Help! My dog is licking herself to death! (lab, allergic, vet)
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I have a nine-year old Collie who has always been a "licker." She licks anything and everything she can get her tongue on. She's not a chewer, just a licker. I have found her licking the carpet, the furniture, the walls, and everything else you can name. We got her when she was about four years old. When she came up to me and gave me a big slobbery kiss, I said to her then-owner, "Oh, how sweet! I guess she likes me already!" Her owner said, "Oh, I wouldn't be too awfully flattered. She sits for hours and licks our iguana."
Anyway, she's now started licking the fur on her legs and feet. She is literally licking the fur right off and the skin is red and raw. I've been putting neosporin on them (mostly to keep them from hurting and getting infected), but she licks it off. I've sprayed bitter apple on them but she licks it off, too. I know the vet will recommend one of those collars that will make it impossible for her to even reach her legs to lick them. I could see trying that if it were just a temporary thing. I know that as soon as I were to remove the collar, she'd be licking herself again. I can't make her wear one of those collars 24-7.
Does anybody have any suggestions for what I can do about this, or even any ideas on why she might be doing it?
I am going to offer my opinion only if you have ruled out any other medical reason.
In a dog's world licking is comforting. Their mothers lick them, their litter mates lick them, they self calm themselves by grooming and licking their own bodies. It seems like your dog has taken this to an extreme degree, sort of like a person who overeats in stressful situations or shows other extreme behavior. It is possible, that you could replace this behavior with other pleasurable experiences like petting and brushing, but you may end up as a slave to satisfying this dog's need for stimulation. It appears that you have a dog that has been taumatized or damaged someway and is now acting out on that behavior. If you can afford it, a session with an expert animal behaviorist could be helpful.
Maybe check the ingredients in her food -- Corn, soy, glutens, are very common allergens for dogs.
Thankfully there are meat-based foods widely available now, giving us more options. www.dogfoodanalysis.com is a priceless (and unbiased) resource which lists ingredients, and facts regarding them, of each food.
Lick sores are also called "boredom" sores....usually in middle to older less active dogs. They usually start the almost compulsive licking when left alone with nothing else to interest them.
Have you consulted your vet already? If your vet just tells you to put an e-collar on her and doesn't suggest trying an elimination diet and/or antihistamines then it's time to see another vet.
In the meantime, eliminate all wheat, soy, gluten and corn from her diet. Try giving her Benadryl. Start with 1mg for every pound of her weight every 8 hours. You can go as high as 2mg for every pound of body weight. Benadryl is also a mild tranquilizer over and above its effect on allergic responses, which sometimes helps alleviate anxiety, which is why it sometimes helps compulsive lickers.
If you have a holistic vet in your area, it may be worth getting a consultation. They often are more proactive in dealing with this type of issue.
Thank you all so much! I think I am going to have to get an appointment with our vet, who is wonderful. I just don't want her to suggest a collar because I know it would be a 24-7 thing. Has anyone actually tried animal behaviorists?
Food allergies. My dogs used to lick year round. It was terribly annoying. The vet recommended switching dog food. Both dogs stopped licking within a week of eating the new food. One licks in the fall during ragweed season and that's it. They now Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison & Rice. Some owners need to feed their dogs something more exotic, but venison worked well for my dogs.
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