I have a 12 1/2 year old male lab who is getting the best of me and
my family. He constantly and compulsively licks his rear legs and pads of his feet. He can get around the cone and I come home from work to a bloody mess. Or limps around after licking his pads raw. We spend our days and nights saying stop, no etc. The stress level is high and even worse is his quality of life. He has been on steroids to stop this and I've been told he can't stay on them for an extended period of time. Any advise greatly appreciated.

Sounds lie he is allergic - have you changed anything in your house that ou clean with (ie aundry detergent, floor cleaner, etc). Done something to your lawn or tkn him somewhere that has used pestisides? Has his food changed, or have pu thought of switching his food?
Since he is licking the backs o f his legs, has his anal glands been expressed? Could he be having bowel problems, or possible peeing and stepping in it causing burn - maybe a urinary infection?

Just thoughts that crossed my mind when i read this

Consider joint pain as an initial cause of licking. After the lick sores are established, they also itch. I would try an anti-inflammatory medication and an antihistamine. Consult your vet about this possibility.

I am wondering if he has some spinal issues. Maybe acupuncture can help him???

Best of Luck :)

I'm not one to suggest food allergies but sounds like this might be what is bothering him. I'd look for a grain free food or a raw (the kind you get from the refridgerated section of the pet store) diet. Or, just possibly at his age it might be a thyroid problem.

thyroid issues? might send out blood to jean dodds hemopet for a thyroid panel...i've also heard that if there is something out of alignment that it can cause real itchiness. hemopet also has a nutrican......

And made sure the main protein he's eating isn't chicken.

Get a liver, thyroid , kidney panel and a full allergy panel. It may surprise you. Spend the $$ now and get it over with instead of fooling around trying this and that.

Also at this point of scratching for so long, get him tested for fungus.

I agree with the joint pain, it can cause nerve issues that send itchy or painful signals to these lower limbs.

try benadryl in tablet form, up to 6 a day. also a numbing spray that may help topically.

I senior with the same issues, look into the no bite collar, it really stops the neck from bending around.

Have you tried anything yet? I think you need a two-pronged approach. He needs something for his immediate comfort, then something to solve the long-term problem. Like you said, living like that is a poor quality of life. Putting a collar on or telling him no just makes him suffer with whatever is making him lick and chew. The prednisone should work short term, but he also needs testing - perhaps a biopsy - to find out whether it's an allergy, infection, or infestation.

I agree that he could be licking because of pain from arthritis. Something easy to try is fish oil because it has anti-inflammatory properties. The fish oil will help with arthritis pain and allergies if that is what's bothering him. Start off adding one 1000 mg-1200 mg cap to his meal, just throw it in there and see if he eats it. Watch his stool for a day or two, the extra oil can cause his stools to get loose. If it's good than give him two caps a day, one with each meal assuming he's eating 2x's/day. Watch his stool again if it's good increase to 3 caps, build up to 2 caps 2 x's/day or 4 caps total. Anything less than 4 caps won't be significant in therapeutic terms. He might have to be on the 4 caps for a couple of weeks before you notice a difference. If you see an improvement I would then add a joint supplement like Hylasport Canine and continue with the fish oil.

Also, at 12.5 years old I wouldn't be concerned about long term prednisone use if he's on a very low dose (1-2 mg/day). Vets like to give doses that are much higher than that and I've found if you wean down to a lower dose the dogs symptoms can sometimes be very manageable. Of course it's better to not use prednisone at all and you should look for the cause of his discomfort and the real solution first. Ask your vet. The prednisone could be helping if his problem is allergies or pain.

If he has allergies it could be from his food or more likely pollen, mold spores, dust etc. Changing his food is the first step to finding out. Put him on a limited ingredient diet, one protein source (one that he hasn't had before) with one carbohydrate source, something like California Natural Lamb and Rice for example. Don't feed him anything else, no treats, only kibble, even rawhide can cause itches. You could see an improvement very quickly or it could take several weeks.

It isn't wise to attempt both the fish oil and the food change at the same time. If he has digestive issues with either one you won't know which one is causing the problem. Once you know one is not causing any problems then you can add the other.

Diet change and fish oil is easy to try but it does take time. A good workup with bloodwork and x-rays and/or a consult with a canine dermatologist would be a better solution.

Telling him to stop is not going to do it. The reason most dogs get lick sores is because they are bored. I have a bitch almost 16 and 10 other dogs over 11. Putting an old dog through a bunch of tests and treatments is not really a good plan. Maybe nice calm music on a radio may help calm him. Maybe a new bed or blanket or a toy to snuggle with. Also by leaving a tv on may help him feel that someone is around. All day is a long day for the old guys. Dermoplast in the red lid can can be sprayed on his feet several times a day. It does wear off so needs to be renewed. It used by Penn Vet hospital on dogs bandages when they have surgery. It is a bad time for allergies with the grass and things. Hope you can get him some relief. Good luck. elllie

What's the problem with chicken?

Folks are finding that dogs are sensitive to certain proteins. Chicken being one of the biggest ones. for a dog itching like that, the first thin I would do is make sure that the main protein of its diet is NOT chicken.

Listen to all these things you may try! Wow. Get a blood draw. Simple. Get an answer and treat it. All these changes will make you and the dog crazy! Yes, it will cost you $100-150 but at least you'll have a real answer and some peace.

I appreciate all of your suggestions and support. Lots of good ideas.
I was able to get him into an allergist yesterday and while there are no guarantees of a complete cure he is starting a course of meds that hopefully will help make him more comfortable. Thanks again.

Had no idea. Thanks. Maybe my itchy puppy needs a change in protein.