Update! Redness and paw licking noticed after a visit to the groomers. Coincidence?

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

For the last three days, I noticed Gracie licking her paws. Mostly she is licking the hind paws and they are the raw spots.
I have noticed a little redness to the front paws, but they don't seem to bother her as much.

Monday she was at the groomers, so I'm also thinking maybe her skin is irritated? However, if it was that it shouldn't it occur all over?


I checked her ears and she has another yeast infection coming on. I do keep a good eye on her ears, but I might not be cleaning them enough. So, maybe this is another symptom of the yeast infection?

The other thing - we've been playing outside with her a lot and there is a type of fungus in the grass. It is a rusty powdery fungus that we seem to get every year. Could this be irritating her?

She is on Wellness Puppy food. She is almost 9 months. I have read about food allergies as well.

Where do I start?

I'm attaching pics of her hind paws.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

The second photo didn't attach.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Here are you photos for people like me who don't like to open attachments. :>)

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Thanks. I'm on my iPad and can't embed.

[Donna K & Quincy]

I don't know if it was caused by grooming but it seems to be a bit too coincidental for me. It may be a reaction to the shampoo they used or too much heat from a dryer. Razor burn is fairly common with grooming but that wouldn't be the case here. I'm no expert but what I would do is wash the paw that she's licking to remove any trace of product they used at the groomer, then keep the area clean and dry, use a topical antibiotic spray with cortisone if you can get it and the biggest thing is to keep her from licking it. If it turns into a hot spot they are really difficult to deal with and can take a long time to heal. A cotton sock should work to keep her from licking and cotton is breathable so the wound doesn't stay too moist.Good luck!

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Thanks. I did have her stand in the tub and washed her paws with a mild dog shampoo. Just in case it was the shampoo they used. I also contacted the groomer to see if they had done anything different. They said they didn't.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I like the spray idea. I have warded off lots of potential hot spots by treating as you suggest.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I hate to say it, but this looks and sounds like pollen allergies to me. I know the timing seems coincidental, but if they didn't rinse her feet well, or if they used any kind of leave in conditioner or sprays, those things can exacerbate the issue. One of the worst flares JD ever had came immediately after a visit to the groomer. I was positive it was the groomer's fault, but it was the onset of a bad allergy flare. And the timing for pollen allergies is perfect, although she is a little young for allergies.  

You can stop thinking about food, it's not her food.

Here are some things you can do that might help:

Give Omega 3 fatty acid supplements. You want the Omega 3 fatty acids DHA & EPA, which are only found in fish. You can also give GLA in the form of evening primrose oil supplements. In both cases, use human softgel supplements. 

If you feed dry dog food, check the Omega 6:3 ratio. You want a ratio of 5:1 or less, the lower the better, and the Omega 3 content should come from fish.

Give antihistamines. Different antihistamines are more effective for different dogs. Typically, you want second generation antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness, like Claritin, Zyrtec, Atarax, Allegra, etc. rather than Benadryl.

Use OTC anti-itch sprays on the affected areas. These are available at most pet supply stores.

Wipe the dog down every time he comes in from outside, paying particular attention to the feet. Brush the dog daily.

Keep the indoor areas where the dog spends the most time as clean and dust free as possible. Wash bedding weekly, wash food & water bowls daily. Vacuum as often as possible.

Keep dry foods in air-tight storage containers and don;t buy more than you can use in a month unless you can freeze it. 

If the feet are affected, you can soak them in tepid water with epsom salts. Be sure to dry thoroughly afterwards.

Bathe the dog often, weekly if possible, with a shampoo formulated for allergic dogs. (I like Douxo Calm). Do NOT use leave-in conditioners or other grooming products. Use a cool dryer setting or air-dry. 

As much as I hate doing it, keeping windows closed really helps with pollen allergies. Run the A/C in warm weather especially, the allergy symptoms are exacerbated by humidity. Use a furnace filter with a high allergen rating and change it monthly. 

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/some-basic-facts-about?gro...

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Thanks, Karen.

I know on some of the other posts regarding allergies, it was mentioned that food allergies could start around this age but that they are very rare.
I will look at the omega ratio of her food and take care to keep her feet cleaned. I generally keep on top of the cleaning around here, but we do have the windows open right now.

Thanks for the advice. I will keep an eye on things and hope it clears up soon.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

If the dog food has the right ratio of omegas, do I still give her a supplement? Also, how much of an antihistamine do you give dogs? She's between 60 & 70 lbs. thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Different antihistamines have different dosages. You can usually find on-line dosage charts for this. I think we have one in the health group, too. 

Give the supplements even if the food has a good Omega ratio. Can't hurt. Try one 500 mg softgel of evening primrose oil a day to start and then you can increase to 2 per day. When given with antihistamines, the effects of each is enhanced.

The cortisone sprays help a lot, too.

Most important is to clean her feet well every time she comes in from outside. As Donna said, keep them clean and dry, and then use the topicals to help keep the itching at bay. 

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

I found a chart!

I will get some evening primrose and cortisone spray tomorrow. We have been cleaning her feet due to the rust fungus, but I will do a better wipe down.

Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here's one chart for the antihistamines: http://cheyennewest.com/antihistamines-for-dogs-cats/