Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 8/29/2005

Question
My 11 year old chocolate lab has had callouses on his elbows for years now.  Recently, both elbows have developed sores on the callloused area and the calloused areas themselves appear to be more like lumps than just abraded areas of skin with no fur.  One of the sores is very small and the other is larger.  It looks like a round cut where the outer skin has come off and the inside appears to be granular and red with some blood and a little discharge.  The largest sore is a bit smaller than the diameter of a dime.  The smaller one is tiny, but red.  Any idea of what these might be from and how I should treat them?  I've been spraying them with antibiotic spray.  They don't seem infected.  Thanks so much for your help!  

Answer
These lesions are as the result of pressure on the elbows.  Soft padding or bedding will help. Sometimes we will wrap the elbows with a light wrap with come cotton in the bandage. Keep up the cleaning and the antibiotic ointment.  That should help some.