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?

 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Horrible to know your dog has been so itchy that she has been making hotspots. I am shocked that your vet never mentioned Atopic Dermatitis as a probable/possible  cause. Hopefully the antihistamine will give some relief but I would persue finding the right vet specialist. One that is fully qualified and not just one who has 'an interest' in the area.  Good luck and lets hope Moe is itch free very soon.

[Ashley Wiseman]

I had made a similar post after my 8 month (at the time, now 10 month) goldendoodle Moose got her first hair cut. She was licking obsessively to the point her hair wasn't growing back in certain spots, which led to a hot spot on her front leg. After two vet visits it was basically trial and error. They are still trying to eliminate allergies out of the equation, but we switched her food to a grain free fish formula. Also the vet recommended adding in a teaspoon of coconut oil to help her skin as well as rubbing cortisone cream and coconut oil on the hot spot. It took a few weeks, but since our last vet visit, food change, and antibiotics, Moose is no longer licking. 

I hope she gets better, I know the feeling! 

[Harrison & Brodie]

Brodie had issues with hot spots. We met with our vet and she said it was an allergy. We did not want to use meds, so the vet suggested that we try raw honey from a local bee keeper with in 50 mile radius. She said that the allergens are combated by the local nectar in the honey. Our vet specializes in allergies. So we gave it a try and it works.. No more hot spots, no more biting or itching. The vet said that in some cases she uses honey for wounds on animals that are resistant to other treatments. Side effects? Brodie loves it.....