Hi Folks,

I'm new here, having just found and registered on the website. If this post is in the wrong location, please let me know.

I have an 18 month old St. Bernard who is a tripod. His front elbow shattered one day jumping off the footstool when he was around 4-5 months old. There was apparently a staph infection that had damaged the joint during development. Our options were limited, as were our finances. The decision to amputate, supported by the surgeon(s), was quite an emotional blow to the family (my wife and I have a 7 and 8 year old) and severely strained our finances. Our dog Bear has done reasonably well since the surgury, recovering to be as active as a my wife tells me a St. Bernard should be.

Unfortunately, Bear has developed a fluid filled joint just above the remaining front paw. The joint I'm referring to is comparable to our wrist. The swelling, located on the front side of the joint, seemed as if it were beginning to recede but has once again expanded. Not having any experience with tripods, I'm not sure what is considered normal behavior. Bear isn't all that graceful, with those long legs and heavy torso, crashing onto his jaw quite regularly during the day. A walk can almost bring me to tears. He gets a lot of credit for having such a big heart but I can see even he gets somewhat depressed from the situation.

Getting back on track here, can anyone tell me about what I'm seeing in the joint? The canine anatomy charts I've looked at on the internet do a poor job of stating exactly what the joint is called. As I stated above, it is similar to a human wrist. His condition appears to be similar to the description I've read about called elbow hygroma, except on a different joint. The dog does seem to routinely help himself up using the joint, rather than the paw and will do the same after crashing when he walks. I've also noticed he sleeps with the joint fully bent, with the paw tucked up near his leg. I don't know if this is routine for a large dog.

I'd appreciate any help in identifying this and could use tips for treating it as well. I've considered the possibility he might need some sort of sock to compress the fluid as well as a splint to force him to keep the leg extended. I just don't know if either are good approaches to the problem or if there is available hardware on the market. Everything I've seen regarding elbow hygroma suggests to leave it alone unless it gets too big (???) and considerer having it drained by a vet. Believe me when I tell you, we can't afford a vet right now but I don't want to let Bear suffer for it. I'm concerned about deterioration in the joint from long term neglect.

This post is longer than intended. I guess it will have to do as a "Hello" to all the members as well.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Greg