Dog won't leave sore alone

[Alexie]

My dog keeps gnawing a sore on his leg, i have to bandage it to stop him getting at it.
the vet said it's a bad habit, like a toddler picking a scab and we'd just have to stop him as best we could.

i don't like to keep bandaging his leg, that causes other problems such as rubbing etc

has anyone found a solution to this problem not using bandages?

[Bluey]

Elizabethan collar.

You can find those as lampshades, tubes and now the inflatable rings, that sound like a more comfortable solution:

http://www.jbpet.com/wound-control-collars-for-pets.html

Has your vet tried a shot of cortisone and did that stop it?
If so, allergies are probably the cause and you can follow up with treatment for those.

How much interaction and activity is your dog provided with every day?
Some nervous/anxious dogs will lick a front leg or flank, just like some people bite their fingernails.
Those seem to be hard battles to fight.

[Alexie]

thanks for your post Bluey, we did try an elizabethan collar but the dog got round it somehow.

He's one of three dogs on a small farm where he gets to go in and out as he wants, he gets exercised on top of that every day where we take them all for walk and a play and run loose. There's always someone at home with them.

He sleeps in the house and is generally petted and fussed as much as he wants :)
He's GSD, if that provides any insight.

When you compare it to biting your finger nails you're spot on. I don't think it's going to be an easy thing to stop but it's always worth asking on a forum like this one.

There are a lot of experienced people who might just have tried something that works :)

[Bluey]

Sounds like your dog has plenty of exercise and company, so I would look into allergies.

My current dog does that front paw licking when her allergies flare up.

You may want to have your vet check for that, if you have not yet.

[Alexie]

We're pretty sure it's not allergies and is a bad habit he's got into :)

However i think your mentioning cortisone made me wonder if, once i get the skin healed over (again) and it's ready to go without the bandage (once more) if i try hydrocortizone cream on it.

it may be that it itches once it's started healing?
and the cream might help.
thanks for your input :)

[Simkie]

Interesting story:

One of my vets used to have a small animal practice, and one of her clients was an absolutely neurotic border collie that was blind and deaf with huge lick granulomas on both front legs that would not resolve. The dog had these lick granulomas for years.

She tried laser therapy on the dog as a last ditch effort. Just your run of the mill laser pointer that you can pick up at your local office depot. She did not expect it to work. She felt silly doing it. When she called a couple weeks later to follow up, she absolutely expected to be told the dog was unchanged.

The sores had healed completely.

I'd give a laser pointer a try.

[Horsegal984]

Did your dog licking at it create the sore or was there a mass/sore there before he started licking? If there was a sore first I would be very worried about what kind of sore it is, as they need to be treated first.

Overall either a bandage or an e-collar is your best bet, if he got around the collar it just means it was too small/short for him. For licking a front paw it needs to stick at least 2" in front of the nose, with it pushed back as far on the neck as it can go. Most of the time it is fitted and then the dog pushes it down on his neck and can get around it.

As far as laser therapy it can be a godsend for many ailments, but I would highly reccomend finding a vet that has a class 4( K Laser) if you can, as it will have the maximum benefits. Also remember that ALL lasers can burn if used improperly, which is why I reccomend finding a good vet with one. The practice I work at has one, and a package of 6 treatments runs about $130, so it's not outrageously expensive.

[Alexie]

oh wow, that sounds an imaginative solution Simkie!

I'll certainly consider it, thankyou :)

[Alexie]

horsegal, he's had the thing for so long we can't remember how it started :(

are you thinking that it might be cancerous when you say "worry about what kind of sore it is"?

[cloudyandcallie]

Lots of dogs have anixiety problems and gnaw their legs or paws.

Prosac resolved the issue with one of my aussies. 2 months of treatment and then she was fine the rest of her life (almost 16 yrs)

You know the baby shoes that get bronzed? Well my vet had made a cast for an aussie many years ago, she too gnawed her legs and we didn't know about using prozac, so the vet put a cast on her foot till the cut from an oyster shell that she'd been gnawing healed completely. Well my mother had the cast bronzed. The company that does baby shoes called her and asked her what that was she was having bronzed, they'd never had a dog cast bronzed before. Years later, they also bronzed the leg cast of a handicapped dog I had rescued, he had an orthodict device made by the human orthodics company here.

Very nervous and sensitive dogs in a "pack" can sometimes gnaw their legs/feet, as people "do" hangnails when stressed.

[Alexie]

Cloudy, he's so laid back i'd be worried about him never waking up if he went on prozac :D

seriously, thanks for the suggestion :) and it's good to know he's not the only dog that does this!

keep them coming folks, every idea will be given serious consideration.

[tradewind]

That constant gnawing is akin to cribbing, it releases endorphines, so once it is a firmly established habit, it is very tough to break. An e-collar or a wire basket muzzle will help. You must leave either of them on long enough to break the habit, not just heal the sore. Years ago I had a rescue come in that had lived on a 2 foot chain her entire life, she had lick sore granulomas the size of hard boiled eggs. It took forever to find a solution, some of which might be outdated now, but it finally involved gold injections, varitone cream, and a wire basket muzzle as this bitch would not tolerate an e collar.

[Horsegal984]

Yes, I was thinking cancer, mainly a mast cell tumor. Mast cells are full of histamine, which is what is released during an allergic reaction causing hives and itchiness. So as the tumor grows and it becomes more and more itchy, so the dog chews or scratches at it. If he's had it that long I would be less suspicious of a cancerous process, as you would probably see growth or metastasis by now.

A basket muzzle may help as well, as well as something like Bitter Apple that they sell at the drug store for children who chew their nails, or at the pet store for dogs who do, well, this! :D

[mroades]

My JRT does this...I just got a six month old one healed up ion his back leg...he got into some beef (he is highly allergic to beef) and started a new one on his front leg. About to start wrapping it with some animax ointment and see if I can get this one to clear up....

[Blinkers On]

My old dog is seriously Obsessive Compulsive about the sores he creates. He does have environmental allergies and spring is so hard on him. This is the worst I have ever seen. He chews himself raw in spots even with benadryl and prednisone every other day.
See your vet and get to the why of the chewing. Is it just an anxiety thing (something I thought was the cause of my dogs angst) or is it an allergy thing OR something else?
It is so troublesome when they are mutilating themselves!

[jetsmom]

Take a man's tube sock and duct tape inside the part that will touch the dog's leg. While sock is not near dog, spray w/Raplast/Bitter apple/Bitrex on the section protected by duct tape (tape should be inside sock...you are spraying outside the sock on the area that the duct tape is taped onto, on the inside. You don't want the Raplast coming in contact w/the skin, hence, the duct tape inside).
Cut a small hole on outside top part of sock. Put sock on dog. Thread a knee- hi thru hole, and tie to dog's collar to hold sock up. Dog shouldn't try to chew on sock/Raplast.

[crosscreeksh]

I have two GSD's with skin allergies. A dog breeder/trainer suggested Tea Tree Oil mixed with water and put in a spray bottle. It has an absolutely foul smell and taste and worked very well to stop my dogs from nibbling on themselves. The TT Oil also acts to soothe and heal the sores. Cheap enough to give it a try.

[vacation1]

My dog has allergies, and periodically I have to stick her e-collar on her and spritz a wannabe hot spot with her latest anti-itch spray. I've gotten the wrong size e-collar from the vet before (too big - it literally dragged her head to the floor) and generally, it's good to let the vet/tech fit it before you leave the office.

If the dog is otherwise normal and gets good attention, exercise, etc., I think I'd look more deeply into allergies, because it seems odd that there would only be this one expression of neurosis. I know some breeds are notorious for lick compulsion, but I think you're right about it probably itching while it heals. At the moment I would think that a long-standing sore needs to be healed and back to normal skin before you could tell if the licking originated in a mental thing ie repetitive/compulsive behavior or a physical thing, ie was triggered by allergic itching.

You might try a different vet, if yours has gotten set into thinking that this is a behavior problem rather than a medical one; not to slam your vet, but even good vets can find frustrating cases difficult to turn over to someone else even when they're at a dead end. Covering the paw and keeping the dog off it with an e-collar will help it heal, but neither will help the dog feel much better in the short-term if the sore does itch.

Good luck!

[Alexie]

thanks for the tips and ideas :) I really appreciate your input and will be back to let you know how we get on with them

[Luckydonkey]

my vet tells people who have dogs with sores and hot spots to buy a tube of bengay and put a little bit around the ege of the sore- not directly on any open part of it- but around it enough that the smell and taste will make him leave it alone... Worked for our dog.:D

[Monarch]

My dog who had hot spots responded very well with Springtime's Fresh Factors. http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/88/2
I had been to the vet and all with some success but she still was bothering the spots then a friend suggested FF and the spots healed up. Now when I notice her starting one - on the pills she goes - no problems.
M

[ToiRider]

We rescued an old golden retriever. She used to get terrible hot spots. I started powdering her hot spots with Gold Bond medicated powder. It instantly did the trick. She stopped licking, the powder helped dry out the spots and the medicine helped the spots heal. No more hot spots! She loved getting her spots powdered - it must have felt great to her. She was a great old dog.

[Sulta]

Depending on where the sore is, I used to put sweatshirts/long sleeve shirts on my GSD who would just bother anything on her legs until she made it a problem. The shirts stopped her from bothering the wound and let them heal. Once healed, she left them alone. For her it was more boredom/something to do.

The elizabetian collar just drove her (and me) nuts!

[Twiliath]

Another issue could be a tingling nerve for some reason. He's chewing that spot for some reason. yes, it could be a "bad" habit, but he gets some kind of relief. Release of endorphins is also possible. You could try acupuncture.

Laser - you don't need to have a Class IV. A class III and even a class II will help a lot, especially if it's for skin issues. Class IV's go very, very deep. You don't need a Class IV for skin.

[Blacklabs]

these are new to the market and might help your dog


https://store.nurturedpets.com/c-2-pet-health-supplies.aspx


more info on the strips and what they do


http://www.nurturedpets.com/resources/pressreleases/Nurtured-Pets-Launches-Anti-Lick-Strip-Pro-C-For-Veterinarians.asp

[Alexie]

thankyou for your responses and product suggestions - what is the UK equivalent gold bond medicated powder, do you know Toirider?, blacklabs that looks an interesting link thankyou :)

it's time to try him without the bandage again *gulp* it's healed again.

[Petstorejunkie]

horsegal, he's had the thing for so long we can't remember how it started :(



Please read the ingredients of everything your pet eats. Eliminate these ingredients from his diet immediately:
CORN
WHEAT
SOY

they are the top 3 allergens for dogs and cats, and in many cases will cause symptoms like what you are describing. If you need pet food suggestions, feel free to PM me.

[AiryFairy]

thanks for the tips and ideas :) I really appreciate your input and will be back to let you know how we get on with them

I would also try keeping it covered in something like lanacaine or if you can get it some lidocaine gel from the vet. If you can keep it from itching and feeling sore, he won't be so obsessed with licking it. I did this when my dog had stitches that she was dying to get at and it kept her off them. I don't think it tastes good either and it makes their tongues feel funny, LOL.

[RxCate]

my dog is having the same problem..

she got into a minor tiff and has a little scrape on her leg that she keeps licking.

I'm going to try the tea-tree oil trick... my step-father is a small animal vet and also suggested the cone, but i know she'd get around it..

[LexusBoBexus]

My family had a Great Dane about 15 years ago that was constantly mouthing at one of her forelimbs. It was a nervous condition. My mother tried all sorts of creams and ointments. She would wrap the leg, but the dog would just go through it day after day. It was so bad that she was literally chewing her leg off, when taken to the vets, they said that they had never seen a "reaction" this bad. They even suggested having her leg amputated.

At some point my mom ran into a Great Dane dog breeder that said the vet's suggestion was utter nonsense' the breeder suggested the following:

1 cover the wound with furo-zone (a similar product would probably work as well??)
2 wrap with bandage
3 cover with Vaseline

She said the dog wouldn't touch the Vaseline and she didn't. It took some time (and was a little messy), but the dog eventually healed, my mother changed the wraps 4X daily. I want to say the dog also kicked her nervous habit of mouthing at her legs as well.

[Snapdragon]

We have a cattle dog that has done this forever. I think we have figured out that for him it's a combination of two things: allergies and obsessive behavior. Our dog was not only chewing his legs but over time became unbearably miserable with skin allergies, and it was making us miserable as well.

We changed his food (made it ourselves) and added a heaping T of unprocessed honey (from our area) into his food every day. I'll be damned, everything cleared up in a week. I truly tried this as a last resort, thinking what can it hurt? It seemed like a miracle, because we had tried barriers, ointments, sprays, cortisone, shampoos, yelling.

He still occasionally chews, but now he goes for months with no chewing. His skin allergies have not come back like they were, but he has occasional outbreaks. I think aside from food allergies, he has environmental allergies that aggravate it, plus he just has a compulsion to chew.

I would at least try a change in diet. It was last on my list after banging my head against the wall for months trying every other solution.

[Alexie]

well i took the bandage off, applied hydrosortizone cream, took him for a walk and re-dressed it when we got back.
can't bring myself to leave him to have another go at it, it's healed so nicely :o

i also rubbed in aloe vera gel with a few drops of lavender around the sore to relieve any itching in the area, which he enjoyed-it must get itchy under the bandage :no:.

regarding the diet-he was no different when we put him on rice and chicken, :confused: petstorejunkie (great name :) )

[Petstorejunkie]

well i took the bandage off, applied hydrosortizone cream, took him for a walk and re-dressed it when we got back.
can't bring myself to leave him to have another go at it, it's healed so nicely :o

i also rubbed in aloe vera gel with a few drops of lavender around the sore to relieve any itching in the area, which he enjoyed-it must get itchy under the bandage :no:.

regarding the diet-he was no different when we put him on rice and chicken, :confused: petstorejunkie (great name :) )
unless you changed his diet for at least 6 weeks, it's not going to yeild accurate results.
Can you post/pm me what you are feeding now?

[Horsegal984]

Plus chicken is one of the most common protein allergens. So to really try a food trial I would do grain free and one without chicken or beef. I like Wellness Core and Timberwolf for a lot of these guys, and there is another one that is cheaper but I can't remember the name right now

Katherine

[Zarafa]

We had a cat many years ago who would lick her belly bald whenever we went on vacation, and then it would itch as it grew back, so she would lick, and on and on and on ...

On the suggestion of my uncle (an engineer who fancies himself a medical genius) we gave her half of a Brewer's Yeast pill daily and she stopped licking and the hair grew back beautifully. No idea how it worked or why, but it did; there's some suggesetion that it stimulates the immune system. I've given it to dogs growing hair back post surgery and they do seem to hair up quickly and well.

Good luck, at any rate!

[Alexie]

Update:

Well the sore healed up nicely under a bandage, and once it had healed again I applied cortisone cream you get from the chemist.

I left the bandage off for daytime only for a week, and yesterday left it un-bandaged overnight too.

Still applying the cream daily, but so far so good :D

I am so chuffed :)

Thank you all for your advice, and for taking the time to post :)