on that foot makes the bad wrist joint worse. I'll give it a go and see what she does.

 

Why does everything have to happen to that leg Though thinking on, at least as both problems are on one leg, she can still walk OK.