Cream to stop dog licking?

[whiskysours]

Our labradoodle keeps licking his undercarriage (not his willy, just his 'underneath') and it's looking quite raw now. I think the rawness is just from the licking itself, rather than any underlying cause, but the more he licks and the more sore it gets and the more he licks to try to soothe it, so it's a vicious circle.

Are there any creams we can try to both soothe the area and hopefully put him off licking?

My dog chews her paws. I've used a 'hot spot' spray but it only works for a little while. I think you need to ask the vet, not only fit something to soothe it but to find out why your dog is doing this.

Your dog needs to see a vet.

Use an inflatable collar or Elizabethan collar (The Cone of Shame) to stop him licking and see your vet.

Licking of scratching is a sign that something else isn’t right. It could be anything from mites to a food allergy. I’d go to the vet

Could be his anal glands, you should get him checked by the vet. If it is that we have had success preventing it coming back by giving our dog some fibre treats you can buy from Amazon.

The vet basically didn't know. Prescribed some pills but they didn't work. Mentioned allergies if not.

It's his armpits that are raw and he's licking.

We haven't changed his food and can't think of anything else new that could be an allergen....anyone got any suggestions for something it could be that we could try to change?

www.stinky-stuff.co.uk some swear by this. It would be worth a go?

Otherwise, going over his tummy with a damp cloth after he's been outside would help get rid of allergens?

Best of luck :-)

Hi OP, I've recently started my dog on calming treats by Nutri-Paw which are amazing. They also do anti-itch treats which have very good reviews. You can get your money back if you're not happy with the results. You could try those for a few weeks and see if they help.

Our vet recommends cooled chamomile tea to soothe sore areas (I use one teabag to about 1/3 of a mug of boiling water). Might be worth trying that, and then getting a dog recovery shirt to stop him licking it - this kind of thing www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Sellers-Pet-Supplies-Dog-Surgery-Recovery-Suits/zgbs/pet-supplies/13154158031. If you do get one, I'd check it's cotton so it's breathable.

My dog does this, he will have a minor scratch somewhere and then lick and lick it until it is sore. Then because it’s sore he licks some more. The best thing that works in noticing when he has found a new spot, stopping him from licking it, either by collar or putting a sock on his foot or similar, and cleaning the spot. He needs to leave it alone for a few days.

However he has had many trips to the vet for various things, has thyroid medication and an injection once a month to keep his skin calm. It’s worth going back to the vets, but try and keep him from licking in the meantime.

Same here, at the moment she's on steroids from the vets for licking.
We've tried half a human antihistamine twice a day, washing her coat with oatmeal shampoo, brushing her every day, steroids seem to help
Does your ddog need it's anal glands squeezed?
That can make them itch around their nether regions

It's not really round the nethers/bum, it's more the creases in between his legs/body. Sort of arm pit area, both front and back legs. So two distinct areas quite far apart.

I'm a vet. You need to see a vet again (a different one if you didn't find the first one good). Licking himself to the extent that he is creating open sores on his skin isn't the kind of thing that a one off cream will permanently fix. You are going to need ongoing care here. He must be very uncomfortable so please don't leave it too long.

thanks @LBF2020 we'll give stinky stuff a go...worth a try!

Does he wear a harness?

He needs vet I'm afraid

@Alfixnm it's not open sores, it's just a bit pink. But it is obviously bothering him as he's always at it.

I just know if we go back to the vet (who has always been very good, we don't doubt her capabilities) she will say allergies so we'll need to start to isolate variables to try to work out what it is. Hard to know where to start when we haven't changed anything recently to have prompted it.

Not ALL human Anti histamines are suitable for dogs so please do research before

I see. I do sympathise with your situation and I know you just want the best for your boy!

The thing is, persistent itching and redness in those specific areas (the axilla and the groin) is a skin allergy about 95% of the time. Skin allergies are sadly very common in dogs these days.

Also, it doesn't matter if nothing has changed recently. Dogs aren't born with skin allergies - they develop over time, and generally actually to things they have had lots of contact with before.

I understand your reluctance to go down the road of vet visits etc. Allergies do require ongoing treatment/management and commitment. But the good news is there are some great and safe treatments out there now compared to 10 or 15 years ago.

Anyway I do hope you manage to get things sorted OP. And some of the creams/suggestions on here might take some of the edge off for him too. All the best with it!

@Alfixnm I don't have any reluctance to go down the vet route at all. We've been - twice, so far.

But when an allergy is the cause it's largely going to be down to the owners to identify the cause as we'll be the ones making the changes to try to cut out whatever's causing the issue. And we're just not sure where to start.

I second stinky stuff, though you do have to be quite persistent and regular with it.

I’d also really recommend trying a different vet. We had an ongoing issue with our cat which one vet couldn’t get to the bottom of.
Saw a different vet at a new surgery who tried new approaches and got the problem sorted.

I’m not a vet (sadly :) ) but prescribed steroids and a back to basics diet plus stinky stuff may help. Hope the vet gets it resolved x

Recommended by our vet but a good point for anyone reading this post

We are mid itch investigation too. Dog is on Apoquel but reduced dosage.

Stinky stuff is helping, I slap it on at night and he's definitely less itchy the next day. I've also found and itchstick at p@h which I put on too, it tastes icky so they don't lick the area so much.

Cut out all grain, chicken and rinsing off after walks as it seems to be grass/environment related and we are starting to win the battle. Probably need an equafleece summer suit too as barrier.