My saint bernard has swollen elbow, have been to my vet and said that it is the same as tennis elbow and to give soft bedding etc, I was aware that this was needed but my saint still wants to fall heavily on hard floors rather than going on softer places.  Can anybody suggest anything to take the swelling away?

Hi Guest,
My elderly border collie had this last year. Swollen soft lump caused by lying on hard tiled floors. He prefers this it seems - he has soft beds and they have full access to my couch but this old man prefers the cool tiled floor!!
Anyway, my vet drained the lump and injected steroids into the area to reduce the swelling which worked. He still has dry patches on his elbow but no more lumps.
Hope this helps

If a giant breed wants to lie on a hard floor it is very difficult to talk them out of it:) As colliecrew says, the bursa (the swelling) can be drained and a steroid injection given. The other possibility is to have the bursa surgically removed. I've seen both work. The trouble is that if the dog still insists on a hard surface they can come back. Can you find him a soft place he likes - maybe an old sofa? If you can somehow persuade him to a soft bed many of the bursas will sort themselves out.