Elbow callouses, infected, bleeding, have a question

I think keeping a wound clean and covered is alot more condusive to healing than leaving it open.Some dogs are fearfull of an Elizabethan collar if yours is I wouldn't use it.I have seen these inflatable donut collars that do the same thing and seem to be more bearable.Either way reducing or eliminating the sores should be your longterm goal.Can I ask, is Allie overweight?What and how much is she fed? Two years ago my lab mix who is now 11 was an overweight couch potato with elbow sores that bled.I put her on a better food,limited her k-cals and got her out walking.I always watch my dogs elbows after switching food.On some foods her calouses would start to raise and turn pink in as little as a week.It was hard,I wanted to spoil her with treats and table food but I stuck to the plan.She is now thin by labrador standards but her sores are all GONE and she Runs like she did eight years ago.

Tena

You can leave the bandage off for a while, but keeping it covered will keep her out of it.  It becomes a nervous habit and you have to actually STOP them from worrying at it.

 Are they infected?  Infected stuff won't heal -- you may need antibiotics.  You may also need to give her either a calmative (Hylands Calms Forte works good and isn't habit-forming) or even an herbal like passion flower or valerian root.

Leaving it open will cause the sore to crack and bleed AND let her lick at it.  You probably need to see the vet.

Keeping it wrapped will keep it from continuously rubbing on the ground when she is resting during the healing process.  You should also use something to keep her from reaching it..be it an e-collar, one of the inflatable doughnut collars, etc.  I've seen some very nasty infections on elbow sores, simply because they're in a very unfortunate area.

Yes,under those circumstances you may need to try the Elizabethan collar .As far as your food goes,Iams may work fine for many dogs but your dog might have a problem with one or more of the ingredients.Typically corn, wheat and soy are ingredients that make my dog worse.Also I try to avoid artificial preservatives.My dog ended up doing the best on Taste of the Wild.She also tolerated Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul pretty well.Once you find the right food you'll have to find the right portion to keep her trim if she isn't already.Hope Allie feels better soon.

Tena

The folks at DogLeggs specialize in items to add healing.

Here is one of their products - http://www.dogleggs.com/files/adjustable.cfm

Email them describing your problem in detail and see what they recommend.