Dog - black, scaly skin

FurBabyMomma

Hi all,

I have a large 4 year old rescue dog and yesterday I noticed she has blackened, scaly skin on the skin of her elbows but nowhere else on her body. It has caused some hair loss on the right elbow.

I would have though calluses but for two things. Firstly I've had her over two years and she is always inside so at no point would she be lying on rough surfaces. Also the skin affected is not at the point of her elbow but on the outside - the lateral processes of the lower portion of the humerus.

The patches are not causing her any pain, itchiness or discomfort but being a protective mamma I want to bring her to the vet anyway to get her checked.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with their dogs?

andreac

That def sounds like pressure points. It happens most large dogs on their elbows regardless of the type of bedding you use.

You can try rubbing in Vaseline or coconut oil to soften them.

It's hard to avoid with bigger dogs so try bit worry too much as it doesn't cause them any pain.

Whispered

It happened with one of mine. He is Also inside all the time so I would not have expected a pressure patch. After a few days it got wet and infected looking. It turned out he had a deep pyoderma which needed treatment for a few weeks. The bald scaly patch was the first sign of this.

FurBabyMomma

Thanks andreac and Whispered. I'm just confused as the patches are on the outside of her elbows and not where the elbows make contact with the ground. But pressure does seem the most likely culprit. I'll swing by the vet just in case it does turn out to be something more anyway.

FurBabyMomma

Just an update, the vet said they were just callouses with pigmentation. Relieved :-)