Gnawing On Paws

[Guest greytsdad]

A while ago, my alpha male started licking his paws after playing on the beach - i thought it might have to do with the salt...so we started going to the park instead (even though he prefers the beach). The licking started getting worse, and now he gnaws on his paws until they bleed. I have tried using his old racing muzzle to keep him away from his feet - he just licks through it. I have tried steroids, non-steroids, moisturizing agents, drying agents, homeopathic, western medicine.... i am toying with the idea of giving him quantum physics to work on instead of his paws.

 

Specifically i have tried:

 

Steroid shot (helped for 3 days)

Medicated baby powder

Medicated gold bond powder

Anti-fungal cream

Anti-bacterial cream

Cortizone cream

Gold bond anti-itch cream

Poison ivy/oak anti-itch scrub

Calamine lotion

Anti-itch gel

Bitter apple mixed with aloe and black tea

Herbal skin supplements

Allercaine

Sulfodine

Tinactin

 

Obviously, not all at once. There was a food change and a new greyhound that entered the household when this started; however, we are back on the food that he was fine with... but obviously have not given up the other hound... however, if they are separated for more than a block the alpha gets upset - when they are back together, he is happy. I also met and got married to his new mom...so there has been change in the house...but the two of us love on him like there is no tomorrow (giving him just about all of our attention). Both boys come to work with me (and the alpha sleeps next to my desk)...so he is closest - the favored one).

 

His paws are bright red, hot to the touch. I have tried putting socks on his feet with powder, which soothes them temporarily, but when he wants to itch, he goes in the other room and pulls the socks off (which are held with elastics). I can't have them any tighter, or they will cut off circulation. I know that the redness is compounded by his licking (as he has no hair left on his paws, but am at my wits-end... does anyone have any ideas?

 

 

[Guest SusanP]

Have you seen a vet at all about this?

[Neighsayer]

Prednisone? Works for my golden. What does the vet say? Have you experimented with different foods?

[Guest greytsdad]

Have you seen a vet at all about this?

 

 

Yes - been to 4 different vets - both traditional and homeopathic

 

Prednisone? Works for my golden. What does the vet say? Have you experimented with different foods?

 

 

I haven't triedn Prednisone...thanks... The above list was what the vets have recommended over the last year. I have tried several foods as well.

[macoduck]

We have had success using this product on Pudge. She goes thru spells of gnawing on her feet and chewing her belly.

wounded warrior ointment

It's for humans and animals and came recommended by Pudge's obedience trainer.

Edited November 24, 2007 by macoduck

[tbhounds]

Have you tried antihistmines such as Benadryl or Chortrimeton? Also, you make have to put your dog an antibotic to help fight a secondary infection.

[Guest SusanP]

What about systemic antihistimines and frequent foot soaks in water/epsom salts, etc...?

 

Just a thought, because this kind of treatment helps when I get "hot spots" related to my allergies.

 

Oh--just saw above post! Yes, when our Spinner developed an allergic reaction and skin infection following flea bites, his skin stayed red and itchy for quite some time. Vet gave him antibiotics and I added Benedryl and that seemed to do the trick. But since feet are easy to soak, you could add the soaking to make sure there are no irritants directly on the skin anymore.

 

Did the vets have any idea why a beach walk might have triggered this?

[Cynthia]

What food is he on?

[Guest sheila]

sounds like an allergy to something. Finding out what that allergy is could be tricky.

Do you treat your lawn with any chemicals that he might come in contact with on potty breaks? What kind of products do you use to clean the floors or your house? If you suspect at all that this could be a contact type allergy maybe you could try putting boots on him and see if the problem resolves. If it does than you have 1/2 the answer right there.

It could also be a food allergy that has developed over time. Some dogs are allergic to corn or wheat or a whole variety of things that are common in commercial dog foods. You could try feeding an Allergy formula kibble such as Natural Balance Duck and Potato or even try going to a BARF diet.

It is also possible that this could be a seasonal allergy due to pollens or things in the air. I had a dog that would develop allergic itchiness every fall at harvest time. A shot of benedryl at the vets would fix her right up almost immediately.

 

[Guest greytsdad]

sounds like an allergy to something. Finding out what that allergy is could be tricky.

Do you treat your lawn with any chemicals that he might come in contact with on potty breaks? What kind of products do you use to clean the floors or your house? If you suspect at all that this could be a contact type allergy maybe you could try putting boots on him and see if the problem resolves. If it does than you have 1/2 the answer right there.

It could also be a food allergy that has developed over time. Some dogs are allergic to corn or wheat or a whole variety of things that are common in commercial dog foods. You could try feeding an Allergy formula kibble such as Natural Balance Duck and Potato or even try going to a BARF diet.

It is also possible that this could be a seasonal allergy due to pollens or things in the air. I had a dog that would develop allergic itchiness every fall at harvest time. A shot of benedryl at the vets would fix her right up almost immediately.

 

 

I think this is certainly something "alergy" related - unfortunately living in LA - everyone (but me) treats their lawn. But a lawn here is only 10ft by 4 ft...so walks are key - and there is only one way to explain really green lawns in a desert climate...so i am sure that the lawn treatments have something to do with it.

 

I have had him on Nutro Lamb and Rice ...right around the time this started, which is when I got Bogart (the other grey), i switched them both to Nutro Ultra, both did fine, except the feet thing. Now we are back on the lamb and rice since that's what Asher (the problem grey) was on without a problem for about a year. I have tried other foods such as Solid Gold and Inova (Evo - both the white and red meat) and they are FAR TOO RICH (if you know what I mean...) - we tried easing him into the new foods as directed - literally a tablespoon at a time - once we were more than 4 tablespoons ...frappacino city.

 

Floors in the house are usually just vacuumed - hardwood - we don't use chemicals just incase they lick food off the floor or something. I have had the recommendation for the raw diet, but have heard conflicting reviews (any significant stories out there?)

 

 

 

What food is he on?

 

Nutro Lamb and RIce

 

Have you tried antihistmines such as Benadryl or Chortrimeton? Also, you make have to put your dog an antibotic to help fight a secondary infection.

 

I just went out and bought some benedryl - he's sleeping now :-)

 

We have had success using this product on Pudge. She goes thru spells of gnawing on her feet and chewing her belly.

wounded warrior ointment

It's for humans and animals and acme recommended by Pudge's obedience trainer.

 

Can't hurt to try - thanks - just ordered some.

 

We have had success using this product on Pudge. She goes thru spells of gnawing on her feet and chewing her belly.

wounded warrior ointment

It's for humans and animals and acme recommended by Pudge's obedience trainer.

 

Can't hurt to try - thanks - just ordered some.

[Greys4Us]

Does the hair in between his pads have a pinkish cast? That would suggest a food allergy or an allergy to something in his surroundings. Also, when food is changed, it should take a whole month on that food exclusively before it's changed again. You should keep on this to find out what is causing the focus on his feet. A lot of the medications are for treating symptoms and won't solve the problem. If he has an infection going on, he should probably get a course of antibiotics. Just a suggestion. If you've already tried all this, then ignore my post. Good luck! This kind of thing is very frustrating!

[Sighthounds4me]

As for using the kennel muzzle to keep him from licking - place a stool cup in it, and use duct tape on the rest, so he cannot get to his feet at all.

 

You can find one at Birdwell Enterprises, or check with your adoption group, to see if they have one available.

[robinw]

loca does that with her seasonal allergies. benadryl seems to alleviate the gnawing.

[Guest FrostyBottoms]

My MIL had a Border Collie with this problem, she made her food every week and froze them into individual servings....she boiled ground lamb, rice and green beans...then the problem disappeared. I would find out how much you would need to feed for him to get a balanced diet before changing him over. Good luck! Oh and

[Greytlady94]

Have any of the vets suggested allergy testing? I would suspect contact or airborne allergies.

[Guest Greensleeves]

We have allergy hounds here (and I'm sure when Monty gives his owner a break, she'll weigh in, too), and have gone through serious foot-gnawing (to the point of bleeding, swelling, and limping). The problem is, the foot sucking becomes a cycle--they lick because it's sore, and it's sore because they lick, so they lick because it's sore.... You need to break the cycle long enough for some recovery to take place, but if it's an allergy (or a really ingrained habit), this may be a lifelong issue.

 

Our regimen is this:

 

1. Bath. Cool water, medicated soap (we use Relief, but when the itching subsides you can just bathe with cool water). Initially, I'd bathe the whole dog; after a bit you can switch to washing off the feet and wiping down the dog with a damp/wet towel every time he comes inside. (this is CRITICAL for washing the allergens off the dog BEFORE he can ingest/inhale them; it will also soothe the irritated skin).

 

2. Oral antihistimines (one is on Hydroxizine, one on Benadryl, and one on Temaril-P. YMMV, obviously!).

 

3. Neo-Pred-F powder (from the vet--anti-inflammatory and medicated)

 

4. Diet. At this point, I would recommend you switch to a low-allergen formula like Z-D or Z-D Ultra. Rice and lamb are common allergens; Z-D takes the guesswork out of finding a food that works during an elimination diet. You can either do this for several weeks until the paws heal, or permanently, depending on the recommendations of your vets. You'll also need to be careful about treats (Hills makes a new Z-D treat my vet is crazy for).

 

One of my hounds has allergies severe enough to require monthly allergy shots (I give them at home), but the others we can manage with baths, medicine, and diet.

 

The thing about allergens is that they build up in your system until you hit a threshold--at which point the symptoms show up. If you can minimize some of the allergens, the dog will be less sensitive to the others.

 

Good luck!

Edited November 25, 2007 by Greensleeves

[Burpdog]

Did the vet do a biopsy? Have you been to a specialist? Have you tried a no grain food?

[Batmom]

I do not know if your pupper has an allergy or not, tho it sure seems likely. Note that allergies can appear suddenly, to things that previously produced no reaction.

 

I also do not know if your pupper has a food allergy or not. But I would be inclined to check that out further, and to find a food that has NONE of the ingredients you are feeding now (besides the vitamins and minerals). The reason I suggest this is, one of my own dogs turned out to be allergic to fish and fish oil, which are in almost every commercial food made. As long as he was eating a food that contained those, or getting fish oil capsules, he had red itchy feet; within two days after he stopped getting those things, his feet cleared up -- it was that fast for us.

 

Hugs and luck.

[Guest anneh]

I have found that soaking or swabbing feet several times a day with epsom salts (dissolve 1tsp in a cup of hot water and cool) is the most healing vs any other topical, cover with a sock until dried. I find that the covered pony tail bands seem safe to keep a sock on with. I can understand how frustrating it must be, hope you find the answer anneh

A while ago, my alpha male started licking his paws after playing on the beach - i thought it might have to do with the salt...so we started going to the park instead (even though he prefers the beach). The licking started getting worse, and now he gnaws on his paws until they bleed. I have tried using his old racing muzzle to keep him away from his feet - he just licks through it. I have tried steroids, non-steroids, moisturizing agents, drying agents, homeopathic, western medicine.... i am toying with the idea of giving him quantum physics to work on instead of his paws.

 

Specifically i have tried:

 

Steroid shot (helped for 3 days)

Medicated baby powder

Medicated gold bond powder

Anti-fungal cream

Anti-bacterial cream

Cortizone cream

Gold bond anti-itch cream

Poison ivy/oak anti-itch scrub

Calamine lotion

Anti-itch gel

Bitter apple mixed with aloe and black tea

Herbal skin supplements

Allercaine

Sulfodine

Tinactin

 

Obviously, not all at once. There was a food change and a new greyhound that entered the household when this started; however, we are back on the food that he was fine with... but obviously have not given up the other hound... however, if they are separated for more than a block the alpha gets upset - when they are back together, he is happy. I also met and got married to his new mom...so there has been change in the house...but the two of us love on him like there is no tomorrow (giving him just about all of our attention). Both boys come to work with me (and the alpha sleeps next to my desk)...so he is closest - the favored one).

 

His paws are bright red, hot to the touch. I have tried putting socks on his feet with powder, which soothes them temporarily, but when he wants to itch, he goes in the other room and pulls the socks off (which are held with elastics). I can't have them any tighter, or they will cut off circulation. I know that the redness is compounded by his licking (as he has no hair left on his paws, but am at my wits-end... does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Guest greytsdad]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I started a regiment of benedryl, which seems to at least supress the symtoms...now for the cause...and the cure. None of the vets I have been to out here have had any success with this ...so off to the pros (those of us who have learned through experience. I am going to check on a new food. I have also started bathing his feet and wiping him down ...I do think it is something external (but trying the food too incase it's internal). I've ordered a kennel muzzle with poop guard...let's hope he doesn't figure out how to get around that (he is WAY too smart for his own good).

[BrentsMom]

Been there!

 

My poor Henry would chew his feet until they bled..I tried EVERYTHING. He was MISERABLE...constantly chewing/licking/gnawing..(I put baby socks on him to keep from chewing he'd chew right through those)... We switched foods and tired almost all the over the counter stuff you listed. We went to many many different vet/specialists. Finally they found he did have a yeast infection, but that could have been due to the excessive moisture of his constant chewing/licking. So he was treated for the yeast infection and I still have him on a grain free, fish based food

 

But I believe it's the grass(especially wet grass) I live in S. FLorida where all the grass is treated too......

 

We had to resort to waterproof booties....After spending $$$$ on different types booties these were the only ones that worked...(size medium)

 

http://www.petco.com/product/6031/Paw-Tect...Protectors.aspx

 

He might look silly walking in his booties but the chewing has stopped and fur has grown back on his poor feet.....

 

Good Luck

Edited November 26, 2007 by BrentsMom

[Guest team_weasel]

Looks like you have plenty of advice to go with, or at least a start! Good luck, and please do keep us posted on his progress.

[greytlucy]

Having been through this with one of my dogs...my suggestion is have the allergy testing done. Switch to a food that contains nothing he's allergic to(you get a list of foods that will match his needs with the allergy tests). Remove what environmental allergens you can from his environment. Some allergens you can't do a lot about...but removing the ones you can goes a long way...Supplement with EFA's. Your vet should be familiar with the testing regiment and can help with the food and supplements. The allergy lab will also develop shots specific to your dogs allergies if needed(we didn't need to do this ourselves).

 

Doing this we now only have a severe reaction in June when the bermuda grass comes up here....baths and benedryl help get him through that period. The rest of the year he has no issues now. IT's been six years since we addressed this...the test was $400 but worth it to quickly get a handle on what was making him so miserable(bright red skin, raw feet, huge bald spots, terrible itching).

 

Good luck!

[Guest greytsdad]

Well a few weeks of treatment and we are making progress.

 

Thank you all. The "Wounded Warrior" gel healed the cuts in days. I switched him to the Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato allergy food. He is on Hydroxyzine 50mg 2X daily. I spray Betagen on his paws 1x daily and he wears a racing muzzle with a poop guard in it when not being watched, and socks at night, so he doesn't have to sleep in a muzzle...and so i don't have to feel it dig into my back. We are making great progress!!!! Starting to see the beginning of what could be hair follicles and they aren't inflamed or bright red anymore. I have been cautious to keep him away from the really "green" grass...and focus on the dried brown stuff...

 

Thank you all!

Edited December 7, 2007 by greytsdad

[Jackandgrey]

This sounds promising!