Callus on elbow? Should I be worried?

[okslater]

Badger, 5yo, has a growth on his elbow. It feels hard, like a wart. The vets had a look at it a couple of months ago and they said to just keep an eye on it. It's definitely getting larger. Has anyone else had similar on their grey? I'm wondering how soon to push to have this investigated further. 

Thanks!

[greysmom]

I would say it's not an emergency, and it's "probably" nothing, but I would get it looked at sooner than later.  Even if it's nothing serious, it's in serious danger of getting knocked off in that location, which could cause a lot of bleeding.

And if it is "something" it's better to get it taken care of before it has a chance to spread.   

[Time4ANap]

Anytime something starts growing like that we will get it checked out. Most of the time it's nothing major but I would rather be cautious and catch it early. 

Let us know what it is when you find out. 

[okslater]

Yeah I was already worried about it and have shown it to my vets twice when he's been in recently, but they say it's probably nothing to worry about and continue to monitor it. I was hoping they'd take a sample to look at in the lab when he was anaesthetised for his dental last month. 

It's time to get more insistent, I think. I was hoping someone would say 'oh yeah that's a callus and all my greys had them' but it seems my reaction of needing further exploration is correct. 

I'll update when I know more. Thanks for the help! 

[FiveRoooooers]

Of course have your vet check it out but I agree that it doesn't appear to be an emergency. It could be something like a horn wart - two of my campers had them and they were completely benign. 

[okslater]

Great, thanks. We're going away this weekend so I will see about getting him an appointment for removal and analysis next week. Hopefully nothing to worry about, but after the year we just had with Lemming, it will be a while before I go to the vets feeling 100% confident in a good outcome. 

[okslater]

He's booked in next Tuesday to have it removed 

[okslater]

Good news! The lab results came back and it was benign. It's an angiokeratoma. 

Vet said it could be related to early stage arthritis, and we've been issued supplements - Synoquin (composition attached). He does do a lot of intermittent limping and doesn't seem as happy on his feet these days (he's a very active 5yo dog), so that would make sense. He was raced and retired through injury, and has always seemed a bit stiffer compared to our unraced female greys. I feel bad for him as his favourite thing is running. What measures should I take to minimise the impact of arthritis on him to postpone him needing painkillers for as many years as possible? He has a terrible response to Metacam, he gets really bloody diarrhoea within a day of taking it, so that will never be on the cards.   

 

[greysmom]

Keeping him active in a low impact way every day will help him stay limber.  That supplement looks fine, but you should consider adding something like Grizzly Salmon Oil (or any of their products - or others) for the added omega-3 fatty acids which also help.  Keep his weight under control.  See if there's a canine swimming pool or PT pool in your area.  It's the best low impact exercise out there.

There are other nsaids out there besides Metacam.  You and your vet might try a rather new one called Galliprant which is supposed to have less side effects and stomach irritation.  Always give nsaids after a meal on a full stomach to avoid tummy troubles.

Also, watch the pads of his feet closely for the development of any corns, which can also cause limping.

[okslater]

Thanks @greysmom, he is very active. He always wants at least 2 x 45 minute walks a day, and preferably a run most days too, as well as a couple of shorter walks. When we first got him he just wanted to be out all day, and he's done several 10 mile mountain runs with us too. If he didn't get all this he would just spin round and round our living room until we took him out. We joked that he was like a real dog, not a greyhound. When we took him out for a walk at the kennels when we were choosing him, he looked so sad when we took him back to the kennels. We thought he liked us but realised after he just really likes walking!

I've been keeping an eye on his paws for months for corns, and the vets have checked several times, but there's nothing there so far. 

Our vet has mentioned galliprant in the past for Lemming, so that's good to know there's another option. 

[Remolacha]

What a handsome boy! Definitely keeping him as active as you can without letting him hurt himself (you will soon get a feel for when he wants to overdo). The supplements will probably help quite a bit at first, but later on they may lose some effectiveness. You can change to something else, like Springtime’s Fresh Factors at that point. Also watch the weather, cold and damp make make him hurt more, but that will  be temporary. Good luck, at least this is a very manageable condition!

[greysmom]

If walks are his thing try and search out places where the ground is softer - grassy park paths or mulch as opposed to gravel or pavement - which will help keep down the wear and tear on joints and paws.  Also remember that mental activity can be as tiring as physical activity, so see if he's into any training or food games

[okslater]

Yeah we are rural, so he usually walks on trails or grass. There is some pavement walking to get to that, and he is noticeably more reluctant to walk on those surfaces, which is why I've been keeping an eye on his paws. I bought him some hunnyboots but he will not let us put them on, he's always been very sensitive in the paw area. The only way we can trim is nails is by feeding him chips/fries! 

He's not into toys but he is definitely into food games! Unfortunately his sister has a much better nose than him, so she tends to muscle in and find the hidden treats and the fallen Kong nuggets before he does. But I guess fending her off is a game in itself.