Dog Health: How To Treat Elbow Callus

Usually old large dogs and overweight dogs suffer from elbow callus. Dogs usually lies down or sleep on hard surfaces such as cement, wood, or tile, which expose the elbows to the pressure and trauma from lying down. This causes the elbow bone to injure the soft tissue. As the result, elbow callus develops to protect the skin from further damage. It looks like patches of hardened skin on the elbows. Fortunately, it does not endanger your dog’s health.

The treatment of elbow callus only requires a change of your dog’s bedding. Just provide a soft and thicker bed or padding on your pet’s resting area. You can also use rubber foam mats, air mattresses, and straw shavings to prevent callus from developing This helps to reduce unnecessary pressure on the bony parts of the body. Usually, it will go away in 2 to 3 weeks’ time. Make sure the bedding or padding does not encourage chewing as it can cause accidental death by swallowing the bedding material. For hygienic purpose, choose a washable material.

Alternatively, you can buy a specially made pads or bandages for the elbows to prevent callus.

However, you need to check the elbow callus from time to time. Sometimes, it can grow bigger and break the skin, which will develop into infection. Your dog may be sensitive to touch especially the elbow area. If the affected area suffer excessive trauma, it can lead to inflammation. At this point, your dog has to seek treatment from your veterinarian.

If you have puppies, try to prevent the formation of elbow callus. Prevention is better than cure. However, after all the prevention, if the elbow callus still affects them, then use a cream or lotion to soften the skin such as Bag Balm.

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