dog keeps licking

MackyF1994

right fellas ive a springer spaniel about 3 yrs old and at first i didnt notice it but above her paw all the dogs fur is gone its been going on for about 3 weeks when i first looked at her leg it seem to get better and the nexted day it the leg was red. ive looked online and it mentioned about the lamp shade collar so it stops the dog licking but surely when i take it of again that off she ill begin licking again any suggestions?

Cass

I won't pretend to know much about hunting dogs as i never kept them, but from an animal point of view i had the same with my Jack Russel(s) and terriers. I use them for ratting.

He had a tendency to lick his feet raw. Even when he wasn't licking the feet would be red/pink and look irritated. I found it was his food which i changed some time ago and it took a while for his body to react to it. Food allergies don't show up immediately and can take months if not longer to show signs of problems. That;s why i never change the food now.

For a working dog that is in the field there could be other issues to deal with. He may have walked through something if the rawness/redness appeared "suddenly". It could be flea bites which some dogs are allergic to, and the last thing could be Atopy. I had no idea what this was until the Vet told me when i last brought my little fella in. Some dogs can be allergic to particles in the air, and this may have the effect of appearing as itchy/raw skin.

First thing to check is did you change the food/diet in the last few weeks/months. As the dog is under 5 it is most likely food. If you have then start to put him on the original food he was on. If you haven't check the food you are supplying and compare the ingredients compared to what he was getting. It;s possible the manufacturer has changed them.

If it's not the food, and you have done nothing and the ingredients are the same then it could be an allergy. In that case i'd recommend a vet. I'm not one, and only know the above because it was told to me by a vet. I think it's cortisone or some form of steroid treatment they give, but again if it's something more serious a Vet will know better than me.

Cass

Decided to do a bit of reading, which is sometimes a bad thing, but i've found that in some cases if the dog is young enough that the food they are being fed from a pup can only now start to bother them. Something to check into i suppose.

snipe02

I always thought this a problem with their blood whether it being rich food or whatever ... some reaction to something being ingested eg food or something in their environment bedding etc .. its just like a person allergic to something will scratch dogs lick the area high protein food can cause this problem ive been told

ronn

I had this problem aswell, vet thought it was a cyst. Cut her open cleaned it up stitched her, lampshade for a few weeks. She stopped for a few months, then went back at it big lump appeared, back to the vet but sent a sample of to be tested, silva and fur she had licked back into her leg.
She's grand now, don't know what stared it.
Cost about €500 in total, 3 times she'd to be put under anesthetic, and about 20 lampshades. She went through the for fun. Thank god for nargc insurance.

There's a spray you can buy to stop them licking themselves, that worked after the operations.

Trip to the Vet to be on the safe side, could be anything

MackyF1994

right i think the best idea would be to take her to the vet. We first taught it was when she was coming out the garage we cut a hole through the side door and we first taught that she was clipping her leg off so we left it open during the day and and closed it at night. Im not just a 100% sure that we have been giving her the same feed for the last few weeks.

snipe49

MackyF1994 wrote: »

right i think the best idea would be to take her to the vet. We first taught it was when she was coming out the garage we cut a hole through the side door and we first taught that she was clipping her leg off so we left it open during the day and and closed it at night. Im not just a 100% sure that we have been giving her the same feed for the last few weeks.

does it have a sore on it like a wart. maybe open in the center.

MackyF1994

No its just a red area just were all the fur is gone. I was looking online and it was giving alot of solutions but either allergy due to sleeping area, allergy to dog feed, then it went further saying it could be that she could be bored or stressed or mite be were a thorn went in and still hasnt come out yet.

snipe49

MackyF1994 wrote: »

No its just a red area just were all the fur is gone. I was looking online and it was giving alot of solutions but either allergy due to sleeping area, allergy to dog feed, then it went further saying it could be that she could be bored or stressed or mite be were a thorn went in and still hasnt come out yet.

What is she sleeping on.?

jimf

usually an allergy due to feed will result in a lower body rash as opposed to a leg spot what % protein is in the nuts you are feeding her

always feed mine on 20% protein and twice a week brown bread and mince with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar added

any chance it might be ringworm but usually will be found in other areas as well as legs

have a look here http://www.dogchatforum.com/ringworm-in-dogs.htm