Lick granuloma

I sure wish I could help you, sounds so frustrating. But I just wanted to tell you that I wish you our best,,I sure hope someone here will be able to help,,there usually is!  Good luck!   The poor thing!

Same here.  I have had experiecnes with lots of stuff from allergic reactions to vax, knee surgers, poison, heartworms, but this is one I have not had to face, and i sure ain't gonna grumble about it.  I just want to wish you the best and am sure someone here has faced this problem.

Thank you for your kind words.So far no advice.I would have thought with so many dog owners on here that somebody might have delt with this before.

This may not be much help but a few years back my Lani had a lick granuloma that was successfully treated by an ointment of my vet's making.  All i can really remember is her admonishment not to get it on your skin or your mouth will be tasting funny. She was right - it made me taste a rancid "garlic" taste when I got it on my fingers LOL.  I am in FL but if you want it I will pass her name and number to you in a PM and maybe your vet can call and get the recipe.  From what i can remember it was a bacterial/fungicidal combo and was clear liquid.
 
*Sigh* Sorry i am not much help on this.
 
Hopefully someone will come along and know what I am talking about so they can give you specifics.

Welcome!  I have a dog with a tendency toward those also.  Wish I could say I have solved the problem, but I haven't.  I don't know what you are feeding, but switching to a high quality food may help, or just a different one.  Or you might try adding a fish oil supplement to help with dry skin.  Or it could be an allergy to grass, in which case you could wipe him down after being outside.  I've also heard that boredom can cause a dog to be obsessed with licking. 

Usually I just end up going to the Vet for cephalexin and tresaderm to rub onto the spot.

My first question would be what are you feeding?  Some dogs do this out of boredom as well. I have had pretty good results with Gold Bond Powder. Sprinkle it on both feet/legs and then rub it upwards into the coat so it gets down into the skin below the fur/coat then sprinkle more on top again. Do this two-three times a day. It will help heal while it also might deter the licking...please do it to both feet/legs as when they are detered from licking one they move to the other
 
Good luck!

Two things I have had work on even the most determined chewers (BCs can succumb to this as an OCD behavior very easily).  One is straight tea tree oil, which will also help heal and it tastes naaaaasty. 

The other  product is kind of a last-ditch thing since it's really messy.  There's a product called Stockholm tar that is for dressing livestock wounds.  I can guarantee no dog will lick that stuff off.  It is not toxic but boy is it disgusting - unfortunately it will also make your dog smell like burnt wood.  It's also not anything you'd want to get on your furniture or carpets.  I only use it in situations where a dog is kenneled, or recovering from surgery and on complete crate rest (the two words that strike fear into any BC owner's heart - "crate rest"!).

Good luck!

Ty is fed Flint river Ranch senior formula.He has an allergy to corn so we make sure our other dogs food also is corn free and soy free just in case he steals some.He also is fed about 50% home made food with veggies brown rice and turkey.He is on a skin and coat supplement,senior vitamin supplement,prozyme and probiotics.He had a severe skin problem when we got him as well and these steps have improved his skin and coat beautifully! He does still have some mild flaking but nothing like it was.He is bathed regularly with Malaseb and treated with advantage because a severe flea allergy.
I should also mention that a couple of years ago Ty suffered a severe stroke and several Very bad sezures.He came out of it with a twisted spine and his head cocked to one side with partial facial paralasis. With homemade food,supplements and some rehab exercises he made an amazing recovery and is back to his old self besides acting a bit older than he should be ( i think the trauma may have aged him a bit but he is able to play and run again.He gets a little sore in his joint since,especially in winter.
 As far as boredom goes,Ty doesnt like toys,has no interest in bones or rawhides,never has.The only activity he like is fetching his ball.We play every day but have to keep it to a minimum as his joints cant take it and he isnt able to get up the next morning.( he is on a hip and joint supp. as well)
As you can see this dog has a few issues!Hes not for the faint hearted owner!  There are probably more i forgot to add but this might help us get to the root of the problem. 

Sounds to me that you are on top of the diet and doing a GREAT job!!!!
 
It really sounds like boredom to me now and if  TY isn't into chew toys, bones and such then we'll have to wrack our brains to come up with something that might help and still limit the movement to avoid soreness.
 
So Stuffed kongs are not interesting?

Would he go for one of those Buster Cube type toys?  You fill it with his food or a special treat, and then he has to figure out how to get them out...one by one.  If he likes balls, there is one that flashes as it rolls.  That might catch his attention when you are busy doing other things.

We have tried the kongs,he just gives it a sniff and walks away.The balls he only likes when they are thrown.If its not airborne he isnt interested.He doesnt even play with the other dogs.He will even go get his favorite ball off the porch when he wants to play and put it back when hes done.He has been this was since he was a puppy.We have tried several different kinds of toys.He just isnt interested.Let me know if you think of anything!

Welcome []

I can think of two possible reasons for the Lick Granuloma based upon your details you've given.

With his joint issues, he may be responding any pain or inflammation by licking continually to try to soothe what is lurking beneath.

Also there are areas of the body where mast cells are more concentrated. In these areas the tissue gets easily irritated as mast cells release itchy histamine in response to allergens. He sounds like he's tackled allergies in the past and you've helped him tremendously. So I'm wondering if this just part of it, a tough issue that is still there.
Actually the definition of a "Lick Granuloma" is just that: Acral Pruritic Dermatitis.
So itch is right there in the definition.
Has he been on antihistamines at all?

His joint problems are fairly new.He has had the licking problem since we got him from the shelter 7 1/2 years ago so that would probably not be it.He isnt on antihistamines because of his stroke/sezure history we have to be very careful with any drugs we give him.The vet believes it started with a flea problem when he was young and now has just become habitual.