Another Health Inquiry

[Tom Farrell]

I'm glad to report that Carly is doing well with her food intake since last week, and is already filling out!  The esophagus acid regurgitation has been cut back by 90-95% due to Slippery Elm. Thank you all who offered feedback & support.  Now on to the next issue.

Acril Lick Granuloma - She has a rather raw one on her right front lower leg - We have tried covering it, Sudocrem, Aloe Vera gel, a course of antio-biotics and nothing has stopped it - She is now favoring her leg, and limping at times.  Any suggestions either Holistic in nature, or traditional medical - The girl is having a tough time lately!!

Thanks for any advice, suggestions, etc.

Tom

[Torie Lancaster]

Glad Carly has responded well to the Slippery Elm treatment.....Acril lick granuloma can be more of a psychological problem (stress, anxiety) than a actual health problem Tom.  One of of my girls was licking her pad as though her life depended on it.  The more I tried to stop her licking it, the more she went for it!  She was enjoying the extra bit of attention she was receiving when she chewed and licked at her foot.

I decided to ignore her behaviour and just do something about it so I soaked a cotton wool pad in Povidone Iodene and then wrapped a bandage round her foot.  I alternated the iodene with Otodex skin cream for the 3-4 weeks and it has healed well and she has stopped trying to chew on it.  Don't know if it will work with your girl but worth a try.

[Torie Lancaster]

Has she had lick granuloma's before Tom?

If not, could the cause of her licking be a allergy to something you are feeding her since her problem with acid reflux?

Also, you could try putting a dressing covered with Homeopathic Arnica Gel over the wound and see if that helps.

I don't like to use the Elizabethan (lampshade) collars on my dogs, I bought a thing off Ebay which is like a wide collar which you have to pump up, it slides over the dogs head and stops them from being able to reach wounds etc..more practical and less stressful for the dog.

[Tom Farrell]

Hi Torie ~ Thanks for the suggestions ~ The acril lick has been present for well over a year, and she is obsessed with it - I have taken your advice, stopped reprimanding her for licking, and have resorted to Sudocrem, with a wrap for at least an hour to let it set in.  It really worked wonders this past summer for a skin condition, so I'll try it for now.  There is a company here in the States, www.dogleggs.com, that sells custom made breathable  rehab/therapeutic leg covers that the dog must wear for up to 3 weeks; to be used in conjunction with behavioral modification, and whatever medication/ointment you might choose - apparently it works well, so I might try one of these if things don't get better.  As for the collars, she'll have no part of them, so I just monitor her.  I'm trying to determine the stress/anxiety issue, as she has one of the most superlative dog lives one can imagine, so I'm thrown for a loss as to what she is stressed/anxious about!!  It's patience and perseverance that is required with these lick issues!!

[Georgina]

I think with this sort of problem they become allergic to their own saliva which starts to breakdown the skin.   Manuka honey is reputed to be very good for bedsores and is sterile so you could try applying some of that, wrapping with a bandage.  Maybe use a collar for overnight so that she can't remove the bandage??  Usually I find sudacream is the be all and end all, I use it for everything but you've tried that already.   An old doggy friend I knew who used to walk greyhounds for the village doctor swore by udder cream.   The greyhounds suffered with their feet and she'd slap it on (they'd knock up their toes or get dry chafing between the toes) and hey presto they were fit to run again within a couple of days.   She used something else for the horses and I think it was called wintergreen which was slightly tarry.  If the dogs got what she called "foot rot" she would use the wintergreen, in fact she used it on goats, sheep, ponies and truth be told if her husband was out of sorts, he'd get a dollop too..............

Brilliant news about her return to food, I must remember slippery elm = sounds like another little gem.

[Tom Farrell]

Thanks Georgina - Per your suggestion, it's back to the Sudocrem with a leg wrap for an hour each day - She will, with willful intent, rip off any bandage, wrap, etc. if left unattended so I monitor her for that hour, then take off the wrap -off course she gets to licking again, but I'm hoping the Sudocrem works it's magic like it did last summer for her - I appreciate your advice.

[Lois McCullough]

Hamilton has a sore on his leg which shouldn't be covered he is on strong antibiotics and we have found an amazing anti lick cream called Itchstick It contains active ingredient Benzocaine+ Witch Hazel aloe vera oatmeal comfrey etc + bitter taste. He doesn't like the taste but holds his paw out so we can apply it as soon as he sees the stick - it's very easy to use and solves the licking problem. So pleased to hear the news about Carly

[Georgina]

Louis's suggestion sounds good and I also wondered if putting mustard on the bandage which would stop her in her tracks - yuck...

[Lois McCullough]

Hi Georgina you can easily use the Itchstick on the bandage having said that Hamilton loves showing off if he has a bandage. I posted a blog/photo in May 2011 with his favourite colour - blue!!!

[Georgina]

Typical Irishman eh?   Twinkle in the eye, bandage on the leg, laughter in the heart - yea baby I've got it all!!!!!

[Lois McCullough]

Summed it up in 1 or 2 or 3 even, don't you just love them.? Hamiilton in Gold training 'stop the dog' stops sits and holds up his poorly leg rest of the class just luv him who wouldn't?

[Georgina]

Thanks Gay, I'm getting a bit of fossil now and I think that was what it was called, as you say brilliant stuff and when you think where it has to be used it would have to be quick acting and effective!!   Ouch.....

 

[Sue Paterson]

When Finn had a lick sore we tried loads of things with little success. If he didn't get the bandage off, one of the others would help. They freed him from the elizabethan collar etc. In the end we used Eucalyptus oil, and when that was finished, Olbas oil, on the fur round the area (NOT directly on the wound!) None of them would go near and so we broke the cycle and it allowed the Fuciderm cream to do its job.