Help, we are in despair, our 5 year old springer spaniel has worn an elizabethan collar(huge funnel) for the last 3 years because he constantly bites his one ankle. We let it heal, remove the collar and within half an hour he is chewing it again and the patch is again an open wound. It began after he was treated for eczema and the bandage the vet put on rubbed the patch raw on his ankle and the rest is history. We just don't know what to do, it seems so cruel, any advice greatfully received.

Could it be a reaction to something in his food? Or possibly something his foot comes into contact with - carpet cleaner, shake'n'vac carpet freshner, bedding (and washing powder) etc?

What type of food does he have - maybe changing him onto a 'skin' food would help.

Hopefully someone can help more,

Fiona
x x x

Apart from pain killers/steroids the only think I can think of at the moment that has not already been suggested is having his thyroid levels tested. There can be a link between under active thyroid and self abuse!

Christine

Hi i had a springer about 12 years ago he did the same thing would lick himself raw. we took him to the vets and after lots of tests and a bit of trial and error we found he had an allergy to wheat we had to feed him on special food that we got from our vets and he was fine he wasent allowed to eat any human food containing it either. my neice has the human version its called cealiac desease and she has a strict diet from the hospital hope this helps its worth asking the vet to see what he thinks gwen:)

Thanks for all of your feedback.
Whizzer is already on a low protein diet due to renal failure following a reaction to anaesthetic after an operation 4 years ago.
I will look into all of your suggestions with the vet!

If the area is not raw I know people on my US board recommend spraying bitter apple on an area of the body that the dog likes to chew - it sounds like he's developed a habit rather than an acutal problem anymore - but again - check with your vets. I don't know if we have bitter apple over here, but perhaps ask the vet if there's something safe you can put on the area to break the habit.

Wendy

I have a 9 year old lab who is chewing an area of her left leg. She too has been wearing a collar, but will not leave the area alone. My vet has suggested that she may have some sort of pollen allergy as she has other symptoms which run alongside this. She has been on steroids for the past week and although she doesn't seem to be so bothered by it, she still has a sneaky bite now and then. It has been suggested that she may have to go to a skin specialist if the symptoms persist. She eats pedigree complete and has never had a problem so far, but perhaps the food thing may apply to her as well. Anyone else had a similar problem?

J C