chuckie500 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I have a little shih tzu who is a very licky little girl. She is very determined. She licks her front paw pads just on one section till it looks like it is through the black part. I have tried a bitter spray, but she is getting used to that now. At first it would put her off for a while, but i think she has learned lust lick it off and then keep going. Anybody with any ideas? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 First you have to find out WHY she is licking... how long has she been doing it? Is it the same foot/pad always? Is there a particular time she does it? Does she 'chew' at it, or just lick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 well its a bit of a chew and a lick. The paw doesn't seemed to be injured in anyway prior. She has been doing this for about a couple of months now on and off. She also has a bit of light dandruff but i don't think its connected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 If it the one foot, the same spot.. I would be thinking she is trying to alleviate some pain.. What has the vet said? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 Well before this started she was licking her genital area. She still does that a bit. I went to the vet three times (different vets too) and in the end they all agreed it was just habit. No other symptoms. I was concerned it was an urinary tract infection. After that I just assumed this is also a habit and haven't asked a vet about the paw licking. I have asked the vet about the dandruff but they didn't seemed that concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Ok- next question... what does she do in her day? How much time does she spend alone? What do you do/say when you notice her licking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 I think she can do it anytime. I have had the two dogs for about 5 years now and this is only a very recent development. If I see her do it I tell her to stop and if i get annoyed enough I get some of the bitter spray. I think its vicious cycle. she licks it till its sore and then licks t because it is sore. I think during the day when the two dogs are alone they just sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 (edited) Try soaking her foot in Calendula Tea. You purchase the tea from a Health Food Store (it's only dried marigold flowers). Get a stocking and put about a teaspoon or two of the calendula in the toe part. Put it in a cup (like you would a tea bag and poor boiling water in. Leave it there until it becomes tepid or cool (definitely not hot). Dip her foot in it. You might like to gently/lightly dry the excess off so her foot is not dripping (also dab in between her toes and pads so they are not too wet) but otherwise leave it to dry. You might need to apply this a couple of times a day initially but if it is working you should notice results fairly quickly. Edited September 12, 2009 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 So its just a strong brew of the Calendula Tea? Hmm. Will it work coz it helps soothe or tastes awful? I'll try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 I found this article: http://ezinearticles.com/?Dog-Lick-Granuloma&id=2597298 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 (edited) So its just a strong brew of the Calendula Tea? Hmm. Will it work coz it helps soothe or tastes awful? I'll try. No - it doesn't taste awful. But it helps to prevent/ease secondary skin infection. Don't know if it will work for your dog because I don't really know what's going on (eg. skin allergy) but it won't do any harm. My boy suffers skin issues and this sometimes includes his paws. When he gets into licking them too much I apply the calendula and he stops. The 'tea' is drinkable, yet it doesn't seem to encourage them to lick more. ETA: A packet of the calendula will set you back about $8. Edited September 12, 2009 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 Thanks I get to the shops today. I'll give anything a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pesh Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I have a OLD dog who belongs to a client and the dogs licking has become a habit. She licks till she has sores. I use malaseb and permoxin on her, doesn't stop the licking but help keep the possible infection at bay. If she is really bad, you could consider an Elizabethan collar so she can't reach the area and it hopefully will break the cycle. If you don't like that idea, how about each time she is licking change what she is doing, distract her. A slow process but could work in the long run. It seems a small dog thing, and I've found Maltese the worst for it. Good luck............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petmad Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 i have a dog which is a licker and she also handdandruff. i went to many vets with no soloution until my latest vet. my dog actaully has yeast infections, the yeast like warm moist spots to grow such as between toes and the ears. might be worth checking out. i had her on some meds (only for a short period), had her ears professionally cleaned and changed her diet, regualrly bath her malaseb and nows shes a brand new dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 Thanks for all the replies. The Health food shop was out of Calendula Tea! Just my luck, will try somewhere else tomorrow. I have used a Rufus and Coco shampoo with selenium sulphide in it (the stuff in human shampoo for dandruff) and it seemed to help. I also used Malaseb last weekend as I thought about a fungi infection, but it & did not do much to help. I left it on the full ten minutes by the clock. She also on omega 3 & 6 supplements. They are (i think) on good quality food (Eaaglepack & Barf patties). Instead of getting annoyed with her ( which probably makes her anxious), I will try positive reinforcement and maybe longer walks to keep her busy). Thanks for all your suggestions again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CP* Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I have foot lickers. When they get antihistamine or a steroid shot the licking reduces dramatically - for them its an allergy to grass. I know other dogs in my area also lick around their genitals for the same reason - close to the ground, ergo allergy. Try giving her some human antihistamine (there a few websites that give the doggy dosages, or you can ask your vet). Also for dogs that lick a lot, they can develop the dog version of athletes foot. You can use any human liquid antifungal for this -but it takes more than one dosage for it to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavalier Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Paw licking is almost always caused by allergies, either to environment allergens (grasses pollens etc) or food allergies (less common than environmental). All my dogs are on allergy medication - I always know if I have forgotten a few days because the paw licking starts again! I would be consulting a vet who has a special interest in dermatology to get a better solution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckie500 Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 I bought an Elizabethan collar yesterday and to my surprise she tolerates it quite well. I thought she would go mental. I'm not brave enough to leave the collar on her whilst i am at work, but it seems to help in the other times. The tea I have to buy today coz I ran out of time yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I had a rescue dog with a lick granuloma. No idea how long she'd had it but I did some research on them and they are a bit of a mystery. I guess somehing must trigger them but once they are present they can be very difficult to stop. I read about cases where dogs had had their legs put in casts to prevent the licking and they would create a new sore on the other foot. Seems to become a compulsion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aziah Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Some suggested dipping feet in metholated spirits works very well (though I've not tried it)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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