11-yr-old Brittany, otherwise very healthy and active. Not at all
a nervous pooch.

We've fought skin allergies for years. She always winds up on prednisone
when other meds fail. Much loss of fur on/around paws.

Skin allergies are seasonal, more-or-less May-Dec. By Feb., fur
has returned and, 'tho she still licks, she looks normal.

The worst of the allergies proper is over in the fall. We've had
a frost (it's in midwest US) and she's still licking a lot. I
think it's like a nervous habit. Like 'lick granuloma' but not
a year-round problem.

I've been trying bitter apple to suppress licking, but it misses
the mark.

Any suggestions on how to break the licking habit?

Thx,
Peetie

Peetie Wheatstraw said in
rec.pets.dogs.health:

Any suggestions on how to break the licking habit?

Older dogs seem to easily turn licking into an OCD. Rocky likes
licking the floor, a lot.

Licking can also be an indication of discomfort, and not just in
the area the dog is licking. I doubt this helps, but it's an
observation.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

On Oct 31, 6:10*pm, Peetie Wheatstraw
wrote:
11-yr-old Brittany, otherwise very healthy and active. Not at all
a nervous pooch.

We've fought skin allergies for years. She always winds up on prednisone
when other meds fail. Much loss of fur on/around paws.

Skin allergies are seasonal, more-or-less May-Dec. By Feb., fur
has returned and, 'tho she still licks, she looks normal.

The worst of the allergies proper is over in the fall. We've had
a frost (it's in midwest US) and she's still licking a lot. I
think it's like a nervous habit. Like 'lick granuloma' but not
a year-round problem.

I've been trying bitter apple to suppress licking, but it misses
the mark.

Any suggestions on how to break the licking habit?

* Thx,
* Peetie

I have heard from a DVM who was also a chiropractor for animals, that
it is a sensation they feel in their paws or wherever. So possibly
like her foot is going to sleep. My first dog constantly licked her
sides...and had hip displacia. I can certainly see how that may bring
comfort or at least a distraction.
Anyway have you tried Cosequin?

On Tue, 4 Nov 2008 19:48:25 -0800 (PST), pugluver wrote:

On Oct 31, 6:10*pm, Peetie Wheatstraw
wrote:
11-yr-old Brittany, otherwise very healthy and active. Not at all
a nervous pooch.

We've fought skin allergies for years. She always winds up on prednisone
when other meds fail. Much loss of fur on/around paws.

Skin allergies are seasonal, more-or-less May-Dec. By Feb., fur
has returned and, 'tho she still licks, she looks normal.

The worst of the allergies proper is over in the fall. We've had
a frost (it's in midwest US) and she's still licking a lot. I
think it's like a nervous habit. Like 'lick granuloma' but not
a year-round problem.

I've been trying bitter apple to suppress licking, but it misses
the mark.

Any suggestions on how to break the licking habit?

* Thx,
* Peetie

I have heard from a DVM who was also a chiropractor for animals, that
it is a sensation they feel in their paws or wherever. So possibly
like her foot is going to sleep.

"Going to sleep" has to do with circulation, methinks. I've no
evidence of a circulation problem.

My first dog constantly licked her
sides...and had hip displacia. I can certainly see how that may bring
comfort or at least a distraction.
Anyway have you tried Cosequin?

Mine also has CHD, and has been on Glucosamine/Condroitin (and other
supp's) for years. Haven't tried Cosequin.

Pretty sure it's related to allergies and a nervous, acquired habit,
not HD (she's shown no symptoms of HD for many years, knock wood).

Thx,
Peetie

Peetie Wheatstraw wrote:
On Tue, 4 Nov 2008 19:48:25 -0800 (PST), pugluver wrote:

On Oct 31, 6:10 pm, Peetie Wheatstraw
wrote:
11-yr-old Brittany, otherwise very healthy and active. Not at all
a nervous pooch.

We've fought skin allergies for years. She always winds up on prednisone
when other meds fail. Much loss of fur on/around paws.

Skin allergies are seasonal, more-or-less May-Dec. By Feb., fur
has returned and, 'tho she still licks, she looks normal.

The worst of the allergies proper is over in the fall. We've had
a frost (it's in midwest US) and she's still licking a lot. I
think it's like a nervous habit. Like 'lick granuloma' but not
a year-round problem.

I've been trying bitter apple to suppress licking, but it misses
the mark.

Any suggestions on how to break the licking habit?

Thx,
Peetie
I have heard from a DVM who was also a chiropractor for animals, that
it is a sensation they feel in their paws or wherever. So possibly
like her foot is going to sleep.

"Going to sleep" has to do with circulation, methinks. I've no
evidence of a circulation problem.

My first dog constantly licked her
sides...and had hip displacia. I can certainly see how that may bring
comfort or at least a distraction.
Anyway have you tried Cosequin?

Mine also has CHD, and has been on Glucosamine/Condroitin (and other
supp's) for years. Haven't tried Cosequin.

Pretty sure it's related to allergies and a nervous, acquired habit,
not HD (she's shown no symptoms of HD for many years, knock wood).

Thx,
Peetie

It's either allergy related or a yeast infection and that is usually
caused by feeding kibble. Licking feet is something usually attributed
to yeast infections. You need to change foods.

Prednisone is a bad choice, it treats a symptom and not the underlying
problem. Feed a species appropriate diet, bathe with a sulpher based
shampoo, put some colloidal silver in the drinking water and it will go
away.

In article ,
chardonnay9 wrote:
It's either allergy related or a yeast infection and that is usually
caused by feeding kibble. Licking feet is something usually attributed
to yeast infections. You need to change foods.

Anybody who listens to this crackpot deserves what they get.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

"chardonnay9" wrote in message
m...
It's either allergy related or a yeast infection and that is usually
caused by feeding kibble. Licking feet is something usually attributed
to yeast infections. You need to change foods.

Or it could be fungus. Or it could be OCD. Or it could be overgrown
nails. Or skin tags between the toes or some other abnormality. Or it
could be environmental allergies. Shall I go on? Because I could.

Prednisone is a bad choice, it treats a symptom and not the underlying
problem.

Actually, a short course of prednisone might be helpful in ruling out
non-allergy causes. It can also be helpful in breaking the allergy
cycle, because even when the allergen is removed, the reaction can
continue, because the area is inflamed and bothersome.

Feed a species appropriate diet, bathe with a sulpher based shampoo,
put some colloidal silver in the drinking water and it will go away.

You really have no business giving out that sort of advice.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

Melinda Shore wrote:
In article ,
chardonnay9 wrote:
It's either allergy related or a yeast infection and that is usually
caused by feeding kibble. Licking feet is something usually attributed
to yeast infections. You need to change foods.

Anybody who listens to this crackpot deserves what they get.

If all you can accomplish is calling names I guess it means you can't
refute what I say. I provide proof of what I say. Nobody else has been
able to do that.

Try having an open mind just once. I did when the kibble was killing
dogs. I saw the difference in my dogs in just three days. Increased
energy levels, shiny coat, happier dogs!

If you haven't researched it don't knock it!

In article ,
chardonnay9 wrote:
If all you can accomplish is calling names I guess it means you can't
refute what I say. I provide proof of what I say.

You're consistently incorrect on your facts and the very few
claims you've made about nutrition have been wrong. As
nearly as I can tell you don't even have an interest in
nutrition, which I guess would go a long way towards
explaining why you don't know about it. But nutritional
content is as or possibly more important than ingredients.
Ingredients matter but if you're not giving your dog
adequate nutrition you're hurting him.

Try having an open mind just once. I did when the kibble was killing
dogs. I saw the difference in my dogs in just three days. Increased
energy levels, shiny coat, happier dogs!

If you were buying your kibble at the grocery store then you
were buying crap and you don't have to improve the diet much
to see some improvement. Increasing the fat content is
going to make the coat look better regardless of whether or
not the dog is otherwise receiving adequate nutrition.

I really haven't seen you give any reason to believe that
you've got knowledge of or interest in *nutrition*. You
come off like a cultist, not a scientist.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Melinda Shore wrote:

You're consistently incorrect on your facts and the very few
claims you've made about nutrition have been wrong.

Again, show me instead of resorting to name calling.