Question
My wife and I adopted a wonderful 5 year old female Pitbull about a year ago. Shortly after we got her she started licking her paws, not just normal cleaning of the paws but repetitive licking until the pads are all bloody and she cannot walk on them without limping. I clean and bandage them and she leaves them alone, lets them heal and does it again. To be clear, it isn't just one paw, it's all of them.
I contacted the dogs previous owner and asked her if she had ever experienced anything like this, she said no, and of course I just have to take her word for it...
The dog has been to the vet numerous times, even to different vets.
The first vet said she had food allergies and suggested putting her on a grain free food.
The second vet said she had skin and food allergies and suggested adding Claratin, she also said the dog had a yeast infection in her paws and put her on steroids for 60 days.
I've changed her food to a grain free salmon recipe, put her on the claratin, gave her the steroids and she still won't stop licking.
So my questions are this, what else could be causing the licking? Is there anything I can to stop this destructive behavior?
Notes:
- We live in an apartment, all the grass is watered by a sprinkler system and I do not believe any fertilizers are being used.
- She is up to date on all of her shots
- She gets monthly FrontLine flea treatments, bought from the vet not online vendors.
- I've tried deterring her with rawhides and kong bones, she isn't interested.
Answer
It is really good that you have taken her to the vet to try to rule out a medical issue. It could be an allergy and unfortunately, skin allergies can have many causes. It could also be a nervous or anxious reaction. Some dogs, when nervous or anxious can self inflict harm onto themselves, such as biting, licking excessively or scratching themselves. There could be many reasons for this behaviour from separation anxiety to you dog being born with anxiety (studies have shown that 1 out of every 5 dogs born will have some form of anxiety). Dogs who self inflict harm may do so as it helps to keep them calm, sort of like when people get nervous rubbing their hands together or tapping their feet.
A good place to start to see if this is a behavioural issue, is to keep track of when and where she is doing it. Is it just after you leave, is it after an encounter with someone or something unfamiliar, is it when she meets another dog she doesn't know? If you do go down the course of obtaining help from a behavioural specialist, please only use one that uses positive reinforcement and no form of punishment. Make sure to check their credentials, not that they simply have grown up around dogs all their life so therefore they know how to train a dog. You wouldn't go to a person, claiming to be a doctor, simply because he grew up around sick people his whole life.
A joint approach with a vet and a behaviourist (not necessarily a dog trainer as anyone can call themselves a "trainer"), will provide the best outcome for your lovely girl.
Answered By - furreal training