Dog biting front legs

exador

Hi

Looking for advice. I have a 7 month old Border Collie and he gets very agitated and jumps around biting both front legs and then licks them. This can happen a few times a day. I had him at the vet and they checked him out but could not find anything. He has had all vaccinations and worm and flea treatment.

The Vet recommended we try tablets as possibly allergy ? I have given the tablets twice a day for the past 7 days but still the same.

I plan to go back to vet again to see where we go from here but just checking if anyone else has had any similar issues and could give advice?

Thanks

DBB

Does something in particular spark this behaviour?
And, what part of his legs is he biting/licking?

exador

DBB wrote: »

Does something in particular spark this behaviour?
And, what part of his legs is he biting/licking?

Can't say there is anything in particular that I notice as just seems to random as to when he does this? He seems to bite the front legs half way at the joints area...After a while then he licks them but no sign of any broken skin or damage. The vet checked for any ticks or similar but said all was ok ?

DBB

Hmmm... I wonder has he pain in his joints... if it's half way down his front legs, that's his wrist joint. Given his age... I'm wondering if it's like a dog version of growing pains, or something like that?
I wonder what'd happen if your vet tried a powerful painkiller for a few days... if the behaviour reduces or stops, that would help answer some questions.

exador

DBB wrote: »

Hmmm... I wonder has he pain in his joints... if it's half way down his front legs, that's his wrist joint. Given his age... I'm wondering if it's like a dog version of growing pains, or something like that?
I wonder what'd happen if your vet tried a powerful painkiller for a few days... if the behaviour reduces or stops, that would help answer some questions.

I am going to go back to VET as they said to let them know if the tablets don't work. I am guessing that it's process of elimination

DBB

It will be exactly that, I feel. You'd expect lameness if your dog had joint or bone pain, although if it's in both front legs, it can be quite difficult to tell if a dog is lame!
Let us know how you get on, won't you? I hope he's OK.

Have you used a different shampoo?

DD1518

Most likely a skin irritant or something he's not used to being around or perhaps it's just a habit he's developed. Best advice I can give is to put a few layers of vicks vapour rub on his legs which will put him off biting.

exador

DBB wrote: »

It will be exactly that, I feel. You'd expect lameness if your dog had joint or bone pain, although if it's in both front legs, it can be quite difficult to tell if a dog is lame!
Let us know how you get on, won't you? I hope he's OK.

Thanks... He got clean bill of health at 6 months check and otherwise he is a typical energetic puppy full of divilment with a great temperment

atilladehun

Does he let you touch them or is he sensitive about it?

We had a drug that we adopted that licked her legs. Seemed to be a comfort thing. No major issue.

Could it be a calming thing to get out of agitation? If you pet him on the leg really gently would it distract him? Or can you distract him with a toy when he's about to start?

Birdnuts

Sounds like Harvest mites - now is the peak time of year for them too

exador

Thanks for all the replies.

The VET checked him out and said it wasn't mites ...

I can distract him with a toy but then he goes back to it... I can rub his front legs and they are not sensitive ..

Somebody else mentioned the VICKs so I might try that first to see if it helps..

Thanks

exador

Deleted User wrote: »

Have you used a different shampoo?

We have only shampooed him once and that was a few months ago

exador

Birdnuts wrote: »

Sounds like Harvest mites - now is the peak time of year for them too

If it is HARVEST MITES is there anything we can use to treat them or will it just pass ? He got FLEA tablet and worms tablets

DBB

Rubbing on vicks might temporarily stop the symptom, but it is not addressing the cause. It's highly unlikely that your dog is doing what he does out of anything other than discomfort... he presumably some level of relief, or at least solace, by licking at the soreness. To my mind, rubbing vicks onto him will just add to his woes.
Pressing on sore joints or bones doesn't necessarily cause much pain either. The pain is coming from within, so in my opinion, pressing on the parts of his legs that he's targeting is not necessarily particularly informative.
Something is causing this issue. Your vet needs to dig deeper to find out what it is.

tk123

If it was me I’d cover where he’s licking to see if it discourages him but also rest him for a week or two - that’s an easy way to see if it’s pain related. If there’s still no difference I’d agree with pain relief/getting it checked further. I’d assume that the vet would know by looking at his skin if it was allergy related - his skin would be irritated? Biting/licking/shaking limbs can be a sign of pain. Dogs are good at hiding their pain and some dogs may be subtle in showing when they are actually in pain during an examination.

Buttercup710

exador wrote: »

Hi

Looking for advice. I have a 7 month old Border Collie and he gets very agitated and jumps around biting both front legs and then licks them. This can happen a few times a day. I had him at the vet and they checked him out but could not find anything. He has had all vaccinations and worm and flea treatment.

The Vet recommended we try tablets as possibly allergy ? I have given the tablets twice a day for the past 7 days but still the same.

I plan to go back to vet again to see where we go from here but just checking if anyone else has had any similar issues and could give advice?

Thanks

Not sure if at all similar but thought I would post anyway. We have a Pomeranian/Spitz aged 7, adopted from rehoming shelter 5 years ago. Just to give some context he had been abused and was in a bad way when we brought him home. He has a number of quirks... of relevance he nibbles on his legs/joints and also sucks on his bed cushion. The nibbling/licking has been checked by the vet numerous times, considered all sorts - ticks, allergies, pain etc with no cause found and no physical issue or skin irritation etc resulting from this habit. From what we can gather it is canine compulsive disorder, like human OCD and his way of self soothing. We have done training classes and tried a behaviourist over the years. The poor guy is now almost fully blind with progressive retinal atrophy, we adore him and just want him to be happy so as long as he is not suffering and the vet has reassured us there is nothing wrong and he's not causing himself any harm we let him be. We believe he was taken away from his mother too young and the cushion suckling is his nighttime comfort. Wishing you the best!

exador

Buttercup710 wrote: »

Not sure if at all similar but thought I would post anyway. We have a Pomeranian/Spitz aged 7, adopted from rehoming shelter 5 years ago. Just to give some context he had been abused and was in a bad way when we brought him home. He has a number of quirks... of relevance he nibbles on his legs/joints and also sucks on his bed cushion. The nibbling/licking has been checked by the vet numerous times, considered all sorts - ticks, allergies, pain etc with no cause found and no physical issue or skin irritation etc resulting from this habit. From what we can gather it is canine compulsive disorder, like human OCD and his way of self soothing. We have done training classes and tried a behaviourist over the years. The poor guy is now almost fully blind with progressive retinal atrophy, we adore him and just want him to be happy so as long as he is not suffering and the vet has reassured us there is nothing wrong and he's not causing himself any harm we let him be. We believe he was taken away from his mother too young and the cushion suckling is his nighttime comfort. Wishing you the best!

Thank you for the reply.. I bring him to a trainer and asked her opinion and she also mentioned the habit as a possibility but also mentioned growing pains. At this poiint we are going to keep an eye on it and if it gets progressively worse we will go back to the VET..There is no skin broken or any visible signs.

Best of luck with your dog and thanks for taking the time to reply.

DBB

This is happening several times a day.
Your dog is in some level of discomfort, at least several times a day.
I would not be leaving this to see if it progresses. To my mind, it's bad enough as it is. If he were my dog, he'd already have been back to the vet to progress a diagnosis, or at the minimum, something to ease his discomfort.

tk123

I meant to reply to this earlier and would agree with DBB. Just from my own experience with "growing pains" - they turned out to be the early signs that Bailey had a problem with his joints. Early intervention can often make a huge difference and could have possibly helped for him. I'm not saying that's what your dog's problem is OP but I wouldn't be leaving it either - if he is in pain you're basically going to wait until he's in even more pain and is showing more signs.

exador

DBB wrote: »

This is happening several times a day.
Your dog is in some level of discomfort, at least several times a day.
I would not be leaving this to see if it progresses. To my mind, it's bad enough as it is. If he were my dog, he'd already have been back to the vet to progress a diagnosis, or at the minimum, something to ease his discomfort.

Thanks... He doesn't appear to be at it as much in the past few days but I will go back to the VET anyway to see what they suggest from here.

exador

exador wrote: »

Thanks... He doesn't appear to be at it as much in the past few days but I will go back to the VET anyway to see what they suggest from here.

Went back to the VET and they have given some medication to see if this helps ...They are going to try this to see if it helps on the basis it may be growing pains.. due back in about a week to follow up