Foot problems

Poor old Jasper is in the wars Long story short, I think he has a corn on one pad, a worn pad right behind the one with the corn, and possibly some muscular soreness.

The catch 22 is that for a corn, you want to try to keep the dog off hard surfaces, soften the pad, and maybe wear a boot. For a worn pad, you want to keep the pad dry, so no mud/wet grass, and toughen it up by walking on pavements - so pretty much the opposite of what the corn needs. The vet, who thinks the worn pad is the main problem, suggested soaking his foot in salt water, but he won't put up with that for any length of time. I did think of paddling in the sea, but sand is really abrasive so not good for worn pads... and the heathland round here is so sandy much of it might just as well be beach really.

His paw seems really sore today... particularly judging by his reaction when I tried to trim his claws this morning

I've just started trying Musher's Secret - I was worried it'd soften the pad rather than toughen it up, but I've read a few things that suggest it might help. In the meantime I'm torn between walking him on pavements to help toughen his worn bit even though he finds it uncomfortable and he can't go off lead, or taking him to the woods where the ground is softer, but also damper - and where he can go off lead but then might run on a rough surface.

I've read a lot about corns, but if anyone has experience of worn pads, I'd be very grateful for any advice

 

Thanks LfL - I'll ask the vet about laser treatment next time I go, but Jasper is so very suspicious and fear-aggressive I'm not sure if it would be feasible. According to the vet, the problem with covering the pad/foot with an adhesive patch, or putting a boot on it, is that it would further soften the worn pad and exacerbate the problem.

The problem with a bandage is that he probably wouldn't tolerate it, and wouldn't tolerate us preventing him from removing it. I did try to desensitise him to Vetwrap once and he'd be scared if I just laid a bit across his paw

I could set about trying to remove the corn by applying some sort of corn remover, but it would take a while and I really want to get to the root of the cause. He's even limping on carpet now so pretty much anything could be going on - and it's very hard to tell what, exactly, hurts, when he's likely to shriek, tense up completely, and fight back if the vet just touches him...

Today we had a grassy walk this morning, and a short pavement walk to the park this afternoon. Once we got to the park he was more interested in sunbathing than walking round - I'm not sure if that's from the discomfort or just because it's been a beautiful warm day!

Maybe, if I lift his paw to show the vet and we pretend it's me prodding his pads rather than the vet, then the vet can prod them and see which one results in him trying to kill us both

(He's a poppet 99.9999% of the time, honest - he just has some Incredible Hulk genes in him somewhere)

 

I'm not aware of any safe short-term sedative that clears his system quickly (I expect you're aware of the risks of sedation in sighthounds, and their poor ability to metabolise the drugs). When he's had them in the past, he's fought the effects for ages, tottering like a baby giraffe and refusing to lie down until he collapses, he's cried all night after, big bug eyes staring at who knows what horrors, and he's unpredictable for days.

It may come to that, though - though of course he won't be able to indicate where it hurts, and if they can confirm that the worn pad is the problem, they won't be able to 'fix' it - I'd guess laser treatment would take a few sessions. They could remove the corn, but surgically removed corns tend to recur.

But if you do know of any sedatives you think could be suitable, or if you have any other ideas, do keep them coming, because with such a bleeding awkward dog I need all the help I can get! I can't help thinking it would be a lot less stressful all round if the vet had a Jasper-sized cattle crush...

 

Jasper's going in for a sedative/possible anaesthetic tomorrow morning for a full investigation of his foot/leg, plus X-rays. I'm hoping they find something, because he really struggles to walk at times, though he's not too bad once he gets going. While he's under he can have a full dental check, pedicure, eyebrow shaping and whatever else can be done to get our money's worth

He recently had a 10-day trial of Rimadyl and it helped a lot. He still had a slight limp, but was much happier and it put the spring back into his step. I think this means that the pain can't be down to the corn alone, as there must be some inflammation, but would be really grateful if someone had some knowledge on this. But he got bad again very soon after coming off the Rimadyl and the vet & I feel he's too young to start taking it long term.

We shall see what tomorrow turns up. We can't deal with not giving J his breakfast and us eating ours, so we're going to get up when he wakes us at 7am (who needs alarm clocks?), get dressed, head straight out with him and give him a long walk till it's time to head to the vet. An on lead walk, so he can't find anything to eat. Then we'll manhandle him into submission so the vet can sedate him, wait for ages while he totters like a baby giraffe and finally gives in to gravity, then, if we've not passed out from hunger, will head out for breakfast.

Then tomorrow night he'll probably cry all night long staring bug-eyed at imaginary monsters

 

Thank you

 

Yes, he's his own worst enemy. Though in his mind his vet is his worst enemy, and if I'm trying to do something to him he doesn't want done, I'm his worst enemy!

But hey, lions and tigers in zoos have vets, don't they? It can't be that hard

 

We're back from the vet's now. Best outcome possible, really - Jasper's X rays showed not a hint of arthritis or damage, so the vet has concluded that the corn was the problem all along, and has dug out as much as possible. His teeth are in excellent nick, so she's just chipped a bit of tartar off.

Oh, but talk about stresshound They do sedation/surgery etc. at a different branch to our usual ones and he must associate it with really horrible things happening - while we were still in the waiting room he was trembling and his heart was practically beating its way out between his ribs. He was in a state as soon as he came round from the sedative too, and is now pacing around whining, with his back end shaking and barely supporting him. Possibly his brain is saying 'Where's my breakfast?' but he doesn't feel like taking treats...

As a way of getting out of walkies, it sucks. He had a good hour in Poole Park beforehand as we left the house before he could get too upset about not having breakfast, then after he'd gone to sleep we walked into Ashley Cross for our breakfast, then walked back to the vet's only to be told he'd be another hour, so went for another walk. I don't think he'll want an afternoon walk.....

 

This is the state he was in just now - he has lain down since, but he's still whining and dripping saliva all over the carpet...