Why is my dog licking so much that a sore spot forms?

Pet-owners want to know: Why is my dog licking so much that a sore spot forms?

It’s a lot like kids who suck their thumb — once the habit starts, it’s hard to break. Here’s what you need to know about causes and treatment.

A dog’s list of annoying habits can often be endless. Obsessive itching, licking, scratching, urinating on your favorite rug, jumping up on people— endless. Similar habits, such as dog licking that is taken to self-harm levels, that results in the dog developing sores called lick granulomas.

Maybe you’ve seen this: a raised, red sore on a front leg that your dog licks at obsessively. Or perhaps you never seen your dog lick, but the sore is there all the same.

Chances are you told your dog to stop, so they learned to become secretive about licking. Well, these sores are surprisingly common.

Why your dog is constantly licking one spot

Dogs aren’t much different from us. Once the habit starts, it’s hard to break.

The reason is that the dog licking releases feel-good hormones called endorphins. The dog licks, it feels good, and the dog doesn’t want to stop licking.

You may hear your vet refer to the condition as acral lick dermatitis, or ALD, where dogs are licking their legs so much that sores developed.

Studies have shown that when nature’s own morphine-like substances — the endorphins — are involved in ALD, because affected dogs’ self-licking behavior decreased dramatically when the dogs were treated with endorphin antagonists. Since endorphins are released when stress arises, it can be confirmed that licking appears in situations where stress is involved.

Possible Health-Related Causes of the Licking

For most dogs, the habit starts with a trigger in the form of an itch, ache or infection.

It may be that the dog has arthritis or an allergy, and rather than lick the specific spot, the dog chooses a comfortable place to lick — which is often a forearm or paw.

Common triggers:

• Arthritis

• Parasitic infection that causes a general itch

• A bacterial skin infection

• Ringworm

• Skin allergies triggering an itch

More than half of dogs with acral lick dermatitis are suspected to have concurrent fear- or anxiety-based conditions or both (e.g., separation anxiety, noise phobia, anxiety-related aggression).

The Derma Dilemma

The problem is that a veterinarian cannot give the owner a specific recipe for a cure. The skin lesions will heal slightly, almost seem like they are going to heal, but then overnight (or during the day while left alone) the lick granuloma is activated by the dog licking the area raw once again.

Even worse, some dogs will simply switch to licking the other leg if you restrict their ability to lick the first leg by wrapping it in a cast, creating an even more annoying problem—now there are 2 lick granulomas!

Does Your Dog Do This? If So, Act Quickly.

If your dog starts to lick obsessively, seek the help of your veterinarian. Getting to the bottom of the cause, and early treatment, is the best way to stop the problem from becoming ingrained.

Alongside treating the lick granuloma, your vet may want to run tests to investigate any underlying problems.

Treatment of Lick Granulomas / Sore Spots in Dogs

Think of this as a 2-pronged attack: tackling both the sores and the underlying cause.

Lick granulomas are frustrating because even with successful treatment, the dog is likely to relapse. To stand any chances of long-term success, therapy must continue for at least 4 weeks after the symptoms have ceased.

Treating the sores:

• Antibiotics or antifungals

• Local anesthetic creams

• Anti-inflammatory medications (to reduce the skin tingle)

• Bandages or an Elizabethan collar (“cone of shame”)

• Mood-modifying drugs

Your vet may try one or a combination of the treatments above.

Frustratingly, putting an Elizabethan collar on doesn’t work well because as soon as it is removed, the licking starts again and the dog will activate the lesion all over again.

Addressing the underlying triggers:

• The first step is to find out what they are. This could mean blood tests, skin biopsies or radiographs.

• In the case of allergies, starting the dog on a hypoallergenic diet is a great idea, as is testing for environmental allergens.

• Regular parasite treatments against fleas and mites are crucial to keep parasitic itches at bay.

Ultimately, to find the right solution for your dog, speak with your vet.

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Dog Health

What is Hip Dysplasia?

Hip Dysplasia typically develops because of an abnormally developed hip joint. However, hip dysplasia can also be caused by cartilage damage from a traumatic fracture. With such damage or a malformed hip joint, over the time the existing cartilage will lose its thickness and elasticity. The breakdown of the cartilage will eventually result in pain with any joint movement.

No one can predict when or if a dog will start showing signs of lameness due to pain. The severity of the disease may be affected by environmental factors, such as caloric intake or level of exercise. It is not abnormal for certain dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis that run, jump, and play as though nothing is wrong. There are also some dogs with very little arthritic x-ray evidence that are severely lame.

Screenings for hip dysplasia are done by a veterinarian with x-rays that are then sent to OFA for grading and certification.

Hip Screening: Grade Classifications

The OFA classifies hips into seven different categories: Excellent, Good, Fair (all within Normal limits), Borderline, and then Mild, Moderate, or Severe (the last three are considered Dysplastic).

Excellent Classification

Superior conformation; there is a deep-seated ball (femoral head) which fits tightly into a well-formed socket (acetabulum) with minimal joint space.

Good Classification

Slightly less than superior but a well-formed congruent hip joint is visible. The ball fits well into the socket and good coverage is present.

Fair Classification

Minor irregularities; the hip joint is wider than a good hip. The ball slips slightly out of the socket. The socket may also appear to be slightly shallow.

Borderline Classification

Not clear. Usually, more incongruency then what occurs in a ‘Fair’ classification, but there are no arthritic changes present that definitively diagnose the hip joint being dysplastic.

Mild Classification

It is significant yet partial dislocation is present where the ball is partially out of the socket, causing an increased joint space. The socket is typically shallow only partially covering the ball.

Moderate Classification

The ball is barely positioned into a shallow socket. There are secondary arthritic bone changes usually along the femoral neck and head (aka remodeling), acetabular rim changes (osteophytes or bone spurs) and various degrees of trabecular bone pattern changes (sclerosis).

Severe Classification

Marked evidence of dysplasia exists. The ball is partially or completely out of the shallow socket. Significant arthritic bone changes along the femoral neck and head and acetabular rim changes.

Treatment Options

Once osteoarthritis is present on a radiograph, dysplastic changes are irreversible and typically continue to progress over time. If a dog with hip dysplasia has secondary arthritis and pain, most owners opt to first treat their dog with medical management. The key is weight control and exercise. Studies have shown that up to 76% of dogs with severe dysplasia and secondary arthritis are able to function and live comfortable, quality lives with conservative management. With weight control, the goal is to prevent the dog from becoming overweight to reduce stresses applied to the joints. In general terms, ribs should be easily palpated and there should be an indentation in front of the pelvic wings (waistline).

Controlled exercise is to prevent or relieve the inflammatory process that leads to the pain associated with arthritis. The amount and difficulty of the activity is determined on a trial and error basis. Exercise should begin on short-leash walks and increase level of activity over time. If clinical signs begin to reappear, scale back the level of exercise to a point where the clinical signs do not reappear. Exercise should fit to each individual dog’s maximum intensity level with the goal to maintain muscle tone and cardiovascular function without causing pain, stiffness, and inflammation to the affected joint(s). Exercise helps maintain muscle tone, strengthens & stabilizes the unstable dysplastic joint, and improves joint range of motion (which in turn keeps the dog comfortable). Another useful activity is swimming, as it is a non-weight bearing exercise.

Keep the dog in a warm environment. Warmth tends to help control the pain of arthritis. As in people, arthritis pain in dogs tends to worsen in damp and cold weather. Provide a well-padded and warm bed will help alleviate some of the pain associated with osteoarthritis. An egg-crate foam bed for dogs is commercially available. Applying superficial heat in the form of heating pads may also alleviate pain, but do heed caution as not to burn the skin with electric heating pads. Heat works best for chronically inflamed joints while cold works better to treat acute (sudden) types of joint injuries.

There are drug treatments and surgical interventions that may help, but prior to initiating any therapy, the attending veterinarian should be consulted with a complete medical history and physical examination.

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