# Elbows



## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Any of you guys, especially big doggy owners, have a problem with calluses on your dogs' elbows...?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

No. But a lot of Danes that come into rescue and a lot of bigger dogs that come to my work have them. They form over time by pressure when the dog lays on hard surfaces like wood or concrete. 

What I have seen and recommended most of the time to soften up the skin on the elbow is bag balm/vaseline and liquid vitamin E. Although, they take forever to heal because you have to stay on top of it. Most of the time they are harmless, but rarely they do become infected and then cause more of an issue. Because of this most people don't worry about them, but they are sort of an eye sore...The best thing you can do is try and keep them under control so they don't get infected. You can do the bag balm/vaseline and vitamin E thing but also keep them clean.

If your dog's favorite spot is on a hard surface, you can try and move a soft bed to that spot or putting something obscure there to entice them to sleep somewhere else. In your case, turning down the heat probably wont entice him to sleep on a warm, comfy bed. And if Aspen has them, I can relate. Shiloh loves to sprawl out on the wood floors and on the concrete outside. I just don't think she is quite heavy enough to cause her skin to callous up (~65 #). She definitely likes her time on the couch and dog beds too though, so maybe that can be the reason why she doesn't have them...? She is our only long furred dog, the rest of them wouldn't be caught dead anywhere else than one of their beds LOL


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

danemama08 said:


> No. But a lot of Danes that come into rescue and a lot of bigger dogs that come to my work have them. They form over time by pressure when the dog lays on hard surfaces like wood or concrete.
> 
> What I have seen and recommended most of the time to soften up the skin on the elbow is bag balm/vaseline and liquid vitamin E. Although, they take forever to heal because you have to stay on top of it. Most of the time they are harmless, but rarely they do become infected and then cause more of an issue. Because of this most people don't worry about them, but they are sort of an eye sore...The best thing you can do is try and keep them under control so they don't get infected. You can do the bag balm/vaseline and vitamin E thing but also keep them clean.
> 
> If your dog's favorite spot is on a hard surface, you can try and move a soft bed to that spot or putting something obscure there to entice them to sleep somewhere else. In your case, turning down the heat probably wont entice him to sleep on a warm, comfy bed. And if Aspen has them, I can relate. Shiloh loves to sprawl out on the wood floors and on the concrete outside. I just don't think she is quite heavy enough to cause her skin to callous up (~65 #). She definitely likes her time on the couch and dog beds too though, so maybe that can be the reason why she doesn't have them...? She is our only long furred dog, the rest of them wouldn't be caught dead anywhere else than one of their beds LOL


Aspen's used to be really red and irritated. This was when he was around 140 lbs. About 1.5 years ago. Now he's 115 lbs. and they aren't a problem anymore. That's the problem with him. Now that it's winter, he prefers to be on the hard freezing cement. Don't get me wrong he loves his dog bed too. I leave the door open so he can come into the house, but he prefers the cold. Silly doggie... :tongue:

oh, and I do have bag balm. It's great for a lot of things...


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

How come all the weight loss? Did he need to lose a few or what? That seems like a drastic change in weight. Although, the difference in weight probably did make a huge difference on his elbows...Are you worried because they have gone away or that they will come back?


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

danemama08 said:


> How come all the weight loss? Did he need to lose a few or what? That seems like a drastic change in weight. Although, the difference in weight probably did make a huge difference on his elbows...Are you worried because they have gone away or that they will come back?


Mals are prone to HD and other joint problems, and that's something I want to stay away from. When I went to x-ray him, he was cleared of HD. But I still wanted to bring his weight down. At 140 lbs., he wasn't fat nor skinny. But he wasn't lean at all. You couldn't feel the ribs. OK, so maybe a little overweight...And he was limping a lot before. He's healthier and happier now that he's in great shape...!

No, I don't think his elbows are gonna get irritated anymore. They look smaller in size and don't bother him at all...:smile:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

If you couldn't feel the ribs at all when he was 140, unfortunately your dog was definitely overweight. Even though he may not have looked that overweight, when you can't feel any ribs that is an indicator of obesity in dogs. It doesn't take a whole lot of extra weight for a dog to be considered obese, same with people. And 115 sounds like a better weight for a mal boy anyways. I can imagine that he feels like a champ now :biggrin:


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

danemama08 said:


> If you couldn't feel the ribs at all when he was 140, unfortunately your dog was definitely overweight. Even though he may not have looked that overweight, when you can't feel any ribs that is an indicator of obesity in dogs. It doesn't take a whole lot of extra weight for a dog to be considered obese, same with people. And 115 sounds like a better weight for a mal boy anyways. I can imagine that he feels like a champ now :biggrin:


Actually, now that I remember, I could feel his ribs slightly. But not a lot though...Barely anything...

I'm just really happy to see him like this and so full of energy. And, I added years to his life!:biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

It is amazing how much better one feels being fit and healthy....I know this first hand!!!


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