Dry Red Skin Behind All Four Paws

[Guest Galilayo79]

Hi all,

 

Gracie's suffering from a strange reaction to something - the skin on the back of her legs, directly above her paws (about 2 inches long), has gotten really red, with flaky dry skin. To me, it seems like an allergic reaction.

 

We've had her for two years, and she hasn't had any allergies as of yet.....can anyone think of anything else that it might be? She doesn't seem to be uncomfortable, but it isn't getting any better.

 

We haven't changed her food or anything...she does suffer from SLO, an autoimmune disorder that causes her to lose her toenails. Ironically, they're looking a lot better!

 

Any suggestions would be great.

 

Thanks!

Ainsley

[MarcR]

Could she have stepped in something, possiblly on a walk? Just guessing

[Guest patti909]

My Gracie started that after about a year. She has terrible food and environmental issues (31 allergies in all).

Good luck and I hope it isn't he same as my Gracie.

[scullysmum]

As it affects all four paws I would suspect something environmental....has the grass where you walk her been sprayed with anything? Have you had a new carpet installed?...or had the carpet cleaned?

 

If it is an allergy then I would suggest that you put some kind of barrier cream on the affected area on a daily basis and see if that helps. This should help also it is a reaction to something in her environment that you are unable to track down.

Edited August 3, 2007 by scullysmum

[Guest alannamac]

I've had Bandit for over 5yrs, and that has happened every year (beginning about this time of year), and the vet puts him on cortisone. It helps but does not completely eliminate the issue. They get extremely itchy and the poor guy chews and licks them all evening(the guy being the dog not the vet....quick edit there )......which makes it worse. When I walk him during these episodes, I cover his feet and legs with my son's old tube knee socks with a loose rubber band.....quite a sight, but it works! It stops when the weather cools, and seems to be an allergy to something in the grass. My friend's horse has a similar condition that she actually went to great lengths to figure out what the allergen was (hoping she could eliminate it). Turned out it was a fungus that grew on grass as it began to dry out. I think Bandit's trouble is something similar as most of my neighbors are not the fertilizer/herbicide yard mainenance type

Edited August 3, 2007 by alannamac

[Guest Galilayo79]

Thanks, everybody, for the responses. We haven't had the grass sprayed lately, but our road was just repaved, and we have walked her on it.....maybe that's a cause? We have been putting some anti-itch/anti-pain cream on the spots 2x a day. This started on Monday, so I'll give it a few more days until I call the vet -

 

Have a good weekend!

[ahicks51]

Sounds like an environmental allergy- almost like it's a grass allergy. Sudden onset with something like that is possible.

 

If she tolerates it, you might try putting a bootie or a sock on one foot whenever she goes out- and see if that foot gets any better relative to the others. A pack of 12 kid's socks runs $3 at Target; put them in the laundry after every use. Hold them on with one piece of tape around the top of it.

[Guest alannamac]

Somebody in one of the other threads had success soaking their pup's paws with Aveeno (it's an oatmeal based anti-itch powder you put in the bath for people, found in drug-stores if you haven't heard of it). Bandit's paws are flaring up right now too, so I'm going to give it a try.