Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Medical Forum => Medical Conditions & Diseases => : Kiahpyr July 24, 2006, 06:35:44 PM
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For the past few days Kiah has been licking her paw and it's now very raw. I inspected it and didn't see anything. Any advice on how to get her to stop? Can I put neosporin on it and wrap it? Or should I take her to the vet?
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Hmm...Cabeza was doing this. We took him to the vet and it was infected. So, I don't know what to tell you. You might want to try the Neosporin, but, she'll probably just lick it off. And if you wrap it, it won't get any air. I suggest the vet.
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Ok thanks! How did he know it was infected? You would think it would be swollen or something. :-\
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Red inflammed tissue is visible if you look. Often however you have to shave the spot to get a good look at it. Does she have a temp? If you can not determine or if you can not treat it is infected, then I agree. Vet time.
Jackie
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Ok I'll call the vet in the morning. Did I mention that my vet already thinks I'm nuts?
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Zoe is a paw licker big time. When she was about 1 we moved and then she started licking her paws ALL THE TIME. The said she has allergies from both the ground and airborne pollens. Although zoe's is nature induced, they said it is also possible to get that from a food allergy as well. We moved a couple years ago and the licking got better, but sometimes she does it out of habit. We have a paw wash from the vet and just try and distract her whenever we see it happen.
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I would take her to the vet if she has licked it raw, April. There is actually a nervous condition commonly called "lickitis" where they will lick their paws, tail, legs, whatever until it is raw and bleeding. It could be she is still a little stressed from her change in environment with the new floors and furniture rarranged, etc.
Don't be alarmed, though - this is probably the least likely possibility. More likely it is an allergy, infection or bug bite as mentioned before, but if she has licked it raw definitely take her to the vet.
Let us know!
Jeanne
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I don't know where you live, but for us in California, a dog licking its paw is a sign that there is a foxtail in there. It's a very sharp weed that grows EVERYWHERE and can get between a dog's pads and, unfortunetly travel until they are stopped by a bone! The are AWFUL! I think they are pretty common in many parts of the country and they do cause an infection or abcess. Check between her toes and pads and up her leg. If there is redness or a blistery looking sore, she needs to get it opened up by a vet and to be on antibiotics.
If there is no sign of a sore, then it could be a nervous habit. Has anything changed in her life that could be bothering her??
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Sam was limping & licking the underside of his paws awhile back & I couldn't find anything...Too k him to the vet & she found the tiniest little pimple looking thing on close to the foot between his toes...She squeezed it out & I couldn't believe the amount of yuck that came out but it fixed him...I mean this thing was like pin prick sized but obviously infected far deeper than what was on the surface.
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This is going to sound kind of wacked out, but Ben my first dog did this at one time too. He licked his leg so raw, there was no fur in like a 5 inch circle. So we took him to the vet. We wanted to make it wasn't fleas bothering him or a tick bite or anything like that. Now don't laugh if that's possible, but the vet said that Ben was bored, so he was licking it raw and the vet put our dog on anti-depressant pills for awhile! I had never heard of anti-depressants for a dog before! Whether he was right or not, don't know, but Ben stopped licking it.
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My Bear was licking his left paw raw, constantly. Sometimes he really got into it and chewed his pads as well. He also suffers almost constant ear infections in his left ear. To boost his immune system we started giving him a couple tablespoons of yogurt in his kibble at every meal. Although the ear is still a problem, his paw and paw pads are left alone.
I would definitely go to the vet, though, as you just never know the first time around.
Good luck - and please let us know what you find out.
Jennifer
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I'm taking Kiah to the vet on friday. Hopefully all goes well.
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Kiah has started licking her other front paw, so I decided to get her to the vet today. Kiah has pododermatitis which is a low grade allegy from the environment. The vet gave her a steriod shot. However if that doesn't work then we'll have to start giving her an antihistamines . :-\
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Do you know what in her envoirment Kiah might be allergic to?...It sounds like it might be something like a cleaner or carpet fresh type thing seeing as it is her paws...What did your vet say?...Might save you time, trouble & save Kiah the irritation to figure out what...Have you started using any new cleaner or OMG...just thought of this...the new flooring?...What do you think?
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Do you know what in her envoirment Kiah might be allergic to?...It sounds like it might be something like a cleaner or carpet fresh type thing seeing as it is her paws...What did your vet say?...Might save you time, trouble & save Kiah the irritation to figure out what...Have you started using any new cleaner or OMG...just thought of this...the new flooring?...What do you think?
The way the vet sounded is it's something outside. I never thought to ask him about the new floor. :o I bet it's a possibility that it's the cleaner I use to shine the floor with. I'll definately change that and hope it works. Thanks Chelle!
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Do you know what in her envoirment Kiah might be allergic to?...It sounds like it might be something like a cleaner or carpet fresh type thing seeing as it is her paws...What did your vet say?...Might save you time, trouble & save Kiah the irritation to figure out what...Have you started using any new cleaner or OMG...just thought of this...the new flooring?...What do you think?
The way the vet sounded is it's something outside. I never thought to ask him about the new floor. :o I bet it's a possibility that it's the cleaner I use to shine the floor with. I'll definately change that and hope it works. Thanks Chelle!
But, you had Kiah last summer with none of this...I know dogs, like people, can develop allergies but didn't this paw thing coincide with when you put the new floors in?...Too much of a coincidence for me...Is the floor possibly treated with something from the factory?....Might want to look into that too but I'd bet it's the cleaner.
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No allergies last summer with Kiah. It totally coincides with putting in the laminate flooring. I know it has to have something on it to keep it from getting scratched. Also when we tore up the carpet there was a ton of dust and stuff under it. The dogs were walking on it has well. The vet said we could do allergy testing, but it's more expensive then giving her antihistamines .
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No allergies last summer with Kiah. It totally coincides with putting in the laminate flooring. I know it has to have something on it to keep it from getting scratched. Also when we tore up the carpet there was a ton of dust and stuff under it. The dogs were walking on it has well. The vet said we could do allergy testing, but it's more expensive then giving her antihistamines .
Is there anything you can do to protect Kiah's paws from the flooring or do you think it's just the cleaner...I'd lean towards the cleaner.
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My Bear was licking his left paw raw, constantly. Sometimes he really got into it and chewed his pads as well. He also suffers almost constant ear infections in his left ear. To boost his immune system we started giving him a couple tablespoons of yogurt in his kibble at every meal. Although the ear is still a problem, his paw and paw pads are left alone.Â
I would definitely go to the vet, though, as you just never know the first time around.
Good luck - and please let us know what you find out.
Jennifer
Jennifer, I'm curious to know how you treat the ear infections? My lab/golden mix Jake has them all the time. I was keeping them clean and then when the infection would return I'd take him to the vet, start him on antibiotics, it would get better for a little while, then the infection would return and the whole cycle would start over again. I started checking into some natural cures and I was given a remedy of "vitamins" - something for the immune system, something for fungus, and 1/4 teaspoon olive oil mixed together and dropped into his ear 3x a day. Not helping at all!!!! I don't want to be a bad mom and wait too long, but I just don't know what to do. A friend said she cleans her dog's ears with listerine! Sounds pretty harsh to me. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Amy
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clark: we used to use listerine on our horses...but I forget now where on them we used it. I think it may have been at the top of their tail to keep them from getting that bushy look which is caused by fungus (I was told). I think it would be a good topical anticeptic since we can put it in our mouths.
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Hi Amy
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I wish I had a sure-fire solution to Bear's ear infections. We're dealing with one right now. Interestingly, he seems to get them in his left ear. If it's really bad, he gets symptomatic in the right ear as well. But mostly it's his left.Â
The anti-bacterial drops from the vet - Vet Solutions Clotrimazole - don't work at all. We're trying a different drop - Zymox OTIC Enzymatic Solution - which seems to be helping some. It has hydrocortisone in it as well, which helps with the inflammation and 'itchiness', I think. It's supposed to treat both bacterial and yeast infections. We also use a sanitizing wash at least once a week with or without infection symptoms. After 2+ years of the same kind of cycle you refer to with Jake, Bear is finally used to my squirting and digging around in his ears. He sits patiently for me, poor thing.  :-[
I haven't heard of Listerine, though I agree, it does seem harsh. A co-worker recommended Monistat - yes, the yeast infection stuff for women - which makes sense in a weird way, but I'm hesitant to try it.
I hate not knowing how to help Bear -- both because it really seems to trouble him at times, and because I know that untreated infections can lead to hearing loss. It's amazing how sensitive a 170-lb dog can be. But I'm convinced it's environmental and seasonal allergies, nearly impossible to single out. :-\
I'm hopeful that the OTIC solution will work for Bear. I'll let you know. Good luck with Jake!
:) Jennifer
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