Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New shockwave treatment for dog elbow hygroma
By Verhoeven, Anika et al.·Published in Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere·2023·Clinic for Small Animals, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Novel approach for the treatment of canine elbow hygroma with extracorporeal shockwaves.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old Labrador and two other dogs were treated for painful elbow hygromas, which are fluid-filled lumps that can develop from repeated trauma. Instead of surgery, the dogs received extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), a treatment that helps reduce inflammation and promote healing. After 3 to 6 sessions, all hygromas completely disappeared without any complications. This suggests that ESWT could be a safe and effective option for treating elbow hygromas in dogs.
People also search for: dog elbow hygroma treatment · extracorporeal shockwave therapy for dogs · Labrador elbow lump treatment
Abstract
A hygroma is a fluid filled cavity, which appears due to repetitive traumata over bony prominences. For canine elbow hygroma there is no satisfactory treatment option available. Small hygromas should not be treated at all. Larger hygromas that restrict the dog in daily life, are infected, painful, or ulcerated should be treated surgically with drainage or total excision. Surgical treatment of hygromas results in long rehabilitation times and is associated with a high complication rate. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is widely used in human and veterinary rehabilitation medicine since several years. Even the mechanisms of action are not fully understood it has a wide range of indications. ESWT provides anti-inflammatory effects, promotes microcirculation, and is used for pain relief. In this case series of 4 consecutive cases in 3 dogs we treated hygromas with extracorporeal shockwaves each for 3 to 6 times usually on a weekly basis. All hygromas regressed completely and no complications were noted. Overall ESWT seems to provide a safe, easy-to-use, as well as cost-effective alternative treatment option for canine elbow hygroma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37567180/