Originally Posted by
Makel
@
RUOkie and @
Heathpack I've had to wrap Chloe's paws and douse them in bitter apple. I'm worried she's going to chew a hole in them and she keeps thinking she's in trouble. She is going to get fat off of treats and cuddles. Pretty sure it's the grass, we are taking them to the vet next month, if Chloe is still chewing we'll see what the vet says.
Makel, I'm a neurologist so honestly have little practical experience with any skin problems, I have literally not primarily managed a skin problem since I was an intern 20ish years ago. So I am reaching back into the depths of my brain to give you advice. Here goes:
Most of the times when a dog is chewing at her feet, its a manifestation of an allergy compounded by a secondary skin infection (which increases itchiness). The infection is usually bacterial but occasionally is fungal. The allergy could be a contact allergy (ie her feet coming in contact with something she is allergic to, like grass), atopy (ie an inhaled allergen like pollen or dust mites), or a food allergy (ie allergic reaction to some protein in her food). The treatment for something like this is multi-pronged: try to eliminate the allergen if possible, decrease the body's systemic allergic reaction and treat any associated skin infection.
You probably can't eliminate the allergen, not knowing what it is. The most common allergies in dogs, though, are food allergy and atopy. Sometimes vets will put dogs on novel protein diets if they think the allergen is in the food (which it very commonly is). But the only really effective diets are prescription only, so not an option without seeing the vet. With one of these diets, the dog must eat absolutely nothing else for 12 weeks, no treats, people food, not even a chewable pill. Usually they are formulated from weird combos of ingredients like duck and pea or kangaroo and lentil.
To mitigate the systemic effects of the allergy, things like antihistamines and anti-inflammatories (steroids) are used. You can get anti-histamines OTC. I texted a veterinary dermatologist friend of mine and she said you can try Benadryl at 1 mg per pound of body weight every 8 hours. So if Chloe is 25 pounds, that's a 25 mg Benadryl every 8 hours.
To try to treat any kind of secondary skin infection, sometimes vets will give oral antibiotics for extended periods of time- 6 weeks is not uncommon. Obviously you cannot get that without seeing the vet. However, you could treat topically with an antibacterial shampoo and many times this is preferable anyway. My dermatologist friend suggested that you get a dog Chlorhexiderm shampoo from the pet store and shampoo the feet daily until they start to look better and then every other day until the problem is cleared up. It might take a few weeks, be forewarned.
Also, you might have noticed if you ever take a dog to the vet for a skin problem, the first thing they do is shave the hair in the affected area. That because the drier the skin, the harder it is for bacteria/yeast to grow on it. Airflow is hugely important. So wrapping the feet is likely counterproductive. Ditto for the bitter apple if it is keeping the feet moist. The best thing to keep her from chewing at her feet is an Elizabethan collar (aka cone of shame), which you might be able to get at a pet store. Its a pain in the ass, but really way better to try to get the feet to clear up. If you can trim most of the hair from the feet, that would help too. And when you shampoo the feet, rinse them really well and if she'll let you blow the feet dry, do that so they don't stay wet.
Take her to the vet as soon as you can, especially if these ideas don't work. Good luck.