# Lick Granuloma



## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Anyone have experience with treating a lick granuloma?

About a year or so ago, my Labx had an inflamed lump on his hind foot. I ended up having surgery to remove the lump after tests showed some wierd cells. Further tests showed it was a lick granuloma. He opened up the stitches after surgery, but it healed. Hasn't been a problem until this weekend, when I noticed some swelling at the top of the scar, and then this morning I saw he'd licked it raw.

Vet appointment scheduled for Monday, and I plan to put a muttluk boot on him, but does anyone have any suggestions or advice until I get to the vet's?


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## Audrey Pleiss (May 8, 2009)

My Rottie girl has an obsession with her front legs. When she starts in, I put Corona ointment on and a spray of bitter apple. Need to apply a few times a day. Sometimes it seems like OCD.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Not uncommon in Dobes but I've not seen it in Labs.
If you do the bitter apple thing, first give a few shots of spray directly in the dog's mouth. If you don't create an adversion to it some dogs wont react to it on objects. 
My parents had an Aussie that was a chewer (objects and herself). The bitter apple didn't work so I rubbed in a mix of vaseline and cyan pepper. Did the job!


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## Terry Devine (Mar 11, 2008)

My Golden Ret. does this to himself on occassion. I use some medicated powder to help with the healing and the powder helps tp deter him from licking, guess the powder does not taste too good and probably dries out his tongue.
I also agree that in my guys case it is sometimes OCD.

Good Luck
Terry


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## chris haynie (Sep 15, 2009)

my aunt has dobes and has one with an obsessive licking problem. she had a recipe similar to bob scotts.

I was dogsitting for her a while back and i thought that she was messing with me when her instructions said "mix 1 tablespoon of cayenne powder into a 1/4cup of vaseline and rub a bit of it on Anna's front left ankle joint once a day" seems to work and they still use the same thing when she starts obessively licking. 

i am 100% sure this dobe is OCD...shes always been a bit nutty.if that has to do with the lick granuloma i do not know. shes the type to just get all spacey and stare at random shit or snap at bugs that aint there. god damn show dogs.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Not really an OCD issue with this dog, though he does seem to get into a self soothing groove with the licking sometimes. He has some food issues, so if he's eaten something he shouldn't have (like the cats' chicken based food), he'll lick at his feet, but that's usually his front feet.

Can you put the vaseline/cayenne mix on broken skin? or just around the area the dog licks? Isn't there a cayenne cream for human arthritis relief? Wonder if it also has a soothing effect on what's bothering the dog, as well as deterring the licking. 

Just worried, I guess, that there is something else going on with that foot that's making him lick at it. Hopefully the vet will be able to get on top of it before it gets worse.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I wouldn't put the cayenne mix on an open wound. I thought I edited that into my post last night.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I've never used it myself, but you could try something like Maxi Guard Zn7 Derm along with an e-collar. It's a zinc based topical (I have some in a little pump bottle, never had to use it yet) that may be of some help:

http://www.addisonlabs.com/products/maxiguard-zn7-derm/


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## Audrey Pleiss (May 8, 2009)

I almost forgot something that seemed to work with my friends dobie. It was a mix of neosporin with oral gel. Neosporin to prevent infection and the oral gel to numb the spot. You can put oral gel on open wounds just like you can put it in your mouth.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Took him to the vet on Monday. Not really sure what the issue is... is he licking his foot because its swollen and itchy or was it swollen and itchy because he's been licking at it. Chicken or egg dilemna. And not really sure if its connected to the previous lick granuloma and surgery or not. 

Treating it with topical Banamine and Synotic solution.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> I've never used it myself, but you could try something like Maxi Guard Zn7 Derm along with an e-collar.
> 
> http://www.addisonlabs.com/products/maxiguard-zn7-derm/


I read this and thought, wouldn't an e-collar be a little extreme, until I realized that means Elizabethan collar. d'oh.

The boot seems to work to keep him from licking his foot. He can't cope with an e-collar - gets stuck on the furniture and is in constant danger of overturning the coffee table. And no, he won't figure out. He really is a dog of very little brain.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

leslie cassian said:


> .... He can't cope with an e-collar - gets stuck on the furniture and is in constant danger of overturning the coffee table.


There are soft ones now, and they are _far_ less traumatic than the lampshades. There are donuts too, for around the neck.

Speaking of brain, I had a dog who hated the lampshade collar to the point of hyperventilating in the corner and getting suctioned to the wall. That was when I researched and found this whole new world of far better substitutes.

http://www.softecollar.com/page6.html

Type _soft elizabethan collar_ at Google; there will be loads of returns


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