Biteing back hind quarters and paws

[jeter1]

My 5 year old lab mix (looks completely like a full blood) has troubles every year at this time. He bites his back near his tail and his paws until he has no hair left and bleeds. we give him Tylenol as prescribed by the vet and try to bath him as much as possible , but was looking for others lab parents to comment. We hate seeing him act this way. any help is appreciated.

thanks,

Jeters Dad

[Maxx&Emma]

Please do not give your dog Tylenol, it is toxic to dogs. I really hope you have mixed up the name of the med. Did you maybe mean Benydryl? If so and it is not helping ask your vet about trying Apoquel. I might stop bathing so often as it strips the oils from the coat of a Lab and could contribute to itchy, dry skin. I do understand if you need to give medicated baths for some skin issues but I would definitely try Apoquel.

[jeter1]

Yes, I did mean Benydryl and as a new member I thought I posted to the wrong part of the forum and reposted to the new member section. I thank you for the quick response and I will research Apoquel. Have you used it for this purpose?

Thanks,

Jeter's Dad

[Maxx&Emma]

That is good, you gave me a bit of a scare, lol!

Actually my 10 y/o girl will be starting it next week after her 6 month check up. I do personally know several people that are using it for their dogs with wonderful results. I normally don't like to use newer drugs until they have been out for a while. I decided to make an exception for this one due to the lack of side effects and the advice of my vet. I can not watch her suffer until winter again, it breaks my heart.

Welcome to the forum!

[POPTOP]

Hello and Welcome!

Wonder if the problem is allergies like to spring pollens. Our Bandit had this problem and instead of giving him a full bath (he did not need a medicated shampoo) I put him in the shower and did a quick "dusting", getting the top coat wet with lukewarm water but not the undercoat. Toweled dried. This got the allergens off his coat. Did have to resort to Benadryl a few times. I would do this a few times a week during the worse season. Watch the pollen reports on TV and it will help guide you. Tree pollen is high now and so is mold. You could also use a wet washcloth to wipe him down more often in the areas he is having the most problem.

Looking forward to pictures.

[jeter1]

Just tried to post a reply about whether or not the Apoquel was only from the vet or an on-line product and how much dosage to give, but I saw your post about pollen and that you were from Illinois, but here in North Carolila we have gone through the worst pollen. Not to say it is gone, but the itching and biting has just started and I am trying my best to stop my poor Jeter from biting off his coat and scratching so bad.

[TuMicks]

This is allergy. The pads and the junction of tail and body are classic areas for reactions. In addition, (if your dog is at all like mine) it can show up in their ears. You say the worst of the pollen season is over. Good. But we don't know what your dog is allergic to. So you're left with treating symptoms, especially since you say it's seasonal, it's probably not something like diet.

I have no experience with Apoquel. But sounds like I might need to investigate it myself!

[Maxx&Emma]

Apoquel is a prescription, you will need to get it from your vet. I am actually in PA, Fran is in Illionois!

[barry581]

I'd bet it's more than likely a food issue of some kind. I had a yellow female many years ago who was 5-6 years old when she started having the same type of issue you are dealing with. Despite multiple vet visits over many years, the seasonal issues turned it to annual issues. I finally figured out through a lot of research she was dealing with yeast issues. I changed her over to grain free food, and started using Nzymes products. These changes did help a lot, but we had dealt with the issue for so long, I was never able to "cure" her. She did live to the ripe old age of 15 and a half, and passed from complications of a mast cell tumor. I wish I had know as much about food and nutrition way back then as I know now. I may have been able to help her a lot more.

[jeter1]

Thanks for the information. I love the quote " 2 catch de Rabbit". We have to spell R-A-B-B-I-T, because if we say the word Jeter has to go out back and hunt him down. F
unny how these dogs are so much alike.

Thanks for the help