dog licking compulsively; advice?

[Ginevive]

I feel so bad for my mom. Her dog (8 y/o Golden Retriever) has this thing: he licks the fur on his back until it results in bare patches. Right now he has a few 1x2-inch spots there with no hair.
She puts an Elizabethan collar on him when she's not home. But is there any other solution or advice to this? She tried Bitter Apple and it did nothing.
Her vet prescribed Pramoxin (sp?) shampoo and spray along with Animax ointment. She is running out on these and wonders if she should go back to the vet and basically not get anywhere, or just refill the prescriptions and treat it as a chronic thing? I do not know what to tell her but thought that some of our resident vet-people or dog owners could help.

[python.princess]

i'd talk to the vet and let them know it's not really working and ask if there are other options

[frankykeno]

Jen, I know allergic dermatitis is a common problem with that breed. I remember my brother's Golden was always licking at itself but I'm sorry I don't remember what they did to treat it. I think it was basically an allergy type treatment of some sort. She also had epilepsy which is another problem with this breed. You might also ask if your mom's vet has checked her dog's thyroid function. That was something they always monitored in my brother's dog as it had something to do with both the coat issues and the seizures.

[dsirkle]

I had an Irish Setter that used to lick and scratch that same spot many years ago. I spent lots of money at the vet to no avail.One day an old lady asked me why I didnt do something for the dogs' problem.I told her that I had been to the vet several times and had spent lots of money. She said "Heck, dont those vets no nuthin'?All you have to do is rub Bag Balm on it." Well I didn't know what bag balm was and she explained that it was an ointment to put on milking cows teats to keep them from getting raw.I tried it and it worked right away.The dog would occasionly start bothering that area for the rest of his life and I would rub bag balm on it and he would leave it alone immediately.They usually sell it at Rite Aide and CVS.And of course at feed stores.One can for about $8 should last the rest of the dogs life.

[Ginevive]

Hm.. I will ask her about the thyroid thing. The BB sounds like a plan; they sell it at a few local stores that I know of. My friend's pitbull also does this; he compulsively licks his front paws I guess. It was weird because out of nowhere today, she started telling me about this..

[catawhat75]

If it is NOT an allergy, it could be a compulsive issue. Working breeds are the ones I have seen with this issue more than others. Make sure the dog is getting plenty of exercise, not just physical but mental. Try using a dog backpack on during a walk, get kongs or find some sort of "job" for him to do.

[Ginevive]

He does have a friend; she has a female shepherd mix also. She does work duing the day but walks each of them for about 10 minutes in the am and pm.

[TekWarren]

Our Jack Russel has the front paws issue. Sometimes she will lick, other times its as if she is gnawing or chewing! It may be a boredom thing, even though we go on regular walks and I rough house with her alot. She hasn't got bare patches yet but we can definitely see that the fur is thinner.

[slartibartfast]

Paw licking is usually an environmental allergy, but licking on the back is almost exclusively a flea allergy thing. In sensitive dogs, even a single flea bite can cause systemic itching.

Basic allergy overview:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...S=0&C=0&A=2604

Self-mutilation in dogs:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...S=0&C=0&A=2322

I would bet anything that she has fleas...if that is the case (and this should be mandatory for any dog that itches for any reason anyway), 100% flea control ASAP is key.

That means Capstar for every cat and dog in the house, followed by Frontline on every pet every 3-4 weeks for life, and I would strongly recommend a house treatment with a carpet spray that contains an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) such as Nylar. The one my clinic recommends is Knock-Out, but there are others on the market as well.
Expect treatment to take around three months before all fleas are completely eliminated.

I have -never- seen a dog lick its back that did not have fleas. There is often a weepy secondary infection with a characteristic moldy/musty/mousy smell.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/flea-al...ogs/page1.aspx
Pop-ups, but good info and pics.

Flea control:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/how-to-...dog/page1.aspx

[littleindiangirl]

My aunts Belgien Turverian is a little neurotic. He's from pedigreed champion lines, but He will lick his back right foot when he is uncomfortable, nervous, bored, or sometimes for no reason we can figure out. He will lick it raw. They've been to the vet his whole life for this problem, and so far the best thing for him is to engage him in an activity. He is diagnosed with some mental disorder that they give him meds for when he goes wacko, so there could always be something underlying emotionally [mentally] that they may not be aware of. I hope everything works out for him, and hopefully it's something that can be fixed.