Bare Spot on Lab/Rott Mix Paw
Written by DCB
Our 8-year old Lab/Rott mix licks her paw from time to time, so much so that there is a bald spot. Any idea why, and what we should do?
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My 3 yr. old, otherwise very well behaved mix-breed has recurring hot spots on his tail. His tail will be fine for 6 months or more and then in hours he will lick and chew it until a raw spot forms. The most recent spot has been the worst so far, about 2-3 inches long and into the meat. It is now healing but Bruno, our dog needs almost constant supervision, a cone collar, and a bandaged tail. He can still manage to chew the tail even with the cone on. A friend who is a vet assistant experienced a much more haunting incident in which her dog chewed the end of its tail completely off! I am now trying different changes in diet because I heard it could be a food allergy or deficiency in his diet which causes him to actually want to eat his tail! Although, I'm not sure if I believe or want to believe that. Per vet advice, I also tried giving Bruno small amounts of children's Benadryl for allergies but after this last episode I feel somewhat at a loss. Bruno gets all the love, attention, and excersise he needs but he was resqued from the pound and showed signs of abuse. Perhapse it is separation anxiety or some other behavioral problem, but I don't know what else I can do other than quit my job and devote my life to preserving Bruno's tail.
Our vet suggested that we put Arrid XX deodorant (stick-not spray) on our dog's paw. Costs about $2 at the family dollar store. They don't like the taste and the paw has a chance to heal. This also works on wood furniture legs. Right now we are dealing with a 5 month old teething miniature schnauzer. best of luck-art nemeth-ohio
Our lab has simular problem on his nuckle that started when he sprained it. He has licked it to open sore
and our Vet has been unable ot offer any solutions other than one of those cone collars which our dog would
not stand for. Are there any ointments or anything available that we can try??
The problem with ointments is that they may help the sore initially short term but do not usually solve the why is the dog licking problem. If there is nothing further medically wrong with the leg than it is a habit that needs to be redirected. That is the tricky part. Distraction is the best solution. If your dog is doing the licking while you are home try some new toys or taking a walk or something to keep the dog busy. If he does it when you are not home, try a raw marrow bone and other toys like a kong to keep him occupied while you are gone. Some dogs develop this habit out of boredom and it does take a while to kick the habit, but it can be done.
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The bald spot caused by licking is called a lick granuloma. Dogs can cause these spots for a variety of reasons. Most are bored or having separation anxiety and start licking which causes the area to become irritated which in turn causes more licking.
Other possibilities include a foreign body such as a thorn, muscle, bone or joint pain, or even Hypothyroidism. It is a good idea to have a check up with your Vet to rule out any of these possibilities.
If boredom is the case, try to increase your dogs exercise and introduce some new toys. When does most of the licking occur? Try to distract your dog during these times with a stuffed kong, a marrow bone or even a walk around the block if you are home.
Some people have had luck with an Acupunture treatment called 'Circle the Dragon'. If the problem persists and the area becomes open, please see your Vet. Unfortunately, this is not always a clear cut problem with a simple solution.
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