Zuko
Oh, Zuko.
He's had a raw spot on his leg for a while now, and I've been watching it to see if it's getting better. It seems to be getting worse, though, and he licks it constantly, so I took him to the vet today.
Before we even saw the vet, he lunged at every man, woman, child, dog, and cat in the waiting room, peed on a bag of dog food for sale, and pooped on the floor. So it was an auspicious start.
The vet poked and prodded and squeezed the affected area for a minute before declaring it a "lick granuloma." It's caused by licking. It's psychological. It's basically an OCD thing.
I know it might be easy to assume that he somehow contracted OCD from my crazy ways, but he's obviously demonstrated OCD behavior since the day I met him, and it's usually in a repetitive mannerism kind of way. That day at the shelter, he jumped up and down constantly in his cage on repeat, like, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing. Every day when the mailman comes, he not only barks his face off but spins wildly in a circle chasing his tail again and again. He will jump up on the back door over and over and over, boing, boing, boing. He walks around a circle several times as if preparing a spot for himself before just lying down already. He runs along the side of the couch, pressing his side against it and plastering it with his fur, back and forth, back and forth. He is also a pacer. He paces back and forth from the living room to whatever room the cats are locked in when the dogs are inside. Over and over and over, back and forth, wearing a path on the ceramic tile. So he's got these repeat motions / movements / behaviors that he has always exhibited. It's just part of his charm (to me) / weirdness (to everyone else in the world).
And now his repetitive behavior is licking his leg raw. It's really upsetting me to hear the vet say there's really no treatment. He gave me some steroidal spray, but I don't really see the point of that when Zuko immediately tries to lick it off. The Internet says there's really not much that can be done.
I am going to attack this head-on as a psychological thing and do my best to make him so distracted and so tired that he lacks the desire and energy to stick out his tongue and start licking. If that means walking him every morning before work and having to reschedule going swimming or biking or running, so be it. If that means conducting vigorous towel chasing games in the back yard (wave the towel around, he likes to jump up and chase it), fine. If it means encouraging wrestling matches between him and Daisy, great. I worry this started when I was away recently and is being aggravated by the terrible heat that prevents the dogs from being very active at all when they're out in the yard. The heat will be a challenge in my new Project Exhaustion, but I think I can do it if I dedicate myself to it. I think the extra exercise and attention might help the situation. If nothing else, it can't hurt.
There is nothing like seeing an animal who annoys me almost all of the time suffering to make the love in my heart pour forth. I've been scratching his belly, brushing him, and loving on him like I haven't in a long time. He is really such an idiot -- he cannot be restrained, causes monsoons in the bathroom during baths, does not mind, is sent over the edge by thunder as if being personally tortured by Thor himself, flails uncontrollably when riding in the car, scratched my ex-fiance's cornea with his paw while roughhousing, flunked out of obedience school, ate my houseguest's jewelry, emits loud and relentless staccato barks in the middle of the night until I get up to let him out, has tried to eat the cats on numerous occasions and is the reason the dogs and cats live forever separated, and steals pizza off your plate -- but he's not a bad dog. I love his black eye and the dopey way he cocks his head when I talk to him. I don't want him to have lick granuloma. I just want him to be healthy and happy. It is strange to think it was eight years ago this summer when I first brought him home. He's still got a lot of love and life in him, and I realize this is minor in the grand scheme of things, but I don't like it one bit.
I don't hate Zuko.
He's had a raw spot on his leg for a while now, and I've been watching it to see if it's getting better. It seems to be getting worse, though, and he licks it constantly, so I took him to the vet today.
Before we even saw the vet, he lunged at every man, woman, child, dog, and cat in the waiting room, peed on a bag of dog food for sale, and pooped on the floor. So it was an auspicious start.
The vet poked and prodded and squeezed the affected area for a minute before declaring it a "lick granuloma." It's caused by licking. It's psychological. It's basically an OCD thing.
I know it might be easy to assume that he somehow contracted OCD from my crazy ways, but he's obviously demonstrated OCD behavior since the day I met him, and it's usually in a repetitive mannerism kind of way. That day at the shelter, he jumped up and down constantly in his cage on repeat, like, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing. Every day when the mailman comes, he not only barks his face off but spins wildly in a circle chasing his tail again and again. He will jump up on the back door over and over and over, boing, boing, boing. He walks around a circle several times as if preparing a spot for himself before just lying down already. He runs along the side of the couch, pressing his side against it and plastering it with his fur, back and forth, back and forth. He is also a pacer. He paces back and forth from the living room to whatever room the cats are locked in when the dogs are inside. Over and over and over, back and forth, wearing a path on the ceramic tile. So he's got these repeat motions / movements / behaviors that he has always exhibited. It's just part of his charm (to me) / weirdness (to everyone else in the world).
And now his repetitive behavior is licking his leg raw. It's really upsetting me to hear the vet say there's really no treatment. He gave me some steroidal spray, but I don't really see the point of that when Zuko immediately tries to lick it off. The Internet says there's really not much that can be done.
I am going to attack this head-on as a psychological thing and do my best to make him so distracted and so tired that he lacks the desire and energy to stick out his tongue and start licking. If that means walking him every morning before work and having to reschedule going swimming or biking or running, so be it. If that means conducting vigorous towel chasing games in the back yard (wave the towel around, he likes to jump up and chase it), fine. If it means encouraging wrestling matches between him and Daisy, great. I worry this started when I was away recently and is being aggravated by the terrible heat that prevents the dogs from being very active at all when they're out in the yard. The heat will be a challenge in my new Project Exhaustion, but I think I can do it if I dedicate myself to it. I think the extra exercise and attention might help the situation. If nothing else, it can't hurt.
There is nothing like seeing an animal who annoys me almost all of the time suffering to make the love in my heart pour forth. I've been scratching his belly, brushing him, and loving on him like I haven't in a long time. He is really such an idiot -- he cannot be restrained, causes monsoons in the bathroom during baths, does not mind, is sent over the edge by thunder as if being personally tortured by Thor himself, flails uncontrollably when riding in the car, scratched my ex-fiance's cornea with his paw while roughhousing, flunked out of obedience school, ate my houseguest's jewelry, emits loud and relentless staccato barks in the middle of the night until I get up to let him out, has tried to eat the cats on numerous occasions and is the reason the dogs and cats live forever separated, and steals pizza off your plate -- but he's not a bad dog. I love his black eye and the dopey way he cocks his head when I talk to him. I don't want him to have lick granuloma. I just want him to be healthy and happy. It is strange to think it was eight years ago this summer when I first brought him home. He's still got a lot of love and life in him, and I realize this is minor in the grand scheme of things, but I don't like it one bit.
I don't hate Zuko.
posted by eliza @ 8:13 PM
10 Comments:
I had a beagle that licked spots on her paws.
Couple of things that helped
1. What you suggested- make them tired and distracted
2. Adding Missing Link to her diet.
3. Changing her diet to something less refined. Here in NTx I fed her Muenster Milling food.
At least with the paws, we could put "snow shoes" on her.
Good luck!
Poor woof. I'm sure the vet would have recommended this if it would help, and IANAV, but I wondered whether a cone would help at least for the leg to heal? When a miracle happens that I don't rip at my cuticles for enough time that they heal, it's hard to get going again because (I'm not in the habit or) they've healed enough that they're not rough and raw.
But if he's OCD a cone might make him crazy, even if were not a Cone of Shame.
SO many things -- number one, you are such a great writer. ALSO: you make me want to be a better, more accepting pet mama/person. NUMERO tres: I am going to adopt Project Exhaustion. What a great concept.
Smother him with affection.
You're all he's got.
Is it time for the Dog Whisperer?? Karen
I used the spray from Petco and it does work. Even if they lick it off. It just takes several days! Good Luck!
cd0103: I've never heard of this Missing Link product, but I've now looked it up and am totally intrigued. It sounds like a good thing to use in general, even if the dog isn't having problems. I am going to pick some up! I think I'll start with that before totally changing the dog food and see if it helps. Thanks!
Lisa: Cone of Shame, ha! I like that name for it. I think this might make him go berserk. It seems like it might be the only thing to really keep him from licking, though, and I am sure I might need to consider it if things don't improve.
annesays: Don't tell me Chachi is bad enough to warrant Project Exhaustion! You are a great dog mama and don't forget it. Love love.
rudybarbarossa: That's the plan! We had a good 2-mile jog this morning together, so that's a start.
Karen: Ha, probably. Paging Cesar!
Anonymous: Good to know. I'm going to keep spraying and try to distract him for a few minutes after so it least has a chance to soak in.
My mother-in-law's dog did this and she would put ointment on the wounds and then wrap his legs in cloth bandages. He may go even more crazy trying to get through the bandages, but it's worth a try and may help them heal.
I have no advice, just wanted to offer you and Zuko some hugs. You are a wonderful mama.
Goulash bites his tail and has to wear a cone of shame, and be on steroids, too. I hope Zuko feels better soon!
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