What Causes Elbow Calluses?

Your dog's overprotective ulna bone tries to protect the bony part of the elbow that hits the ground first. With every landing on a hard surface, the ulna tells the skin to get thicker and thicker, and pretty soon there is a callus. Enough hard landings can cause the callus to become cracked, bloody, infected, or ulcerated.

Our large/giant breed dogs (not fat-shaming) put more force/weight into their landing, which multiplies the effects.

Heavily coated giant breeds don't usually have as many elbow callus issues as shorter coated breeds, as their coat softens the blow of the elbow against the ground.

In warmer areas hard surfaces are usually cooler for big dogs, creating a dilemma. Your Lab is hot and just wants to spread across the cool concrete of the patio. He doesn't care about his elbow calluses, he just wants to cool his belly.

It's a vicious callus-creating cycle! 

• Provide comfy beds in multiple locations

• Encourage your dog to use them

•Use Elbow Butter 

• Keep calluses clean 

• Keep your dog at a healthy weight

• Consult your veterinarian as needed (if it bleeds or becomes fluid-filled)

While Elbow Butter can help the callus heal, it cannot cure the tendency toward calluses.

Clients have reported calluses disappearing completely and hair growing back, BUT that is not guaranteed. Like those weight loss ads that say, “These results are not typical of all users.” 

• It depends on if your dog continues to land hard on their elbows.

• It depends on if your dog will use their bed, at least some of the time.

• It depends on how thick the calluses were to begin with.

Remember, your dog re-creates the callus when they lie on a hard surface.

Elbow Butter conditions the callus and helps keep it from bleeding, The anti-fungal and anti-bacterial power of our herbal ingredients help keep infections at bay.

Most dogs experience a lessening in size of the callus and it becomes more pliable and less tight and restrictive.

Keeping expectations real!

We've had many frantic phone calls from concerned dog parents after they dog licked a tin of Elbow Butter clean.

Elbow Butter is made using all natural stuff that will not hurt your dog’s tummy, there are no active ingredients to upset systems. Of course, you do not want them to eat that much fat at one time, so put the lid on and put it away!

Elbow Butter in the tin and in the tube is the exact same formulation. There is no difference in the actual product, just different containers.

TIP!If you prefer a hands-on approach, get the tin. If dab and go is your style, get the tube.

FYI:Our balms have a dense, stiff consistency, because your dog's elbow callus is very thick skin tissue. If it were a fluffy cream, it would not work.

WARM For faster absorption put the tin or tube in your pocket for a few minutes to warm it. This is the #1 Tip!

Wipe callus clean.

TINScoop a bit out with finger or spoon and warm in your palm before application for faster absorption

DAB or rub on dog's elbow callus

DISTRACT with a treat, pets, a walk

DISTRACTto keep them from licking it off (give treat, feed dinner, go for walk)

REPEAT 2-3x daily for 1-3 days or until there is improvement

Use as needed for maintenance (usually 1-2x a week)

Keep off carpet and furniture for 10-15 minutes after application

Products have no active ingredients and will not harm your dog if they lick some off. But we want the product to get it's work done, so distract away!