Please help. My little doodle licks her rear non-stop and I feel horrible for her. Could it be her food?

[Stacy Armstrong]

Hi everyone.

 

I am so desperate to figure out what is going on with my 2 year old female australian labradoodle. Here's her history. I am hoping that someone can help me figure this out. I am now thinking it might be a food allergy.

 

4/2011 ~ noticed licking in the anal area. Took her to the vets. She needed her anal glands expressed. They were full. Mild infection. Everything cleared up after about a week.

10/23/2011 ~ noticed licking in the anal area. Took her to the vets. Anal glands were expressed. No infection found.

10/26/2011 ~ still licking her butt Took her back to the vets. Her left anal gland was infected. Gave her a cortizone shot and put her on an antiobiotic.

11/4/2011 ~ still licking her butt Took her back to the vets. Both anal glands were infected. Changed antibiotics and added in predisone b/c the glands were very swollen and not able to drain. They also checked her stool for worms/parasites. Negative. She is also on monthly heartgard.

11/5/2011 ~ switched foods to Fromm 4 Starr. 3 kinds. Duck and Sweet Pot., Salmon a la king and Pork and apples. She loves them! She was on TOTW and would turn her nose up every other day.

11/10/2011 ~ Licking like crazy. Back to the vets. No infection. Still swollen glands so gave her another steroid shot. Continue on cortizone at home and antibiotic. Full rectal exam to check for polyps, obstructions, etc. All clear.

11/15/2011 ~ Licking like crazy. Back to the vets. No infection. No swelling in the glands. Checked for mites. Negative. Added benadryl twice per day. Started dewormer even though negative one week ago.

 

Nothing is working. She licked non-stop for hours yesterday despite trying to play and distract her. It's weird, she will run and play and then stop as if someone poked her butt from out of the blue.

 

I am at my wits end. I feel horrible for her. She circles licking all day long. She will stop dead in her track from playing to lick non-stop. Her bottom looks sore and her fur is all wet and matted from where she licks. She licks all around the area including the base of her tail.

 

Could this be a food allergy since TOTW was grain free and Fromm is not?

 

What am I missing?

 

Please help. Thank you in advance for your help!

Stacy

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think your ideas are good, Sheri. JD once had a little problem with rawness/soreness in the anal area, and the vet gave me a topical spray that worked very well. As long as I kept him standing for 30 seconds while the spray dried, he couldn't lick it off.

Fiber never hurts, within reason.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Murph never licked his anal area with the spray...so the cone might not even be needed. 

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I am sort of right there with Lucy on her "thinking out loud".  I was going to post and say "just rambling thoughts" so here goes.  As far as the anal glands expressing on their own, our Gracie Doodle's did not every now and then and the smell was horrible.  She has been on Acana Grain Free for the last three years but we still had off and on mushy poops.  We added 1/4 to 1/2 cup of frozen cut green beans to her meal.  We would defrost them in the microwave.  Gracie was also indifferent to food and didn't always eat all her meals at one time.  She now tells us when it is time to eat, watches the microwave as her beanies are cooking and love, love, loves them.  She eats them first and then her kibble and eats up every last drop.  Since starting this last January we have not had one anal gland smell or problem.  Gracie never had to have her's expressed and she never had infections so that is something else.  So, possibly giving her green beans daily might firm her up enough to start expressing on her own.  Gracie now has "perfect" poops all the time!  As for the licking I think that might be habitual as well.  Gracie had fox tail removal surgery on her front paw and it wouldn't heal because of the licking.  She would not stop!  Gracie is a very large girl and even the largest cone wasn't big enough to prevent her from licking.  With the licking she would irritate the tender area and it was always wet.  I finally put one of her "boots" or "shoes" on and only took it off to air out the paw when I was sitting with her while she was sleeping.  Within a week all was cleared up and the habit of licking was forgotten.  Since you say that this latest visit to the vet shows that she is clear but continues to lick that might be the sign right there that it has become a habit.  Also, as the irritation caused by her licking starts to heal it begins to itch.  That is probably the sudden "stop, drop and lick" motion she does.  Then she licks it and irritates it more.  It becomes an on going battle.  So, you might want to stop the chain of events with the licking by either putting a cone on her for at least a week so she can't possibly lick and give her a chance for the area to heal.  Or maybe put some panties on her so she can't get to the area.  Again, these are just thoughts to work with.  If she is cleared by the vet and continues then it just might be habitual.  Worth a try but be sure to watch for any reinfection or impacted glands.  She could also have what Kendra's Remington had tool.  Good Luck!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was going to suggest the "green bean cure", too. But apparently, Stacy's doodle already has firm poops. I still don't think it would hurt to try it, though.

You can also use sodium-free canned green beans. Their calorie content is neglible.

[michele, puddy & milo]

I'll  just add one more thing - tape worm will rarely show up in a fecal exam - occasionally you will find a live segment in the stool, but not necessarily and you don't always find the little "sesame seed" looking dried segments on them or in their sleeping areas either.  And not all wormers will kill tapeworms. I don't know if that can account for the infected anal glands though - unless frequent licking can lead to an irritation that leads to an infection.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Stacy, you and your poor baby, I feel so bad for you both.

I have no advice but I do have to say this "don't we have a wonderful group of people here to come to the aid of a fellow DK'r?. I just love all of you women!