10/05/2025
Meet our patient, Bruce Wayne, a 7 month old Mastiff! He came in on Friday to check a lump on his leg that Dr Furth diagnosed as a hygroma. A hygroma is a non-painful, fluid-filled swelling that develops over any bony prominence or pressure point. They occur most commonly over the elbow joint in large and giant breed dogs like German Shepherds, Labradors, Great Danes, and Mastiffs. While normally benign, they can become infected.
A dogās body is trying to protect the bony prominence on hard surfaces by encapsulating it with fluid to cushion the joint. To treat and prevent these from forming, it is essential to increase soft padding and cushioning in your dogās favorite resting spots. Cold laser therapy can also help decrease the inflammation. Elbow pads can help prevent the progression and abscessation of hygromas.
If the hygroma grows to an unmanageable size for conservative treatments, draining the fluid or surgical removal may be warranted. However, this does not guarantee that it wonāt recur. As always, talk to your vet to see what is right for your dog š
