# Discolored elbows



## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Oooooh...that's exactly what happened to Ranger before he got his elbow callouses. The skin was reddish and then started flaking and within 2 months (despite cream applied all the time) he had full blown elbow callouses. I think it depends more on how they lie down than what they lie down on. 

We had two dogs when I was growing up and we had primarily hardwood floors. The golden retriever got elbow callouses at a young age and the border collie never did. Both had a few different beds and both used to lay down on the hardwood all the time. I guess the golden just had more pressure on his elbows when he was laying down. 

For sure Ranger does - you can see how his laying down puts direct pressure on his elbows and he lives primarily in a carpeted area and has beds in almost every room. My brother's dog lives on hardwood floors only and he doesn't have the slightest hint of an elbow callous.

I think there's something you can buy to wrap around their body/elbows to stop the callouses from forming but I can't think of the product name. I don't particularly like them on Ranger, but they're not as noticeable on a black dog as they would on a golden retriever, I think.

ETA: Pictures...this is how Ranger usually lies down - you can see the pressure is right on his elbow...which is exactly where his callouses are...


And here is a soaking wet Ranger - and you can see his elbow callous on this side.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

hmmm....callouses? Are you sure it wasn't infected at all? 

I'm taking him to his sire's owner's house for grooming on Saturday so maybe I'll ask her about it too. She's been showing/breeding goldens for like 30+ years, so I imagine she's seen it all. I just hope I'm not thinking it's nothing when it's actually something!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Ranger took the words right out of my mouth<:

My little guy doesn't have the elbow spots yet, though he divides his time between the tile floor under the bed and his pillow on the bed. Most of my guys started showing the spots when they were older. My vet said that once the calluses start, you can put lotion or skin conditioners on them to keep them from getting all cracked and dry or really carried away.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Megora said:


> Ranger took the words right out of my mouth<:
> 
> My little guy doesn't have the elbow spots yet, though he divides his time between the tile floor under the bed and his pillow on the bed. Most of my guys started showing the spots when they were older. My vet said that once the calluses start, you can put lotion or skin conditioners on them to keep them from getting all cracked and dry or really carried away.


So this is normal??? I can definitely keep them moisturized but what about the discolored fur around the elbows?


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Yep, had it checked out at the vet's when we were there in September when I first noticed it. The right elbow was worse than the left (since he lays on his right most of the time) but both elbows were red/flaky then got scale-y looking. I was putting medicated aloe vera on them for a few weeks before going to the vets (on an unrelated matter) and he said it was callouses developing. Sure enough, a month later, there they were.

Is it both elbows? Or just one?

Re: the discoloured fur: I never noticed Ranger's fur getting discoloured but that'd be hard to tell with him. I did notice the hair getting sparser on the elbows as the skin got redder/flakier. If you want to try to grow in the hair (if that's possible), you can try vitamin E oil as it'll cause the hair to grow back in it's original colour.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Both elbows. Every week when I blow dry him I dry both elbows really well to look for any signs of a hot spot or something, but there's never anything there. Just discolored fur and slightly red and scaly elbows.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

If the skin is scaly - my bet is calluses forming. 

If it's just the fur getting discolored and you haven't seen the dog licking the elbows, remember that dogs get sweaty elbows. So like their feet and the area around their eyes and mouths, that will stain the fur. You can get something from the petstore (tearstain remover) to clean that off.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Megora said:


> If the skin is scaly - my bet is calluses forming.
> 
> If it's just the fur getting discolored and you haven't seen the dog licking the elbows, remember that dogs get sweaty elbows. You can get something from the petstore (tearstain remover) to clean that off.


I have tearstain remover! Jack had slight tear stains as a pup when he was teething. I strangely actually had significantly more success with cleaning his fur around his eyes with saline solution than anything else, though. Maybe I'll try that on his elbows


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Brooks has the elbow calluses (we have all hardwood floors). I just thought it was a normal part of getting older for him to get them.


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