When East Tennessee Gayle developed an infected elbow after her amputation, her mom made a simple protective pad from some shipping foam and elastic tape.
If your Tripawd is developing a sore spot on his or her elbow, download these Homemade Dog Elbow Protector Pad Instructions and see if this helps. If it does, be sure to let us know and don’t forget to thank etgayle!
Free Download: etgayle’s elbow pad instructions
For those seeking feedback on a professional solution for protecting dogs from developing a hygroma – a swelling of the elbow common in large breed dogs – please review these Tripawds discussion forum search results for DogLeggs.
Additional Resources:
it’s pretty obvious…charon doesn’t throw much away. if anyone is interested in trying to make one of these, PM me, and i can ship you a ‘chunk’ of the apple foam to start with. ‘dog willing’, the one i’ve made will be all we need in our lifetime….
My dog has been on this website (Niki, the dog who loved to run) – could you send me a couple of pieces of foam ? she’s developing bad callouses and wrinkles on both front elbows. She had her back leg removed after being hit by a truck and severing the artery.
@merrie Sorry, we don’t have any foam to send. But I bet if you posted a request in the Tripawds Angel Exchange you might get some lickity split.
Hello!
My tripawd boston terrier of 8 months has developed this hygroma on the end of her amputated leg where she keeps falling when playing or when lying down. She sleeps in our bed so t cant be softer but im not sure how to get to protect that area?!
Thanks for commenting Tanya. Front or rear leg? Sounds like you’re talking about a partial amputation, which often means difficulties down the road. Please post in the discussion forums with more detail for much better advice and support from members.
Thanks i will post in the other forum. But yes it looks like a partial amputation. She was a rescue and it is the front right paw that was amputated above the elbow.
Hi guys,
My 8 month old Rottie has 2 of thesehygroma’s on his front legs, wondering if anyone can spare some of the foam and send it internationally 🙂 would be very crateful.
You might consider posting this request in the forums where more readers will see it. Good luck!
MISS ETGAYLE… Could you please help me with info on how to locate the apple foam cylinders? I just discovered a hygroma on my 1 yr old Golden Retrievers elbow and I think I’m capable of making him your wonderful invention even though I’m partially disabled. Please if you can give me any info on this email me at halogrl222@yahoo.com your service will be greatly appreciated by me and my baby boy Riley!!
@naomi Yo may want to consider posting your request in the discussion forums in case etgayle has not subscribed to comment notifications. Or register and you can sender a Private Message.
You should also be able to find foam of various thicknesses at your local craft store.
Here is a post from Elgin, a large Dogue de Bordeaux who successfully fought off his hygroma with a laser therapy treatment at his vet’s office:
“Watch those Callouses” http://elginsfamily.tripawds.com/2012/11/07/watch-those-callouses
Hello, I have a 3-legged German Shepherd dog. She is starting to develop a bad callus on her hind leg. I will be taking her to the vet next week. But I am still doing some research of my own. Any suggestions on where I can buy padding for her back elbow? She sleeps in my bed and rarely lays on a hard floor. We go to the dog park often and play fetch so I think that is what is really doing it for her.
Thanks for asking Jennifer. Please post in the forums where you’re likely to receive much more feedback from members.
You may want to check at JoAnn Fabrics or another fabric/sewing store for various thicknesses of foam padding or quilted fabrics.
Anyone who receives the FRUIT of the MONTH Club Packages may have these inserts.
Wondering if people could try putting in a request at their Local
Recycling Center though I don’t know how successful you’ll be.
Another source might be GOURMET shops or Specialty grocers even WHOLE FOODS if you get to management and ask them, I think they probably do get specialty produce in that type of packaging.
Good luck
would you make my dog some for a price?
Thanks for asking David, ET Gayle and her pack are no longer active on this site. Please consider posting in the forums to see if another member may be able to help you.
I took two long black dress socks and cut half way through the socks, about 4 inches down from the foot hole. Then I slipped them over my dogs front paws, brought the toes together over his back, and sewed them together with sturdy cord. I took a pair of white cotton socks my 6 yr old had out grown, cut off the toes and slipped the both of them onto the paw with the bad elbow and under the black sock ‘harness’, so that the heels were over his bad elbow for padding. Daily, I have been putting triple antibiotic cream on a clean gauze pad and slipping that underneath the white ‘elbow’ socks. Healing quickly and the socks don’t seem to bother him at all.
I would love one of these wraps! my poor Lucy has a big hygroma 🙁
I need to make one of these for my springer Purdy . she has a pressure sore on elbow it is getting very sore looking thankyou
I’m coming late to this party, but my golden doodle developed a Hygroma on her elbow, I researched all the options for pads/braces and thought maybe I could make one after seeing Gayle’s post. However, instead of making a pad I happened to have a brace I used for carpal tunnel for myself. I bought in in the drug store. It had a built in pad filled with what seemed like sand and had 3 Velcro straps. It had a removable metal brace (which I removed). I was able to slide it on Billie’s leg and at first thought it would stay put but it needed the elastic strap around her body. I had a pair of suspenders that I took apart so I had one long adjustable strap that I could attach on the top of the brace, across her back and under her belly and then to the bottom of the brace. It works like a charm and doesn’t impede her walking or lying down. I just hope it heals the hygroma.