Illustration of the position of the elbow joint of the front leg

Photos of "skin disease" on the elbow joint of the forelimb

Causes and solutions to such problems

This type of problem mostly occurs in medium and large dogs, and it mostly occurs in summer.

The weight-bearing capacity of dogs and people is different. People's weight-bearing is mainly on their thighs, while the main weight-bearing of dogs is their forelimbs (equivalent to human hands). Because the dog’s upper body weight accounts for a higher proportion~

And dogs are used to sleeping on their sides. At this time, the elbow joints of the forelimbs directly contact the ground without much muscle cushioning. High pressure and hard ground wear will gradually cause this part of the body to become "hairless" → "red" → "cocooned". Parents who don't understand can easily think of it as a skin disease.

Generally, dogs will be red in the first year of their lives, and then gradually develop calluses in the second year.

Solution 1:

Generally, just let nature take its course. It wears out in the summer, and when you sleep on a soft mat in the winter, the hair will grow again.

Solution 2:

You can buy "joint pajamas" for your dog. This kind of clothing has cushioning on the elbow joint, which is equivalent to its own soft cushion, which can avoid wear and tear on the elbow joint.

Is it really a skin disease?

This is something that most dogs will encounter, so it is not considered a skin disease. It appears every summer and recovers in winter, and so on.

However, a small number of people will become serious and actually develop skin diseases.

Methods to rule out skin diseases:

① Is the location just at the elbow joint (on that bone)? If it is in other parts, it may be a skin disease;

② Whether this part of the fur has been wet recently and the fur has not been dried in time, or the dog has been lying on its side on the ground with dirty water and the fur has been wet. If so, it may be a skin disease;

③ Observe whether this part becomes serious quickly (the wear rate is still relatively slow). If the seriousness is visible to the eyes, it may be a skin disease.

Treatment methods:

① Generally, this type of skin disease is really serious and is also a fungal skin disease, and antibacterial drugs are similar;

② If the calluses are serious and parents are more worried, you can apply some VE oil, glycerin, or Vaseline (this was mentioned by a group of friends).