Licking feet HELP!

[not_so_tiny_teddy]

My 19 month old male Doberman, Teddy, injured two of the pads on his feet, one month ago. We think he may have cut them on glass during a walk but are not sure. He had to wear a cone and go on antibiotics. His original wounds have now healed however he can still get at his feet and has created new injuries due to licking. He has had the cone on for one month straight as of tomorrow and I’m beginning to wonder if his feet are ever going to heal. A few days ago we bought a bitter antiseptic spray which has had some success but not as much as I was hoping. This evening I found a new lick wound on one of his feet.

We are finding it almost impossible to keep the cone high up behind his ears so that he has less access to his feet. I have seen a device made with a towel wrapped around their neck to stop them bending their neck however he is a rather crazy puppy and wouldn’t want to leave him with a towel that he may destroy and eat causing him to then need surgery!

When I was in my 20s my family had a Doberman that had a permanent lick wound on his leg and I am terrified that we were going down the same road. I know that he should have something to suckle like a blanket, but he stopped being able to have these along a time ago because he would just destroy them.

We live in Australia so product recommendations might differ.

Can you offer any suggestions? We are desperate.

Thanks,
Tricia

 

[Rits]

Is it maybe possible he has a piece of glass in his foot? There was a member on here that had a similar story and they x-rayed and found something still in her foot!

Shadow’s injured paw

 

[MyBuddy]

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Maybe one of these would be better? I've never tried it so I have no experience with it but they do look much more comfortable then the cone. Are you gone all day at work leaving him alone? As stated, I would check to be sure there is nothing else in his paw. Licking can really become a habit. Especially after an injury. I've always given the command, NO LICKING! Whenever I see my dogs licking for any more than 10 seconds! Yep, nip it in the bud right away. But if you are gone all day, he has free rein. You'll just have to find a way to keep him from it.

 

[LifeofRubie]

oh, shoot! The licking habit can be so tough to break. We've had success with bitter apply spray but I know some dogs actually aren't too discouraged by the taste. I like @Rits suggestion that there might still be something in there that's irritating him and to rule that out for sure. Keep us posted!

 

[strykerdobe]

Did the Vet make sure there was nothing imbedded in the cut?

 

[not_so_tiny_teddy]

The vet didn’t check if something was in embedded however he is licking completely different spots and completely different feet from the original injury.

 

[Tropicalbri's]

The vet didn’t check if something was in embedded however he is licking completely different spots and completely different feet from the original injury.

It could be nerve damage and now he has become obsessed with the licking or their is a foreign body embedded that the vet missed. Might want to take him back to vet to make sure.

 

[obbanner]

I had a problem with my puppy AJ. He was injured last March and was bunny hopping. Because he was isolated from the other dogs, he started licking and had two bad granulomas, one going very deep. Nothing worked. He would rub the edge of the cone against them until the cone was bloody. I train with a person who transports rescue dogs to new locations and she recommended a Bumas muzzle. It was expensive but cheaper in the long run than ongoing medical problems. One granuloma is healed and he leaves it alone. He'll still goes after the other even though it's mostly healed. I keep it on him whenever I can't watch him, including when he's in his cage in the car. He can drink as long as the water in his bowl is deep enough. He's comfortable wearing it and is cooperative when I put it on him.

It's a lifetime purchase and cones are in the past. Bumas makes the muzzle of a soft synthetic after you enter the measurements. Their website shows you how to measure and were very good working with me.

They're an Austrian company. With all the go rounds, it took almost 3 months to receive it. In the interim, I used $12 mesh surgical muzzles from Amazon. I had to make a chin strap with string to keep the Amazon muzzle on.

 

[not_so_tiny_teddy]

Thank you obbanner! If things don’t improve I will probably buy one of those muzzles. He has a nasty habit of finding cooked chicken bones in bushes while we are out so it might also help that too!

 

[obbanner]

Thank you obbanner! If things don’t improve I will probably buy one of those muzzles. He has a nasty habit of finding cooked chicken bones in bushes while we are out so it might also help that too!

Yes, a side benefit is he doesn't countersurf with it on!

 

[GennyB]

he is licking completely different spots and completely different feet from the original injury.

You may never know the reason but you can stop it. Sometimes it is just simple boredom that starts the process or a wound that starts and he finds he likes something to do so he continues.
Time for some distraction with mental stimulation. Meaning when he has some idle time work on some training to keep his mind busy. Look around, think of jobs you can teach him to keep him busy.
The boy in my avatar was an energizer bunny. I had to keep him busy. I tied a rope on a laundry basket so he could pull it around. I taught him to grab it and pick up his toys or dirty laundry when hubby just couldn't seem to find hamper.
You can play hide n' seek games where you hide treats and have him find them.
When you put your mind to it I have no doubt you will come up lots of things to keep him stimulated.

 

[MyBuddy]

He has a nasty habit of finding cooked chicken bones in bushes while we are out so it might also help that too!

In bushes??

 

[MyBuddy]

Sometimes it is just simple boredom that starts the process or a wound that starts and he finds he likes something to do so he continues.

Exactly! That's why even a simple licking gets stopped by me. I don't let it continue just so it doesn't become a habit. And it can!

 

[Ddski5]

I was not a fan of Ragnar sucking on a blanket. I would stop it everytime he started. And then I realized it is a way for him to calm himself and his asshat antics absolutely needs it.

I vote to let him go back to suckling a blanket. Ragnar use to tear the blankets up but by watching and correcting him, he has learned not to do this.

Give it another try.

 

[Maja Rocks]

oh, shoot! The licking habit can be so tough to break. We've had success with bitter apply spray but I know some dogs actually aren't too discouraged by the taste. I like @Rits suggestion that there might still be something in there that's irritating him and to rule that out for sure. Keep us posted!

Another vote for "Bitter Apple" I have used it successfully before... it tastes terrible.

Good luck
MR

 

[Panama]

Another vote for "Bitter Apple" I have used it successfully before... it tastes terrible.

Good luck
MR

We haven't had any luck with Bitter Apple, Bitter Yuck, Bitter Cherry, Bitter Lime, No Chew, Stop That with Diva and she will not stop chewing on the deck. My husband even tried a little sriracha sauce on a spot she chewed any chance she got. Made her chew it more.

 

[Maja Rocks]

We haven't had any luck with Bitter Apple, Bitter Yuck, Bitter Cherry, Bitter Lime, No Chew, Stop That with Diva and she will not stop chewing on the deck. My husband even tried a little sriracha sauce on a spot she chewed any chance she got. Made her chew it more.

That too bad.... It worked great for me, my dogs hated the taste.
I would try to give Teddy something better to do than licking himself.
As others have suggested it might be a self southing behavior that has become a habit.
The 1st thing I would try is I would keep him on a leash next to me and work on redirecting his behavior.
No licking.. Here Teddy... Play with this.. Try his favorite chew toy... Good Boy!

Like others have suggested worse case senerio you might have to resort to a muzzle for a little bit till he has healed or he breaks the habit if thats what it is now.

When he starts licking ...On goes the muzzle!
Give him enough time to figure out having the muzzle on sucks the 1st time.
Then when he has settled take it off.
The second he starts licking... "No licking" if he stops "Good Boy!
If he doesn't stop... Back on goes the muzzle.
Wash. rinse, repeat as often as nessary..LOL.
Dobes are smart and my guess is Teddy will figure it out pretty fast and stop licking if he hates the muzzle more than he likes licking himself.
Just like us bad habits can be hard to break so the sooner you address this the better

Good luck and let us know how if you see progress.
MR

 

[MyBuddy]

Yeah, sucking on a blanket is kind of a benign, calming, necessity for some Dobermans LOL like mine.

I was not a fan of Ragnar sucking on a blanket. I would stop it everytime he started. And then I realized it is a way for him to calm himself and his asshat antics absolutely needs it.

I vote to let him go back to suckling a blanket. Ragnar use to tear the blankets up but by watching and correcting him, he has learned not to do this.

Give it another try.

I know that he should have something to suckle like a blanket, but he stopped being able to have these along a time ago because he would just destroy them.

Buddy has loved a blanket since I got him. Not only would he suckle on it, but he would tear out pieces. I'm very lucky in that he never wanted to swallow them. I would watch him and he would tear out a piece and then spit it out LOL Honestly! It was kind of funny to watch. And his blanket, which I always got at garage sales, would get like swiss cheese. I would keep a stash and switch them up when it got like that. It was like Christmas for him ! LOL And I had to pick up pieces that he tore out. . But he loved his blanket! And it gave him such comfort. Now, at 12 years old, he doesn't seem to pull out the pieces as much. The blanket could get holy but it's just from him tearing at it. Not actually pulling out a piece. But yes, if it gives your dog comfort, I would let him have it. BUT you'd have to watch him like a hawk if he is eating pieces. I'd never give it to him when you are not home.

 

[Kaiser2016]

I'd never give it to him when you are not home.

Now that we leave Kaiser out more often, we’d been wondering what item to leave him with just in case the crazies strike. We agreed the blanket was a risk so we leave him with the gorilla chew instead. It pretty much stays in the same spot so we assumed he must be sleeping. Came home the other day after Kaiser was home alone for a longer period and I was petting him when my hand got wet and then I found more wet spots. I thought he must have just licked himself but then I found a long white line on his side

Guess he was bound to figure himself out

 

[MyBuddy]