This week, I received a phone call from Wally’s owners. Wally is a large black-spotted, eight-year-old male dalmation. Wally is a very friendly dog.
His owners have often told me how he likes nothing better than to spend his days hurtling himself onto the balcony to greet passers-by. This time, his owners were very worried because a large, distinct, squashball-sized swelling had suddenly appeared over his right elbow.
Thinking the worst, they asked to be seen quickly. Although their concern was understandable, they needn’t have worried. Wally had a case of traumatic elbow bursitis.
Bursitis is the term used to describe an inflammation of a bursa. Bursae are small sacs of fluid located in various parts of the body. They help to lubricate and cushion the pressure caused by the friction of ligaments, tendons, or bones during movement. Large dogs are especially prone to bursitis and affected areas usually include the bony protuberances on the hips, knees, lower hindlegs and elbows – just like Wally.
Because they are, indeed, bony protuberances that could be subject to injury, nature has designed them so that they are protected by several layers of loose tissue, dense connective tissue, fat and skin that collectively protect the area from ordinary bumps and thumps. There are some situations, however, where this cushioning is compromised and traumatic bursitis develops.
For some dogs, elbow bursitis will never recur following good home management. With other dogs, there may be repeated incidences
The most common causes of traumatic elbow bursitis are related firstly to the size of the dog. Large agile dogs such as Wally, dobermans and German pointers, all of which sometimes have the habit of going down hard on their elbows when playing boisterously. This playful clumsiness would cause an inflammation of the protective bursa which swells up and becomes alarmingly visible.
As in all such conditions it is imperative that you take your dog to your veterinarian to confirm the diagnosis and to make sure that what we are dealing with is, in fact, an uncomplicated inflammation with no involvement of infection, neoplasm, or any other pathology of the overlying skin which is always prone to injury – for example due to pressure sores.
Once the diagnosis has been confirmed the various types of remedy would be discussed in detail as traumatic bursitis is not a simple condition to permanently resolve without a proper understanding of the underlying cause.
Depending on the severity of the particular case your veterinarian may opt for various forms of treatment. The main objective is always to resolve the swelling with the minimum of risk of aggravating the situation by introducing infection into the area or by having a suture line over an already compromised area. For this reason, it is important to identify and avoid those situations which encourage any trauma to the elbows. Furthermore, the possible use of elbow padding may be considered as a necessary option.
For some dogs, bursitis will never recur following good home management. With other dogs, there may be repeated incidences. In Wally’s case, the consultation with his owners revealed that the balcony wall onto which he loves to hurtle himself is made of stone. Each time he rushes out to greet a passer-by, in his over-exuberance, he knocks his elbows. The repeated trauma was eventually too much for his right elbow joint, and bursitis developed. Wally’s bursitis was duly drained and a support placed over the area. The difficult part will now be to control his sociable nature without depriving him of his daily enjoyment.
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.
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