144. Elbow sores in a leashed Golden Retriever - under the coffee table den

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


The Golden Retriever puppy looked good. Well fed. Until you see brownish red back paws. No complaints from the owner. A further examination on the examination table which just fits this fast growing puppy. The back of elbows has hair loss. Brownish red spots. These were elbow sores. No complaints from the owner.

The owner just wanted vaccination. However, small skin problems are best treated early. Otherwise, more itchy areas. More hair loss. The owner was advised to keep the puppy away from hiding under the bed or chairs.

Puppies love a secure area. A den where they get security and privacy. Under the bed should be an ideal idea. The puppy crawls under the bed as it is too big to walk under. The elbows get rubbed on the floor and against the side of the bed. Injuries. Inflamed area. Pains. Puppy licks. More injury of the skin behind the elbow. Elbow sores develop. Hair lost. Itchy elbows.

"But my bed is directly on the floor!" the owner said. "No space below for the Golden Retriever."

"How about under the dining chairs?" I asked.

"My chairs have no legs." the owner laughed loudly.

"Some objects where the puppy can slide under to hide?" I asked. This investigation was getting tough. The Golden Retriever grew heavier and bigger. He had to crawl like a commando under the wire fencing gap to get into the enemy territory.

But this owner had no small holes for him to cause elbow sores to develop. I had never been to his apartment. All fully tiled, so the floors were smooth. Not abrasive to cause elbow sores even if the puppy plopped onto the floor to sleep. A brand new apartment.

"There must be some gaps between the furniture?" I said.

"It might be the coffee table," the owner wrinkled his nose. "Sometimes, the puppy crawled under the coffee table to hide from the kids."

Well, that was the den. A quiet place to rest and recover from the hectic demands of play and attention from the younger children. Many puppies need such privacy but with young children, they may have difficulty getting privacy in an apartment. Puppies sleep a lot but they cannot rest if the children keep playing with them.

What's the solution to prevent elbow sores? Monitor the puppy closely and change his behaviour since it was not practical to block the bottom of the coffee table. The puppy had grown bigger and had great difficulty going under the coffee table. So he had to commando-crawl under the table now, causing elbows to hit the side of the table and being injured.


"Is she toilet-trained?" I asked.

"I just leashed him outside the bathroom." the owner said. "He goes into the bathroom where I put newspapers when he wants to pee and poop."

That was a good idea. Bigger breeds pass a lot more stools. This could be smelly. So, being close to the bathroom was best for everybody. Could she develop elbow sores by being leashed outside the bathroom for long periods of time? She had reddish brown back paws indicating itchiness due to licking



There is never an end to speculation on elbow sore formation. A book could be written about Canine Elbow Sores in Singapore!