Corns (Keratomas and Hyperkeratosis) in Dogs

What to Watch for

The clinical signs of corns are fairly obvious. Lameness is the most typical sign, especially when walking or running on hard surfaces, but visual inspection of the foot and a painful reaction to pressure at the site is typically required to reach a more definitive diagnosis.

Sometimes, the claws on the affected foot (or sometimes multiple feet) may be longer than others, a typical sign that the dog is attempting to apply less pressure to their painful pads.

Diagnosis of Corns in Dogs

Diagnosis of corns in dogs is based on the history of lameness and physical examination.

Treatment of Corns in Dogs

The ideal treatment of corns typically involves their surgical removal (though a great many methods have been described and few studied in much detail). However, preventing digital pad pressure during healing is a requirement. Placing pressure bandages, special padding and booties are often part of the process.

Novel treatments for preventing local pressure on the area as it heals are currently being developed. In particular, injecting liquid silicone under corns has resulted in plantar pressure relief in the case of humans. A modification of this technique is currently being studied in dogs.

Veterinary Cost Associated with Corns in Dogs

The cost of corns depends on the approach to treatment. Anesthesia, surgical removal and follow-up bandage placement may cost upwards of $1,000 per corn. This, of course, will vary depending on geographic locale and whether a board-certified surgeon is elected for treatment of the condition.

Prevention of Corns in Dogs

Because we’re not sure what leads to corn development, prevention of corns is typically not considered feasible. For predisposed dogs, however, the use of padded, pressure-relieving booties may be helpful, especially when walking on hard surfaces.

References for Corns and Hyperkeratosis in Dogs

We hope this articles gives you more information on the diagnosis and treatment of hyperkeratosis and corns in dogs.