hello this is the reason lve ended up on this site. got a choc lab with the same problem . it all started about 1 year ago . the licking and hair loss on his paws , not the odd one but all 4 . we have had steroids from the vet but at the end of the day there just in it for the money . was quoted at 250 pounds a month for tablets that would shorten the dogs life ,but he would have a better quality of life . [yeah right] . we have tryed every think . things that dont work. bionic biotic powder. salmon oil aloe vera foot creme primrose oil capsules . we have tryed all the above with no joy and the problem just stays the same . the vets want to do tests of which will run into thousands of pounds as a friend i work with had a black lab with the same problems .[she spent near 3 thousand with no results at all ] . so if any one on here has any help or advice please pipe up . the next one for us is sour spray and socks . so has any one got any positive advice ?
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss Hi Kevin and welcome to the forum. Sorry that it's a persistent problem that has brought you here. Exactly where is your dog licking? Top or bottom of paws or both? Anywhere else and any other symptoms? This might seem an odd question but what does your dog smell like? What's his usual diet? What kind of vets have you seen - just 'normal' vets or any specialists? What kind of diagnoses have you had (eg anxiety, allergy...). What would the tests be for - allergy tests? Sorry for all the questions
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss hello well the problems is his feet , not the soles but the top. it starts of with little patches of hair missing them before long finger nail sizes of hair missing . he licks and licks when out of sight . we have changed his diet quite a lot more fish, eggs and olive oil or salmon oil . his coat is stunning and he smells really nice . no bad odours or bad smells from him . the vet we saw was a normal vet , we cant afford another special vet , as when we purchased him from a kennel club member . he was covered in mites and his skin was in extreme condition . the vet [ours treated him] but that has come at a cost as he is not covered by insurance now for skin conditions . the dog has had many conditions since a pup that has cost us thousands . two and a half grand for his one leg and his other leg has mice in the joint , but on line searching for us got him sorted in the end and hes on tablets for that now . hes like a greyhound . but this condition has really got us . as i say the vet wants to do tests ,but a work person took there dog tothe same place and it cost 3 thousand for nothing , in the end the dog was put on a micro dose of steriods a day at 17.50 a month . but the vet was after 250 pounds a month for a full steriod course which in the end will kill the dog. i think the real problems lie with the people who do breed them . as the more i look at it the more it looks like he came from a puppy farm [with all the ailments he has had . but searching on line is just endless when it comes to products . as for his eating , what ever you put in front of him and its gone , full of beans and runs around like hes a pup [as hes 6 now ] .
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss Hi Kevin, welcome from me too. Sounds like we aren't going to solve this for you, none of us are experts, just all heve varying experiences. Where abouts are you based? What exactly do you feed your dog? Kibble, scraps, raw? Where do you walk? - woods, parks, pavement? Is your house carpeted or hard floors? What cleaning materials do you use in your home? These questions MIGHT help but its a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Oh....what meds is your dog CURRENTLY taking, if any. Has he had surgery? jac
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss hello carpeted house . walks ,varied paavement, woods all sorts really . his food varies really , mix of dog food , some times chicken ,sauges , fish and salmon oil and olive oil some times . once in a while we give him eggs . the only op was his rear leg , steel plate fitted and straightened out . the only tablets glucosamine for his joints . but as for vets its just about the money , no real cure really .
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss It might be worth paying out for an expert opinion? To see a veterinary dermatologist? Otherwise its just ideas. Like trying raw feeding. Sorry. Will have a look back at other threads for similar problems when I have some time. Kind of tied up right now. If none of the others have any ideas will do this tomorrow.
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss Hello Kevin, and a warm welcome from me too. Sorry to hear about the trouble you are having with your boy. [quote author=kevin link=topic=9239.msg133037#msg133037 date=1419805450] but as for vets its just about the money , no real cure really . [/quote] Maybe you should try a different vet. There are lots of vets who care, give very good advice, and that people trust. Seeing a specialist can be a lot cheaper in the long run, although the appointments and advice can be expensive if they solve the problem quickly, it can work out cheaper. Have you considered that it is not a medical issue at all, but behavioural? Something that started because of boredom, or stress, and became a habit?
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss I used to be a veterinary nurse and I can assure you it 'isn't all money'. Skin problems can be very difficult to cure. You say he had mites when you first had him, maybe there are some still in that area, could you have some Advocate for a month or two just to rule that out and attempt to stop him nibbling. Couple this with a low dose of steroids to help with the itch. The best thing is to ask to be referred to a veterinary dermatologist, but I understand money is a bit short at the moment as you have had to spend a lot on him already.
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss I echo everyone's advice, and maybe another vet with a fresh set of eyes may help. One comment is re: diet (caveat here I am no expert!) I did notice rather a lot of oil in his diet...maybe this could be considered when you see the vet next, especially as this may make the Vit A content over all a little on the high side?
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss hello the dog has had spot on treatment and after 6 years you would expect the mites to have gone . as for its not about the money , it was in our case ,the vet just stood there reading out the cost 3 k a year of which would improve the dogs condition and help him but shorten his life . that to me isnt caring . you would think some one some where has had the same condition and would come forward with positive advice .
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss Hi Kevin My last dog (chocolate Lab) had similar skin problems - he would chew at itchy places which were usually his feet and legs, though occasionally elsewhere. I changed his diet to completely wheat free and that helped considerably, though he did have the odd episode, a couple of times a year, when he needed a course of steroids. However gradually I found that a very low dose would eliminate the problem and the cost was only maybe about £100 a year (he wasn't insured). In old age he was on Metacam for arthritis so could no longer have steroids, so at this point I used Malaseb bath when his skin flared up, which was effective. (Many years ago my parents had a Westie with dreadful skin problems and they bathed him weekly in Malaseb which brought the problem under control) If you are going to investigate food intolerances as a cause, you need to completely eliminate what you think may be the problem for a period of several weeks at least. I believe wheat intolerance is very common as are reactions to certain protein (meat) sources. This may not work, but it doesn't cost anything and you might think it's worth a try. You might think about changing vets. Some are cheaper than others and I didn't find the amount of steroids I had to use cost a fortune. (I did find it was important not to delay when Rolo's skin flared up as if I left it it became infected & then he needed antibiotics as well - so I learnt to act quickly.) Steroids also didn't have any side effects for Rolo (though as I say a couple of courses a year at a low dose) and he lived to well over 14 years. Good luck - I hope you manage to get the problem under control.
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss thank you joy for the advice . found it really helpful. as you say ,your vet put the dog on a low dose of steriods which didnt cost a lot. thats what i find odd , the lady at work with her dog that had the same problem as ours and used the same vets as ours . she paid 17.50 a month for her steroids and when we went 3 grand a year . it goes to show that some vets are really in it for the money . but we will try the shampoo and see how we get on. at the moment he has socks on ,which are stopping him chewing . but i will keep him up dated . thanks joy for your help.
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss Hi Kevin and welcome from me . I have a Lab and a terrier , my terrier has skin issues, mainly caused by pollens and spores . She has steroids when its bad and I only pay £1.50 for 30 tablets from my Vet , we start on one per day for a week and then one every other day, so the 30 tablets last me quite some time . She only needs to take the steroids in pollen times, so a couple of courses a year does the trick and fingers crossed , no ill effects from them at all .
Re: Re: Paw licking/hair loss My lab is a nightmare for licking wounds and small irritations can become much sorer very quickly if we don't keep on top of it. A few weeks ago she was doing a lot of licking around her paws and I ended up putting baby socks on all 4 feet and just wrapping some stretchy wrap around the top to secure the sock whenever we weren't around to remind her not to do it. In my experience a licky dog needs the cycle to be broken, so once she had a few days of not being able to make it worse she forgot about it and it began to heal.
Re: Paw licking/hair loss Kevin, I hope you don't mind but I have split your topic off to form a new one specific to you and your dog's problems. Thought it would be helpful. jac
Re: Paw licking/hair loss well dog went to the vets today . no mites on his paws as tested today and no short term solution . so it looks like out lab is on long term steriods . hopefully after a few weeks a micro dose every 2 days . but the vet we saw who is wonderful as an lab owner said her lab was on the same treatment for 8 years before he died aged 14 . the cost was 10 pounds per month , of which is a huge drop from 250 pounds a month . but fingers crossed he will make 14/15 years .
Re: Paw licking/hair loss Glad you managed to get a better response than before fingers crossed it helps
Re: Paw licking/hair loss That's excellent. My Lab is on occasional steroids for seasonal pollen allergies and they give him a lot of relief. Hope your dog will soon show an improvement.
