Crusty Elbows??YUK!
Joey (along with lesions on his pads) has big old crusty scabs on his elbows which the Vet thinks are connected to an auto-immune condition. Giving prednisone. She didn't think the crusty elbows were a serious problem but should I remove them? Does anyone else have a Corgi with these seriously crusty elbows?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sylvia & Timmy on
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John,
Timmy is my first corgi, but my experience with German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) says that the crusty build up on his elbows may also be from laying for long periods of time on very hard surfaces. The elbows are pressure points when the dog is laying down. When my last elderly GSD couldn't walk for long, she developed hard calluses on her elbows. I would soak them with camomile tea on a wash rag. I also got her a medical grade dog bed with the egg carton type foam. The calluses never went away entirely, but they did become less yukky looking. Now they also have memory foam dog beds. This should help some. I wouldn't remove them, instead let them come off naturally like a scab. If the vet thinks the crusty elbows are from food allergies or auto immune problems, I would try to get more specific information. There is testing for allergens and other auto immune disorders and I would pursue the testing.
With time, patience, bonding I think Joey will become more affectionate and loving, but because of his past, I think he will never be a velcro dog. Do you crate Joey at all during the day or while you leave the house? The reason I ask is, that with some rescues or dogs that have had little positive experience with people, often sitting on the floor with them next to you (on a leash, if Joey is uncomfortable). Works great if they're in a crate. Then take one small treat at a time and say his name, when he looks at you, give him a treat and reassure him (good boy!). Do that about 3-4 times a day, using 10 treats each time for approximately two to three weeks and I'm sure, he'll look forward to you sitting on the floor interacting with him. (Take this treat amount away from his usual food amount, though) Do it when you think he might be hungry.
The worst thing for a middle aged corgi is becoming overweight. I would make sure that you build up your walks slowly. Joey apparently lived life on the fringes of a family and was probably confined to a yard most of his life. If you have a park in your area, walk there where he can alternate between the grass and pavement. Also, if the temperature of the pavement is hot, it can seriously burn the pads on dogs feet, just as it can do to yours. I would take walks in the early morning or evening when temps go down. Don't do long hikes on rocky trails until his pads have built up enough callus.
Joey is a gorgeous dog and looks like he has the potential to finally develop and get the love he deserves!!
Sylvia
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Permalink Reply by Charlie on
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My last dog also had "calluses" on his elbows from nothing more than a preference for sleeping on hard tile, cement, or plastic. He always scrunched his kennel bedding to one end so he could lie on the cool plastic floor.
A crust from an immune condition is a different matter. It could be fungal, yeast, or bacterial. I would not remove the crust. Do ask your vet though if an anti-fungal or anti-bacterial cream might help, or even some moisturizing product like Bag Balm. Did the vet do a skin scraping? Could be mites.
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