My dog has a soft swelling on his elbow that will not go away. My veterinarian said it was an elbow hygroma.Can you give me any information about hygromas?
A problem of young, large-breed dogs A hygroma is a fluid-filled cavity, encased by dense fibrous tissue, which develops under the skin on the side of one or both elbows. Hygromas are caused by repeated trauma over bony prominences. Hygromas are typically non-painful swellings, but they become very painful if they become infected. Most hygromas occur in young, large-breed dogs before a protective callus has time to form over the bony elbow of the front legs or other bony areas. Hygromas can occur over any bony prominence or pressure point, including the pelvis or hocks. Treatment for a non-infected hygroma is the elimination of the repeated trauma. The use of a soft, padded bed, or bandage over the bony area is often very beneficial. It is important to keep the animal’s weight in a normal range to reduce the pressure on the bony areas, therefore helping to reduce the hygroma. The removal of the fluid by aspiration with a needle and syringe is often of very little benefit and may introd
