Haleigh
Posted : 1/21/2007 8:40:28 PM
Has anyone considered dietary imbalances? All of my raw fed animals flourish without any problems.
As for the lick granuloma caused by raw...if that was my vet, I'd have rolled my eyes and walked away. The Lick in lick granuloma isn't part of a condition someone pulled outta their butt. My friend had a Dobe who had granulomas ALL over his legs. Dobermans are, well...OCD about licking their paws and legs, same with Boxers and Pits.
[link
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/lick.html]"The photos above to the left and right are of an Airedale with a classic case of Lick Granuloma. (Click on the photos to see a larger version in a new window.) The dog is perfectly healthy, is on an excellent diet, does not suffer from allergies but does have slight separation anxiety when his owner leaves for work. In this case the "cause" of the licking specifically at the affected area of skin may be self stimulation to help allay the anxiety of separation from the owner. The skin lesions will heal slightly, almost seem like they are [/link]
[link
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/lick.html] going to heal, and overnight (or during the day while left alone) the lick granuloma is activated, licked raw from continuous passes of the tongue. Also with this dog, when one of the attempts to break the cycle of licking involved wrapping the lower leg with a cast to keep the dog away from the lesion, he began to make a new one in the same location on the opposite leg! Now there are TWO LICK GRANULOMAS! (See the photo on the right.) "[/link]
Also on this website it says that Hypothyroidism could be an underlying cause. you should get Ella in for a thyroid panel.
CAUSES:
There are numerous theories and one may apply for one dog and an entirely different theory may be correct for another. Take your pick...
1.) Many dermatologists think that boredom is a major underlying factor in some cases of Acral Lick Granuloma. The dog's licking activity helps pass the time.
2.) Some believe that allergic inhalant dermatitis creates stress in the skin resulting in inflammation and pruritus (itching) which triggers the dog's propensity to lick at any convenient area.
3.) A foreign body such as a thistle spine, splinter or bee sting might start up a reaction in the skin which leads to drawing the dog's attention to the spot.
4.) Bone or joint pain can draw the dog's attention to the wrist or ankle area and in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort the dog licks over the top of the joint.
5.) Psychological stimuli such as separation anxiety, a new pet or child in the home, or neighbor dogs invading the dog's "territory" can create psychological stress. Self stimulation such as picking out an area to concentrate on and licking for extended periods of time are a way for the dog to relieve the "stress".
6.) Hypothyroidism has played a role in some cases of Acral Lick Granuloma. Especially in Black Labs with lick granulomas it would be a good idea to have the Thyroid Gland function checked. Thyroid medication may just be what the dog needs to have those skin lesions resolve.
So with that said, I think the granulomas are NOT caused by diet. If anything, the skin infection was caused by something you were feeding her, and therefore caused her to incessently lick. You also mentioned feeding Ella wheat liver and garlic treats. Don't give those to her anymore. She could possibly get sick from the garlic, and the wheat could possibly be contributing to health issues. I make my own treats. Joy doesn't have any flour or wheat sensitivities, so I make her peanut butter oatmeal liver treats. Our malinois Knox has major allergies to any thing not raw, so we only give him bits of dehydrated liver. To cut down costs, we bought a dehydrated and make them ourselves, WARNING: DEHYDRATING SMELLS ONE MILLION TIMES WORSE THAN BAKING...REFRAIN FROM DOING IT INDOORS