Chronic Hot Spots / Licking

[Moe]

My doodle just turned six. She got her first hot spot a year and a half ago when she got some thistles stuck in her fur. They went down to the skin creating a cut that she licked into hot spots. The vet treated it, it took a really long time to clear up because she would obsessively lick them. She ended up wearing the cone for 6 weeks.

Since then she has had chronic hot spots on her legs and tail. She will pick a spot and lick it raw. It gets infected and we have to call the vet and go on antibiotics again. She ends up wearing the cone for months at a time because she can completely reopen the wound in seconds. 

The vet said it might be from boredom or lack of stimulation. I don't think that is it. Someone is home 24/7. She gets a 45 minute walk in the morning and Frisbee during the day and a short walk at night. She is not really an active dog and sleeps most of the day. She doesn't seem stressed.

We don't have any grass in the yard, it is mostly pavers and mulch. Nothing has changed out there. When we walk in the morning we go on a hiking trail through the woods or on a local Pier. She has been fed Orijen since she was a puppy. I switch the type when the bag runs out. We do the Fish, Red, Original and the new one. I can't find any correlation between what she is eating or where she is going and the hot spots.  

She is usually pretty good with the leave it command with regard to food or things I don't want her touching but she just can't leave it when it comes to hot spots. She will hide somewhere and lick them or do it at night when I'm not watching. 

It is heartbreaking to see her like this. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think it's interesting that she started the licking for the first time because of the cut created by the thistles, and then it escalated from there. This may sound crazy but I wonder if the licking then made her feel better and created a habit which moved to the legs and tail. I really think it becomes a little like an OCD behavior, which is probably why the vet said it might be from boredom. It does kind of feel behavioral to me. I would first try to rule out that it's environmental by avoiding the hike through the woods for a week or two to see if that changes anything. You also might try giving a Claritin once a day for a few days to see if that helps. If none of this works, I would talk to the Vet about trying an anti-anxiety med, at least for a short time to see if this is truly behavioral.

[Moe]

It is weird that she never had this problem until she was 5. I thought the same thing that it started with the burs and became an OCD behavior. After reading Karen's reply, I think it may be allergies and it is just an odd coincidence that it started after the burs. Starting the Claritin tomorrow. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

My Murph gets relief from the Claritin within a day.  It's his allergy season now and in the Spring and he has been going at his tail and his belly like crazy.  Because it's short term for him, the Claritin is enough to keep it controlled.

[Moe]

Thanks. I started it last night. Hopefully she will get some relief soon. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My suggestion is to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area and schedule an appointment ASAP. You may have to wait to get in, because it's peak allergy season right now. Here's a link to the ACVD website: https://www.acvd.org/

This is not from her food and not from stress or boredom. She most likely has Atopic Dermatitis, the 2nd most common type of allergy in dogs, (flea allergies are #1), otherwise known as seasonal, inhalant or environmental allergies. It doesn't matter that you have no grass in your yard, pollen travels 400 miles in the air, and the ragweed pollen in your area is sky high right now. Most dogs with allergies are allergic to multiple things, including pollens, dust mites, molds, and even dander form other animals. These allergens enter the blood stream through inhalation.

She can't leave the spots alone because they itch unbearably. The itching is an immune response to the allergens. 

There are temporary things you can do to help her find some relief, but when a dog is causing herself skin infections on a regular basis, it's time to see a specialist and get a treatment plan and some real relief for her. 

Here's some info that includes some temporary fixes you can try to prevent the hot spots. But she needs to see a dermatologist. 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...

[Moe]

Would she just develop allergies at 5 years old? I just read the article  you linked. The spots are not on her feet, they are usually on her legs. I don't think mites could be the problem because we follow the guidelines you have there. I just ordered the shampoo and Omega 3 from Amazon. I tried looking for a Vet Dermatologist near me but it seems that every vet claims to handle dermatology problems. I will have to do more research to find one that really specializes in it. I will start the Claritin tomorrow. She is due for her yearly checkup this month so I will talk to my vet. I wanted to have all the information before I speak to her. Thanks for your helpful suggestions. 

How soon will she feel relief when we start the Claritin?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I gave you a link to the American College of Veterinary Dermatology, to find a specialist in your area. You don;t need to do any research to find a vet who really specializes in it, because the link has a "find a dermatologist" section. It doesn't matter what every vet "claims", if they don't have a post graduate degree in veterinary dermatology, they are not qualified to "handle" dermatology problems. Since your vet has done nothing about this other than give antibiotics and theorize that it's from boredom and stress, and I would not talk to your vet about it any further. JD has severe allergies and not once did his dermatologist ever treat a hot spot with oral antibiotics. I would add that he hasn't had a hot spot since 2011, thanks to her excellent care and treatment plan. 

Allergies often do not show up until a dog is three years old or older. 

But even if your dog doesn't have allergies, she does have a chronic skin issue, and you need to get that properly diagnosed and treated. Please make an appt with a dermatology specialist. 

Here's that link again: https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatol...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It occurs to me that you may not realize that there are veterinary specialists in all areas of medicine, just like there are specialists in human medicine. There are MDs who are dermatologists, cardiologists, oncologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, etc. and there are veterinarians who are specialists in these fields, too. They have gone on in school a few more years after they got their general DVM degrees and gotten post DVM degrees in a specialty. They don't give vaccinations or do spay/neuter surgeries, or sell dog food, or treat your dog for anything other than the area in which they specialize. 

[Moe]

I missed that link - thanks for reposing it. There are no veterinary dermatologist in my area. I recently switched vets to a visiting vet because my other dog gets carsick - I'm going to try the suggestions you listed and discuss everything with the new vet. If I can't get it under control I'll go to NYC where the closest one is. Thanks for your help.   

[Stella]

Is it all her legs and tail, or just back legs and tail? I think you should follow Karen's advice and see an allergist. But, hot spots can also be caused by nerve compression in the spine. So, a canine rehab specialist or canine chiropractor might be worth a visit if the allergist turns up nothing.

[Moe]

The spots vary, usually on the front side of her legs. Right now the front side of her left back leg. 2 months ago it was the Front leg. 

The only time it was on her tail was when she had the burs. 

[Stella]

Ok, probably not from the spine then. It would usually be one leg in particular or both front or both back legs. I'd see the dermatologist.