Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Licking foot.

Species: Dog
Breed: collie
Age: 8-11 years
In April 2010, I took my 8 year old collie for his yearly shots. About a week later, he began biting, scratching and licking himself everywhere and his skin became very infected. After many tests, and a lot of money, it turned out he was infested with scabies. He was treated with Revolution, antiobiotics, prednisone, and topical sprays and creams. By August, the scabies were gone. He continues to bite and chew his back paw. It is swollen and raw. He has been in the ecollar since April, and it is awful for him, and for us. I am looking for a solution to keep him away from the paw, so he can be normal again, and not wear the cone. Thank you for any suggestions or input you may have.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that you and Elvis have had to go through this hard time. Scabies can be very frustrating!

This is a hard question for me to answer without seeing his paw. I'm wondering though if he may have something called a lick granuloma. This is a lesion that happens because of licking and then there is a vicious cycle - The licking causes it to be itchy, so he licks more, and so it goes.

There are many different ways to treat these, but most of them involve medication (from your vet) to put on the area to help with the irritation and also keeping him from licking it.

Some dogs will leave an area like this alone if you cover it with a sock and use duct tape on the top of the sock to keep it on.

It's also possible that there is an infection on his foot. If this is the case he'll need some oral antibiotics.



---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Painful dog. I apologize in advance for this being so long, but I want to give the history so you... (10063 views)

Golden retriever won't eat. Dr, Changing Max's food doesn't seem to help. He went to the new food since... (31388 views)

Skinny 19 year old cat. Hi my cat is 19 years old! He is a little skinny but perfectly healthy! I also have... (14505 views)

Dog ate battery fluid. My dog chewed up a AA battery. It doesn't appear that she ingested any pieces of it... (19706 views)

Are raisins toxic to cats? Hello, On Monday of this week (today is Wednesday) my cat came up to me while I... (35678 views)

Do cats taste sweet? Dr. Marie, This is really more of a general question than a question about my pet... (26688 views)

Cat hardly eating. my cat has recemtly been in the catery. since returning she has hardly eaten and is... (13933 views)

Dog unable to move. d help. My dog won't move at all. We got home around 435 this afternoon and she ate... (70609 views)

Kittens nursing on cat's penis. i"m raising 4 abandoned kittens they are now eating food and I give them kitten... (19648 views)

Neuter at 8 weeks? We are trying to decide when to get our male kitten spayed. He is around 2 months... (8681 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.