# Bulbous masses on elbows



## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Hi everybody! Our Annie is 20 weeks today and doing great, but I have a question about something I noticed on her elbows today: she appears to have these bulbous masses on her front "elbows" that are kind of squishy to the touch and don't seem to bother her in any way. I haven't noticed these before and I'm always handling/playing with her quite a bit every day/multiple times a day. Maybe I've just never noticed them?? Are they normal? Any idea what they are? Thanks in advance for any insight or comments!

















And:shamless picture of Annie


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## Catrinka (Aug 6, 2020)

Annie is beautiful.

Are the lumps on both elbows and are they the same size and location on each? Squishy as in fluid-filled like a cyst? I don't recall anything like that in Luca or any of my previous pups, although elbows can develop callouses over time which seems entirely different.

Hopefully someone else here will have an idea.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Looks like hygromas. These are usually caused by being on hard surfaces. Inflammatory response to hitting the floor, the body produces fluid to cushion the elbows. Doesn’t cause pain.
Try to encourage your pup to lay on dog beds or softer surfaces.


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Catrinka said:


> Annie is beautiful.
> 
> Are the lumps on both elbows and are they the same size and location on each? Squishy as in fluid-filled like a cyst? I don't recall anything like that in Luca or any of my previous pups, although elbows can develop callouses over time which seems entirely different.
> 
> Hopefully someone else here will have an idea.


Thanks for the reply!! Yes, they are on the same location on each elbow, and they are soft to the touch, not hard in anyway. Maybe they are callouses  , they certainly don't seem to hurt in anyway.


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Saphire said:


> Looks like hygromas. These are usually caused by being on hard surfaces. Inflammatory response to hitting the floor, the body produces fluid to cushion the elbows. Doesn’t cause pain.
> Try to encourage your pup to lay on dog beds or softer surfaces.


Hygromas, interesting I'll research it! Thank you. She does lay on the carpet/wood flooring and grass, but I suppose no more than any other dog. Great idea with the dog beds! She has 3 of them, but she is not always on them. I'll encourage her to use them!!


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## Clipper (May 7, 2021)

Rob_Drifter said:


> Hygromas, interesting I'll research it! Thank you. She does lay on the carpet/wood flooring and grass, but I suppose no more than any other dog. Great idea with the dog beds! She has 3 of them, but she is not always on them. I'll encourage her to use them!!


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## Clipper (May 7, 2021)

My 7 year old has hygromas. Per my Vet's advice I put petroleum jelly on them daily so they don't try out and bleed.


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Clipper said:


> My 7 year old has hygromas. Per my Vet's advice I put petroleum jelly on them daily so they don't try out and bleed.


I can definitely do that!


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

So, I took Annie to the vet when the hygromas got bigger just to make sure they weren't a symptom of a bigger problem. The vet recommended that we get some 1.5 inch thick foam mattress pads and put them in her crates and pens, to keep her off the hard surfaces. In the meantime I had been carting around her big fluffy dog bed from crate to crate and the hygromas went down naturally and almost disappeared! By the time the foam pads showed up they were almost gone.

The hygromas were definitely caused by Annie choosing to sleep on the harder surfaces rather than her dog beds. Just something for others to think about. Below are "after" pictures (and another shameless Annie photo )


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## AboutAbby (Jun 19, 2021)

Rob_Drifter said:


> So, I took Annie to the vet when the hygromas got bigger just to make sure they weren't a symptom of a bigger problem. The vet recommended that we get some 1.5 inch thick foam mattress pads and put them in her crates and pens, to keep her off the hard surfaces. In the meantime I had been carting around her big fluffy dog bed from crate to crate and the hygromas went down naturally and almost disappeared! By the time the foam pads showed up they were almost gone.
> 
> The hygromas were definitely caused by Annie choosing to sleep on the harder surfaces rather than her dog beds. Just something for others to think about. Below are "after" pictures (and another shameless Annie photo )
> 
> ...


The people at this site know their stuff, glad Annie is doing much better, what a beautiful girl she is. There's no shame in Annies game, show her off!


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

AboutAbby said:


> The people at this site know their stuff, glad Annie is doing much better, what a beautiful girl she is. There's no shame in Annies game, show her off!


They sure do, I'm very grateful for everyone sharing their advice and experience! Thank you for the kind words!


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

I got rid of a much smaller hydroma on my dog’s elbow with a combination of epsom salt and red light therapy.

I was soaking his feet which get inflamed every so often and I dipped a wash cloth in the epsom and held it on his elbow. Made a big difference


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

I made these for Nitro when his elbow calluses needed protection. He could still lie on the cool tiles, or anywhere else he cared to, while his elbows were protected. They worked very well.










Quick and easy elbow protection sleeves


Here's a cheap and cheerful way to make comfortable elbow sleeves for your dog. I used a pair of soft, fluffy bedsocks and some wide elastic. You can 'liberate' the elastic from the waist band of a pair of men's underpants if you've no wide elastic at hand. Cut the toe seam off the socks...




www.germanshepherds.com


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Thanks for the advice everybody! I did buy protective sleeves since I didn't think the hygromas would go away so quickly, but I still have them just I'm case. I've never heard of red light therapy I'm going to read about it!


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## Clipper (May 7, 2021)

Glad to hear they went away. My Vet recommended the below in case my pup's hygromas got worse...fortunately not needed so far.








Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs


Our dog hygroma products provide coverage, padding and protection support for the elbow joints. It is primarily used to treat and prevent elbow hygromas.




www.dogleggs.com


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Clipper said:


> Glad to hear they went away. My Vet recommended the below in case my pup's hygromas got worse...fortunately not needed so far.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have something similar! Fortunately, I didn't need them so....it was money down the drain unless Annie gets hygromas again


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## Torr (Jun 29, 2021)

Seems to me, dogs like harder surfaces that stay cooler longer, like tile.. if your pup or dog is on blankets, maybe it just needs a fan blowing to keep cool?


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## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Torr said:


> Seems to me, dogs like harder surfaces that stay cooler longer, like tile.. if your pup or dog is on blankets, maybe it just needs a fan blowing to keep cool?


Yup! Exactly  that's a great point. Especially now in the summer my pup gets hot QUICK.


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## Clipper (May 7, 2021)

Torr said:


> Seems to me, dogs like harder surfaces that stay cooler longer, like tile.. if your pup or dog is on blankets, maybe it just needs a fan blowing to keep cool?


Yes, fans help, but even with the fans and AC, my pup sometimes prefers a hard surface.


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