In recent months I have learned greyhounds are the only dog to suffer from corns and no one I have talked to, Vets, NC State, greyhound friends, etc knows how to get rid of them. Our alpha Jazz has had them for almost six months, everytime one is removed within days another begins to form. It's like a little pebble on the pad of one of his toes and he just can't run like he used to and when it reaslly bothers him, he walks with a limp. Am told it's a viral infection but no one has an antibiotic or treatment to stop it.

Has anyone found a remedy for this situation?

A Therapaw bootie should help him walk and run more comfortably.

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

It has a thick spongy pad under the foot and is held on with velcro so it's easy to get on and off. If you call to order and mention it is for a Greyhound, they usually give a discount.
Search and rescue dogs wear them to protect their feet after disasters where there might be sharp objects or in extreme cold. Rose wore one for several months when her corn was bad. (Maybe not having pressure on it helped keep it from reforming?)
Sorry, I don't know of any cures.

Hi Dan!
I think GFNC sells Thera-Paws for a reduced price. If not, I also have a few that TGS sells. Much cheaper than ordering.
I have two used ones that you could try and see if they fit, they may be too small for a big-footed boy.
I've tried other boots from the pet store, but they all fall off. Thera-Paws are the best.

This site has good info on corns,

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

Our Miles had them. We would trim them back and use the Therapaws and that worked well for him. Some vets will hull out the corn which helps. They do grow back.

Sorry to hear Jazz has corns. It seems like there is no one treatment that will definitely offer permanent relief. This recent post on Greytalk discusses some treatment options.

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

Belle has corns too. They always come back. I check Belle’s feet frequently and remove small corns at home. It is possible to remove them yourself if you find them when they are small. Go around the edges first to loosen the corn. I use my fingernail, gently pushing it under the edges of the corn. Then the corn can be pried out with a little tugging. Belle does not enjoy this procedure but she tolerates it.

Recently I missed a corn. Didn’t notice it until Belle started limping. It was BIG. This one required a trip to the vet. Vet scooped it out using some sort of surgical instrument. Belle didn’t need anesthesia. It left a pretty deep hole in her pad but the was no pain or bleeding and Belle stopped limping immediately.

My Vet says corns are almost exclusive to greys but occasionally she sees another breed with corns. There is a theory that racing on sand/dirt causes particles to get embedded in the dog’s paws and this may be the source of corns in greyhounds. No one knows for sure.

A couple of years ago Vet had another breed (small terrier) that had a horrible, reoccurring corn. She put the dog under anesthesia and cut out a big area around the corn. She expected it to come back after a couple of years but 4 years down the road the dog is still corn-free. This is not the answer for most of us of course. Neither is amputation.

My advice is to check your dog’s pads frequently. Corns look and feel like a little whitish stone, embedded in the pad. If you don’t feel comfortable removing it yourself go to the vet for removal. Booties, medicine, etc can relieve pain while walking but they can’t get rid of the corn. Eventually it has to come out


Best Wishes!
Karen Ferguson

Trooper has terrible corns on all his feet, some feet have them on 2 pads! The poor thing! Nothing can get rid of them. The vet can remove them easily but for Trooper, relief lasted for about 4-5 days then they were back. I have used a battery-operated women's nail care kit to buff them down so that they're level with the pad, so they don't hit the ground first and cause pain. Lately, I have been removing them with my fingernails myself, as Karen said, going around the edges first then under. I don't know where you live, but at BeachBound Hounds last year the sand helped Trooper's feet immensely, seemed to draw the corns right out, so if you're near a beach/sand you might try walking your grey there. As Lynda says, the Grassmere site has greyt info. And again, Therapaws boots are a must when we walk; they get rid of the limp entirely. Poor dogs!

Am sorry to hear of so many other greys suffering from corns. Ordered a pair of Therapaws for Jazz right after reading Jeans response. Should be here today. Have had many communications with the wonderful people at Ohio State regarding chemotherapy treatments for Guy and wondered what those folks might have to say on the subject. Dr. Marin , who is on Dr. Couto's staff, unfortunately could not shed any new light on the topic. Seems we are left to hulling and the Therapaw boots.

Thanks to all for your comments.

Dan