ieinbar
Posted : 7/17/2009 10:38:23 PM
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Hi
again,
There
is another possibility that I thought of, which sounds exactly like what you
are describing which maybe your vet hasn’t considered.
There
is a condition called Acral Lick Dermatitis (ALD). In this condition, the dog
is involved in a stereotypic behavior, or a pattern of movement or behaviors
which are repetitive and happen with no apparent reason. Excessive licking of
the paws is a common stereotypical behavior in this condition. ALD is most
common in large, active dog breeds such as the Labrador Retriever. The self licking is
an act that releases tension in dogs that are bored or alone for long periods
of time. This condition should be treated because lesions could be developed
and never heal because of the repetitive licking, which could lead to pain and even
crippling. I looked in the professional literature for the treatment of this
condition. Apparently, the treatment presents challenges to the owners (the
condition is considered difficult to treat). There are several methods of
treatment but none address the behavioral sources of the condition. Some of
them include restrictive collars, bandaging, topical corticosteroid creams, and
a wide range of behavior modifying and anti-obsessional drugs
(anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, etc.). Apparently, such treatments may have
short term success, but after the bandage is removed or the medication stopped,
the self-mutilation behavior will almost always resume and that is why I
suggest addressing the behavioral origins of the condition (if that is the
situation). It may be better to consider using both treatments: creams or bandaging and
behavior modification.
The
owner first must try to identify the stimulus which is causing the dog anxiety
and observe the environment/lifestyle of the dog. Is the dog home alone 8+
hours a day? What kind of exercise does your dog receive? One of the main
suggestions that were listed were to ensure that the dog gets sufficient
exercise, not just in a yard, but also leashed walks where the owner interacts
with the dog.
I
would talk to the vet about this condition and even consult a dog behavior expert. In addition, I
would suggest seriously examining the life style of yout dog and as I said
before, take her on long walks.
As
I mentioned yesterday, I opened a new dog blog at http://sushony.blogspot.com/
I
will maybe post a new post about this condition tomorrow because it is rather
interesting. Hope I helped.
In
the meanwhile, hang in there...
Inbar