Mystery Paw Problem

[jerm]

Hi All, 

I'm looking for some thoughts or advice. My retired racing greyhound max (7) has developed a severe limp but only under specific circumstances.

He walks perfectly normally on grass, mud, carpet and very smooth concrete or Tarmac, but on pavements or gravel he limps. The problem is noticeably worse if is walked twice in the same few hours.

Vet investigations started with antinflammatories which made no difference. We then had X-rays of hips and feet which found some arthritis but nothing serious. The vet looked for corns twice but couldn't find any. The X-rays revealed no cancers or anything else nasty.

Squeezing his toes only generates a reaction in the rear left foot which was apparently slightly swollen. This was treated with antibiotics after the last vet visit and has gone down but he reacts the same way when it is squeezed now. 

My my gut feeling is that if the problem were in his hips, then he would not change so dramatically when we reach grass on a walk. It's like we have two different dogs! 

Any help or experience would be appreciated.

[kamkay]

Welcome to Gap and the wonderful world of greyhounds. I was going to suggest corns, but you've already looked for them so sorry no advice, but I'm sure someone will be along soon with some ideas.

[gazer]

Sounds like it could be a foot problem, that is the pad, no experience of corns, but several people on here have.  Could it be something very small embedded in a pad, if it's very tiny, where it went it will not be visible but can be enough for him to limp only on certain surfaces.
My greyhound hates walking on gravel, he almost hobbles but is fine once off it, his pads just don't seem as tough as my lurchers'.

If your lad reacts when an individual pad is squeezed then I would think that's an indication something is in there, be it a foreign body or a corn, or other ?

Hope you can soon find the cause of the problem.

[Vanessa]

Our hound Ed was very much the same as your dog we couldn't see the corns and put it down to the fact that he'd spent 2or 3 years in rescue with walks on soft ground/ in their paddock area. Inthe end it got so bad that he couldn't go anywhere so we got him Some boots for his front paws. Needless to say they helped enormously but it was then we saw the corns even the vet hadn't spotted them.

Hope you get something sorted for him

[ragsysmum]

I would still bet on corns. Often not easy to spot especially if your vet is not used to these.

[jerm]

Thanks everyone, that was quick! 

I will try some boots, any recommendations? Therapaw is the only brand that has been mentioned to me but I want to get the fit right.

if I can't see corns is there any other way to locate them? Can anyone recommend a greyhound specialist in the Nottingham area - I tried the local RGT but they aren't replying to my emails or calls.

jerm

[andywillow]

Sounds like a corn to me too, several of my dogs have had them, they are a bloody nuisance! My big lad Joe had a corn removed, it grew straight back and he was so lame we opted for toe amputation but he then got one on the next toe on! We had that removed and it came back, I then heard about therapaw boots and have never looked back, he is fine on smooth floors and grass like you say your dog is but on gritty surfaces he is crippled.
He is on his second pair of therapaw boots and I cant recommend them enough.

If you do go down that route, he is a big lad around 34kgs and has the T/F size.

Our dog Jake (sadly no longer with us) had a corn and we tried Lori Rose homeopathic treatment which worked for him but Joe doesn't like his feet been touched so it wasn't an option for him.

Annie our little bitch had the same as your dog last year, I was convinced she had something in her foot, xrays showed nothing but she continued to limp, you couldn't see anything but she was knocked out and the vet had a dig round and after sending it off it was a corn so they aren't always obvious.

[samburns]

Agree with everyones comments about corns and also what Jacqui says about the possibility of something embedded (glass for example won't show on an xray).

I've had two greys with corns.  One had multiple corns, some of them improved with the homoeopathic remedy that Sue mentions that Lori Rose does.  They are a nightmare and once they have had them they seem to keep getting them.   I totally agree with Sue about getting boots, it does seem to be the best/only preventative once they have had them. 

[ritab]

Buckley House Vets are in Hucknall I think and were recommended to me. I think the Nottm RGT women work there.

Also, a greyhound owner living near me found a very small sliver of glass in his hounds paw when it started limping. His vet had missed it, so it is worth really scrutinising the paw that seems to be uncomfortable.

Sorry this reply is a bit late, but hope you pick it up.

[deborahburt]

Any news on Max?

[Glenn]

I have exactly the same with both of mine! Is it likely they could both have corns? We know pebbles has had them in the past because we have had them removed.

I have a pair of the boots which does help with the limping but Pebbles doesn't really like walking in them...Can't win.

I know they wasn't intended for me but thanks for all the comments...

I'm also from the Nottingham area (Mansfield). Does anyone know any vets who deal alot with greyhounds. I know the vet from the Nottingham race stadium is only at Retford, does anyone have any experience with him?

Thanks!