How do you bandage a front leg?

    • Gold Top Dog

    How do you bandage a front leg?

    Ms Pella, our lab, decided to leap up on the deck landing and she fell on her front legs (elbows) and then her back legs gave out as well.  (Talk about thinking she is still a young girl!)  She was alittle stiff after the fall, but seemed fine.  The next day her left elbow was swollen huge.  I wrapped it in socks to pad it when she lays down and waited til morning.  Called the vet and they said to just watch it and keep her on a cushioned surface.

    That afternoon, it drained big time, clear and bloody fluid, so I put a bandage on it and a sock again.  Called the vet and they told me to keep it dry and cushioned they also had me pick up antibiotics.

    Well, it is quite a job to bandage that area on a dog, I end up using tape to keep the bandage tight above her joint, that way it won't fall down.  Then you have to change it all the time because she it licking at it.  Finally today the opeing where the drainage came out is scabbing over, so I am just covering it now to keep it padded until it is healed.

    Any tips on what can be used to pad their elbows for times like these?  She is 12 yrs old and has always liked laying on the garage floor or in the dirt, so her elbows are dry and do crack.  (Why she wants to lay in those places is beyond me, because she has a mat in the garage to lay on when we are out there and she is a house dog. )

    Thanks 

     

    • Gold Top Dog
    I'd put some non stick gauze pads over the elbow and then wrap with vet wrap, which they also sell for humans now. lol  Not too tight.  If she keeps licking it or removing the wrap, put an elizabethan collar on her.  Maybe you could confine her to a crate with a bed or towels for cushioning until her elbow heals.  I hope it resolves with no problem.  There are some products for dogs that will help keep the elbows from cracking and becoming so dry.  I can't for the life of me remember any of the names but I would use a product made for dogs as some products might have ingredients that she shouldn't ingest.
    • Gold Top Dog

    Bag Balm is safe to use on dogs --

     Gauze is always good -- you may want to go to a medical supply place - you can get it cheaper.

    But then vet wrap is good -- but ify ou want more protection take an old pair of tube socks and you can use that over the top of everything (and a piece of vet wrap top and botttom) will keep the bandage clean and give a bit more protection.

    • Gold Top Dog

     In addition to the wrap (which I have no helpful ideas for you), it sounds like her licking is helping remove the wrapping.

    Do you have a cone collar to put on her for a day or so?  I finally bought an inflatable pro collar and it is great, much better than the plastic ones.  You could "try" wrapping a towel around her neck, to get the same effect, lol.  

    Heal quickly,  pretty gal!

    • Gold Top Dog

    This product isn't cheap, but might help - especially if the problem continues.

    http://www.dogleggs.com/adjustable/

    • Gold Top Dog

    Janet, thank you for that link, I made something just like this out of long hunting socks, it worked good enough, but I purchased some of the cloth tape and that is working out real good.

    Just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions.  I got the Bag Balm and I am happy to report her elbow looks 98% better, I am going to keep it covered and cushioned for another week, and I think she should be good.

     That Bag Balm is amazing stuff.