Lick Granuloma in Dogs

Read below photos for information concerning Lick Granuloma.

Lick granuloma on right foot of chocolate labrador retriever, Muddy

Muddy being serious

Muddy being a clown and feeling good.

Properly called Acral Lick Granuloma this is a skin condition that is fairly common in certain dog breeds but can occur in any dog.

About a year ago my lab, Muddy, began licking his right leg just above the paw. I didn’t pay much attention to his constant licking when he was in his crate at night. I had begun feeling really crummy in March, 2013 and so I was more than casual about Muddy and his paw. It seems it became an obsession with him. I think he began licking his paw due to boredom and frustration from being crated more than he had been in the past. He’s too big to let wander willy nilly through the house since he will get in the cat’s food. I also was crating him more because I did not want him picking up ticks from all the vegation in the yard. I use FrontLine for fleas and ticks but the topical applications only lasts for about 2 weeks and if you are lucky , maybe 3 weeks. The lit says it is a once per month application but I have yet to see it work that long. It is very expensive too.

Finally, after he had made a nasty looking sore, I had my vet take a look. I was afraid that maybe it had become cancerous. Dr B. said, “oh no problem. Put a few drops of this med on 2-3 times a day and watch him for about 5 minutes to make sure he doesn’t lick off the medicine.” So I applied 2-3 drops to saturate the area properly and remained sitting by Muddy for the suggested 5 minutes which gave the med time to absorb deep into the tissue. After about 5 weeks or sooner the area healed to the point where Muddy no longer licked the spot. The huge callous and raw like area had all but disappeared. That was last year.

This year Muddy began licking the very same spot about a month ago- about the time the grass was getting tall (before mowing). I believe that an allergy to grass might have influenced the licking to begin anew. This time I still had the medication which is called Synotic Otic Solution. It is actually an ear drop medication for pets. It contains a steriod which explains the rapid healing effect.

I took some hasty shots of his foot but these shots are of the same spot but less in severity of the sore place of last year. This one is on the road to healing and should be ok in another few weeks.

If you have a problem with this condition do not hesitate to have a vet diagnose and begin treatment. The area might not be a lick granuloma and could be something very serious. Do not ignore any sore, bump, mole, or anything that is bleeding or does not look normal.

This post is not meant as a diagnositc tool. See your vet to insure you pet’s health and well being. Various vets have their own treatment modalities for any given ailment. Some methods are simple but some granulomas might require treatments that are more involved.

Oh yes- for anyone concerned about Muddy and the crate. He is out of the crate during the day and is running free with the other dogs in a fenced acre. Thus far the ticks have not been bad but if they return in vast numbers again- I’ll have to crate my dogs and only allow them to run in the graveled back yard.

Below is a list of dog breeds that are MORE PRONE to lick granuloma. Any dog breed can develop this condition.

American Staffordshire Terrier
Border Collie
Boxer
Dalmatian
Doberman
English Setter
English Springer Spaniel
German Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Gordon Setter
Great Dane
Irish Red and White Setter
Irish Setter
Labrador Retriever
Newfoundland
Pit Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Weimaraner