lick atrophy

[annmarie]

My dog started doing this due to a seasonal allergy, but I've noticed that he will start it up again at other times of the year if he's stressed or bored, kind of like people who chew their nails. I don't like using harsh prescriptions like steroids, etc. so I'm always looking for home remedies. One thing that seems to work the best is rinsing or even soaking his paws in cool water daily. It seems to bring him great relief, since the skin gets so inflamed and the saliva is only more damaging and itch producing. Maybe a nice mild peppermint soap like Dr. Bronners added to the water would be even more soothing because it would cool his skin too. If boredom or stress seems to be causing the problem, I get him a good chew toy/rawhide type thing. That always keeps him happily occupied for quite a while. Sorry you're going through this, I know how stressful it can get. Try your best to stop your dog every time he appears to be getting ready to start up again. As soon as you catch him starting to sniff his feet make a good sharp noise (like EH!) to get his attention. This should help him break the obsession. And give him lots of attention. The more attention you give him the less time he has to think about licking his paws!

 

[wateboe]

I've never heard that exact term, but I am familiar with "lick granuloma", so you might want to Google that to do a bit of research.

Edited to read "never heard" rather than "ever neard"... although my friends might say that "ever NERD" would suit me!

 

[Haviris]

My dog has a lick granuloma. He has allergies that occationally flare up and he'd start licking usually just getting a sore started, then we get him an allergie shot and they'd heal up, the last time he just didn't stop licking and now has a huge sore.

They can be a pain in the behind to heal to, we've been battling this one for probably two years now, he's had two lazor surgeried, been put on two different mode altering drugs, put everything possible on the wound. We've tried wrapping it up, which worked at first, until he started ripping the bandage off w/in the first hour. We've tried E collars, which he can get around. And now he's muzzled. It's no longer a matter of him licking it, he's now chewing and ripping it up. I'm hoping the muzzle will be the answer, but twice now it has been so close to being healed (and it will always be a big scar), and I gave him just alittle to much freedom and he's tore it up again. And I wonder what's going to happen when it is healed, he may never leave it alone!

I hope you have better luck then I have!

 

[abluechipstock]

the sore is called a lick granuloma, it's actually a neurotic activity that starts out of boredom and becomes an obsession, it actually starts to produce endorphins when she does it, so it makes her "high" in simple terms, it's the same thing as cribbing in horses, no real cure, i've seen huge ones that take up the whole paw, it's gross, the only way you can fix it is put an elizabethian collar on them until it heals but most will start again, i've even heard of the area being surgically removed to stop them, hope this helps