Corns - does anyone have any success stories?

[millieminx]

Has anyone ever gone to vet Daniel Doherty in West London for corn treatment in their dogs? I've heard on the grapevine that he's very good and at least to Autumn 2010 had a very good success rate (which doesn't seem that usual with this condition).

Millie's managed to get a small corn on her right fore. It was hulled yesterday. She'd been lame on it intermittently for weeks. 3 vets didn't spot it, the 4th was suspicious and it was a greyhound osteopath that spotted it straightaway. He dug out some of it and planed the raised bit on the pad.

Initially I was a bit relieved that she didn't have anything more serious like ligament or muscle damage, but in fact once I got home and started to look up corns online, I realise they can actually be very difficult to manage

The osteo said we could just return to normal excercise straight away, but try and avoid hard ground. This is going to be pretty difficult where we live since most of our walks involve country lanes and tracks etc.

If anyone has any help or advice - particularly success stories! - perhaps you could let me know?

I'm interesting in the duct tape and the banana skin treatments too and am seriously looking into getting her a pair of therapaw boots so she can walk on the lanes comfortably

[andywillow]

Joe had a corn removed the other month and I'm going to book another appointment at the vets for him cos he's limping just as bad as he was before he had it removed and I would have thought it would have eased by now, he's still having a boot on when we go out walking but unless its really smooth pavements or grass he still has a limp
They really are bloody nightmares.

[millieminx]

Sorry to hear about Joe has the corn come back, then?

Have you heard of this London vet? Various people seem to rate him really highly. I'm trying to find out more. May ring his clinic tomorrow. Will let you know what I find out.

[ailsa]

I'd be really interested to know how you get on if you ring the clinic. Archie has been suffering with a corn on a front paw for a year or so, and now I'm pretty certain he's got one on a back foot, too.

Our vet is very much in the non-intervention camp. He says they just come and go, and there's very little you can do about it. He also said it's the reason why you see 1001 'remedies' for them on the internet - because none of them work.

I'd love to take Archie to Uxbridge, but my husband is rather suspicious of a vet who won't share his magic formula with anyone else. But if things carry on the way they are I'm going to insist on paying Daniel Doherty a visit!

[samburns]

I know people whose greyhounds have been treated by Daniel Doherty and the corns have not come back

Sam x

[millieminx]

I've just had an email from someone who had posted on (I think it was Greyhound data) website last year.

I made contact with her today to ask if her dog was still corn free after her sessions with DD and she has just replied:

"Hello sarah, yes i had the corns removed from my bitch and i glad to say that it was 100 per cent successful,the treatment consists of three visits there is no pain involved for the dogs in any way the fee is payable as you go mine at the time was £36 per treatment he had a policy if it didn't work money back all i can say is i have recommended quite a few people now and all have been completely a success so i most certainly would say call him have a chat and see what you think i would say it would be well worth any travelling i had a hour and a bit both ways myself do let me know how you get on all the best."

I read somewhere that he was keeping the poultice/paste a secret since he's trying to get pharma companies interested. Obviously if it is a cure all he's going to want some control over how the whole thing develops. I think the money back arrangement is encouraging too - like a guarantee. He must be confident about his treatment.

I'm going to try and speak to him or his practice in the next few days to find out more. Will post my findings here!

I'm going to have to arrange a transport run for me and Millie since I don't drive - aaargh!!! - and it's a 3-4 hour journey from deepest, darkest Shropshire to the big smoke.

[Flaperoo]

Greyhounds and corns can be a complete nightmare - very painful for the dog and very distressing for the owner .

Flash had a corn for months a few years ago. Lots of treatment, hulled, boots, different excercise regimes, homeopathic - then I met a man with a greyhound bitch who said rub vaseline in before and after any walk. I have to admit I was sceptical but gave it a try. It may have been a lucky coincidence, but considering what a nightmare corns are to greyhounds, I was gobsmacked that within weeks he was walking normally. I was supposed to continue the treatment forever because corns even if removed (as in my case) can return at any time, but if I'm honest he is now so good I no longer do it at all.

If that hadn't worrked I was seriously considering amputation of the toe. Sounds drastic but I don't know of a greyhound this treatment hasn't worked for, although I know others on here have not had such positive experiences so may feel differently.

My success story is try vaseline!! ;D ;D

Hope Millie's feeling much better soon however you decide to treat her

Good luck

Maryx

[FeeFee]

I've also heard good things about Daniel Doherty, and if Uxbridge wasn't such a nightmare to get to I'd try his treatment for Jess - so will be really interested to hear how you get on!

Quite a few racing owners use him for treating corns, and they aren't known for spending money on their dogs without a good chance of success

[andywillow]

I'll definitely mention Daniel Doherty to my vet, Joe is only 7 and I really don't want him to lose his toe if we could save it.
The thoughts of me getting to london though is another thing ;D

[bluegreyhound]

Fanta had his corn treated by Daniel last month. Our own vet couldn't diagnose the lameness after a couple of visits, so we tried Daniel, and he spotted the corn straightaway. Not sure if it has worked fully, but that was partly due to my boyfriend getting the first bandage wet and then Fanta's dew claw rubbing and it all getting a bit complicated because it was then hard to keep bandages on without him getting sore, so the magic mixture may not have had enough time to act on third application (our fault, not the vet's). And I can't be sure whether the treatment has worked fully or not as he has just started limping on his other leg, so can't tell if he is still limping on the original corn leg!

I am going to ring up for another appointment tomorrow - it's worth going just to hear the Lamborghini story.

[millieminx]

Bluegreyhound, hope you manage to sort Fanta and that his 'corn foot' is now OK. I will no doubt find out when I ring, but how far apart are the 3 treatments? Did Fanta have to wear his bandage for a few days after each treatment? And were you allowed to still exercise him, etc?

It's a long way to go to hear about Lamborghinis!

Flaperoo - did you apply the vaseline after removal of the corn surgically or just after hulling?

[millieminx]

OK, have found out a bit more.

Daniel Doherty gives 3 treatments a week apart. The dog's foot is bandaged up at each treatment and removed the following week with a new paste applied. On the 3rd visit, the bandage is removed and you get sent home with the paste to apply at home. Treatments are £38.40 each.

I rang my insurerer, More Than, and they seem happy to cover the 3 sessions even without a referral from my current vet. But I'm going to try and get a referral anyway, just to be sure.

I did ask them if they would cover my travel expenses in getting to London, but no luck there - you can but try ;D

Meantime, I've ordered a therapaw boot. Millie's foot dimensions are - of course - a bit peculiar but the supplier was really helpful and said we could send it back if it doesn't fit.

Daniel Doherty's no is 01895 271 444.

I will keep you updated.

[andywillow]

I wonder why he won't let people apply it themselves for the first three treatments but does then send you home with some to apply
Its a long way for us to go up and down the country every week, I think he's selfish not to let other vets use it ;D

[millieminx]

I suppose he wants you to visit 3 times to monitor the situation with the foot?

I thought at first it was a bit mean of him not to share his invention - but then felt that if it's his own invention, he wants to protect it. I had read somewhere he's trying to get the pharma cos. interested. I dunno really, I know it's not ideal - maybe he also wants to monitor its effectiveness over a period of time to check the blighters don't recur?

I just spoke to my (new) vet who was very interested in DD and said he'd be happy to refer me on to him, although he had not heard of him (there aren't many greyhounds around here!).

Decisions, decisions ...

[samburns]

Mar 21, 2011 7:25:55 GMT -5 andywillow said:

I wonder why he won't let people apply it themselves for the first three treatments but does then send you home with some to apply
Its a long way for us to go up and down the country every week, I think he's selfish not to let other vets use it ;D

I *think* during those three treatments its so that the paw can be dressed, the dressing then comes off after the third treatment but ointment still applied.....

I would have thought that where any vet has found a treatment they are under an obligation to share that knowledge, but I would also think that they have a responsibility to properly trial it first and I can understand that having discovered something he has a right, having developed the treatment to patent it. I wonder if some of the delay in progressing this is that firstly corns only affect greys (& possibly some lurchers bred from greys) therefore not a huge test group and secondly, because of that a lack of commercial interest pharmaceutically and thirdly so little is known about the causes of corns that medically, the veterinary world feels it is necessary to work out the causes before even considering a remedy?

I really hope, knowing only too well how crippling corns are that his method will prove to be a true cure, and the treatment will become available to all

Sam x