Paw Licking/Limping - Page 2

I meant about the paw licking part. If he is limping too then it may be a different issue. But in your post you wrote " I have a dog...." just clarify if he is a GSD. Because some breeds just have a tendency to lick their paws and legs area particularly the retrievers.

cheers

He is a Golden Retriever that I rescued from the shelter and plan to adopt out eventually. I have seven GSDs and none of them have any foot problems, though I did have a rescue Rottie once with this same problem. The Rottie also had itchy ears, but the Golden does not. It's not been wet and rainy here at all but has gotten hot and humid for the last week. The licking and limping just started a couple of days ago. The spray the vet gave me is a spray for itchy skin and hot spots. It works great, but like I said, is very expensive. The licking seems to make him much more sore....he has one sore front and one sore rear and after licking them, he limps badly. I've been trying to watch him constantly and keep him from licking.

I feed Nutro Ultra Lamb and Rice Adult food, as well as a lot of raw meat, bones, eggs, and other things. This dog has been on this diet for weeks now. His coat has improved dramatically. Allergies may well be the culprit, but I would doubt it's caused by his food.

I assume you and the vet have checked his feet really carefully for foreign objects and splinters? Certain weed seeds and grasses (foxtails especially) can be picked up by the dog's paws, and work their way under the skin. Or, like has been suggested, it could be allergies.

rockinrkranch,

please get the limping part checked by the vet. I will not opinionate on that. But retrievers particularly the labs have a tendency to lick while they are in their thoughtful moments:) Just take him out for a walk try to distract him. play with him

DON't let him lick because that will cause soreness and redness and more problems. Its simply a "Retriever Thing":) if you know what I mean. its in his genetic code. Keep him clean and dry maybe in an cool place where there is less humidity and heat.

all the best

You can give a dog Benedryl to see if it seems inhalent allergy related. Depending on his weight, you can use 25-50mg tabs 1-2 times a day. Or you can also ask your vet to prescribe a short course of prednisone so he stops licking/chewing long enough to give the sores and irritated areas time to heal. The spray will have a better chance to work then.

I have a GSD and have known other GSD's that do this. It does happen in the breed. The most effective way to help my dog is a short course of prednisone with a spray or cream on the sores, and then using Benedryl once the major irritants have cleared up to keep things calm during the major allergy seasons. Using a spray without the prednisone only makes my dog chew and lick more. If it is red and irritated between the pads, the spray may keep the area moist, causing more harm than good. Make sure the area stays dry. If the feet are irritated and sore enough, limping can occur.

You can put baby socks on his feet as well to keep him from licking and chewng, but it's very important the feet are dry.

Good luck.

Often caused by inhalation allergy to pollens, dust, dust-mites, mold.  If it persists can be a symptom of subclinical EPI (exocrine pancreaticinsufficiency), best diagnosed by the TLI blood test.  

A good treatment is soak the foot in a bowl of a dilution of awrm water for 5-10 minutes with idoine mixed in (color of dark tea)---you can buy iodine in a small bottle at most drug stores.  Do this outside or on a plastic sheet, since Iodine can stain carpet.  Then rub in about 1/2 tube of triple antibiodic sauve into the raw area on the foot (you can buy htis at any drug store or Target or Walmart). 

Then take a sock and cut the top off, and place it over the foot and tape it on with silver Ducktape which is sold at hardware stores and target or Walmart.  Tape only snug a little so as to help keep the sock over the foot, do not tape tightly or it can cut off the blood supply to the foot.  Leave the sock on until the dog chews it off or the tape let's go (usually itwill hold for 2-4 days.  Do this as many times as necessary. often one time will take care of it.

How does the dog spend most of it's time? With people or alone? In a yard or kennel?

This might be a result of high drive/nerves/anxiety. Have seen this before in labs. 

Dose for Benadryl is a mg per pound.  so a 100 pound dog can get 100 mg.  Way higher than a human.  I would wake up for three days with that!

Funny I just mentioned in another thread that when my boy died one female went to doing this. Her feet got swollen and sore and it made her limp or act really ouchy when she walked on the pea gravel in the driveway. What we used was Bactine. It is a spray or I think you can get an ointment too, but we used the spray. I would sit with her until it dried somewhat in case she would lick at her feet. It took about a week of doing this 3-4 times a day before they healed up and got better. Good luck to you.