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AKaeTrue · Oct 21, 2006, 12:38 PM

Hi everyone,
My dog started forming pressure point elbow calluses on her front legs.
I started rubbing Vaseline or liquid vitamin E on them each day. One of them looks better, but one of them is continuing to grow bigger. She's a young dog and I don't want her to have huge callus elbows.
Does anyone know how to treat this?
She's an indoor dog, and has a nice cushy bed.
She is rather a large dog - 120 lbs.
Is there anything else I can do?
Thanks,
Kae

labman · Oct 21, 2006, 02:06 PM

Does she use her bed for naps or choose a harder surface? One of my puppies had those because his favorite spot was the stone hearth. If you turn the thermostat down before leaving her at home, she may choose her soft, warm bed instead of a hard floor. Once established, they take forever to heal.

valinors_sorrow · Oct 21, 2006, 02:10 PM

I was hoping to hear more since my six year old lab has them too, about the size of a quarter on each elbow and she sleeps on everything soft... the furniture (well certain furniture), the bed, me LOL.

Is there anything reasonable that can be done? I wouldn't want to cause undue discomfort to her if they are strictly cosmetic...

AKaeTrue · Oct 22, 2006, 09:48 PM

Hi Val!! HowR'ya??
Thanks labman,
I would have to say she rarely lays on hard surfaces. She naps on carpet a good bit and will lay on the bathroom tile sometimes, but mostly, 90% of the time, she's on the couch or her bed or an exercise mat I put on the kitchen floor her to lay on when were in there.
Could it be the carpet/tile or both? Could it be her size? A combo of all three?
Have you ever heard of someone successful getting them to go away?
Oh, and also... She's about 10 lbs overweight - could this have anything to do with it?
Thanks
Kae

labman · Oct 23, 2006, 04:42 AM

The only cases I know of them going away is when the dog changes environments and has a chance to sleep on a softer surface. Then it takes a long time. When my Aster retired as a dog guide at 10, she had them. After 3 years of usually using her dog bed, they have faded away. Aster does sometimes select a spot on the hardwood floor to sleep on, but not enough to hurt her elbows. Her mother has them too, and she has always been spoiled breeding stock, living in the house and being allowed on the furniture. She is retired too, but still in the same home.

I would cut back on her food a little. I don't know about the elbows, but overweight shortens dogs' lives and often causes joint problems. For a good guide to judging a dogs body condition, see http://www.puppychow.com/products/po...condition.aspx

valinors_sorrow · Oct 23, 2006, 07:05 AM

Thanks Labman - welcome back, and hi AKaeTrue, looks like I am back too. :o

The two cats use her bed since I could not get her interested in it (no wonder when she has better options, doh!) Well "ashy" elbows or not, I think my black lab/hound mix Missy is still a cutie.

AKaeTrue · Oct 23, 2006, 08:08 AM

Yes, as for the weight issue... we're working on it. The vet recommended a greenbean diet. Have you ever heard of it? I guess I'll start another post for that.
As far as the elbows, the vet recommended to drop 10 lbs & the cushy bed, Vaseline was my idea, and a breeder (for small dogs) recommended vitamin E oil.
The one side seems to be improving... but one side is not/or has not yet...
She's always had the bed, but the Vaseline, vitamin E, and the mat for the kitchen floor has only been for 4 weeks or so. Maybe it hasn't been enough time to tell.

mary for mutts · Apr 11, 2008, 02:58 PM

Hello all-
Years ago I had a German Shepard with this problem. You have two choices, actually quite similar:
Buy human elbow supports (Mueller is one maker), line the insides with 2 Kotex pads. Now to keep them on the dog, you must get some stretchy wide fabric also by Mueller. Cut off the velcro end and sew it onto the top of the elbow supports.
You can then put on the supports and velcro them onto the strap over your dog's shoulders. Don't pinch the armpits by making it ride up too hard, but you want enough light upward pressure to keep it in place on your dog's elbow. Just change Kotex as needed.
Of course in the meantime someone started producing this whole thing commercially (it didn't exist when I needed it... )
Dogleggs makes them now and I'm sure you can just Google the name. Theirs cost about $95 and you can make my old version for probably half- your choice-
I really think most dogs that need this will have to keep wearing it indefinitely, and mine needed to wear a cone too. Life is hard.. (but my current dog seems to be unbothered by it all... )
Good luck dog lovers!

mary for mutts · Apr 11, 2008, 03:23 PM

P.S. Find Mueller at muellersportsmed.com and the over-the-shoulder fabric is called Wonder Wrap. You'll need two to get the velco ends required.
Other elbow wrap makers are Trufit, Futuro and Bioflex.