4 year old golden.  About 6 months ago can't recall if she cut her arm then started licking it or started licking to the point of a cut.  Either way we noticed so we put a cone on, Neosporin, and it healed up well.  A few weeks and shes licking again.  Its been going on for months now.  We'll take the cone off to let her run around periodically but she inevitably bites it.  The last month we've been very disciplined on taking the cone off only to give her baths.  Wound was healed well.  Thought this was all behind us.  I just noticed she started biting the back side of her arm a few inches away from the original wound location.  The new raw spot is about 2 inches by 1 inch and she bit her arm to the point of bleeding.

Food: Royal Canine Golden Retriever Adult

Medications: none, we tried a few months of cytopoint for allergies but it didn't help.

Possible aggravators: we moved from NC to MI 6 months ago but the whole thing started in NC and just continued into MI which makes me think its not a local allergy thing.

Think its just a habit at this point?  If so how do I break it?  I'm stumped and the cone of shame breaks my heart.

Picture of the beast:
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dogs with arms?

How often are you bathing the dog?  Dogs aren't supposed to get baths very often, it pulls their natural oils out of their coat and makes them itch.

Like....1-2x per year for a normal coated dog.  Poodles and other froofy coated dogs do not apply....but a lab...yeah...1-2x per year, MAX.

When dogs are lame they will lick them for some reason. Sore joints will do it too.

Possible allergies of some kind

This happens with both our dogs in the spring and the vet suggested benadryl. It works

I think maybe the cut got into the ligament or tendon sheath..

Unfortunately it will likely be a lifelong on off thing.

I watched a cat severely bite my 1st Brittany on the front leg while in the dogs mouth.

Lifelong irritation, licking it raw, sometimes it would heal up and she'd forget about it.

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The original injury looked superficial, like a scraped knee. Shes suburban AF, I don't know how she would have ever received a serious injury.

I'll try that, thanks

I would bounce it of your vet first, just saying....

what did the ver say?

we feed our golden beef chicken, fish, brown rice, carrots string beens, etc. No commerical dog food, we used to feed our other goldens that crap and they always were battling hot spots

Interesting.

NC vet said allergies.  Been to two vets in MI, one said hot spots other said it was a habit.

Interesting stuff with the real food.  I'll try that for a few weeks.

This should be arriving today soon, hopefully be a reprieve from that damn cone
https://www.chewy.com/suitical-recovery-sleeve-dogs-black/dp/140911?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Suitical&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAiAlb_fBRBHEiwAzMeEdtmKpfFqx9fzga9OTrnuKGu3VoKBtB-bHWGpU-uPeqgyRODKrFjvchoCrhoQAvD_BwE

My older English setter does this.   About every six months she will lick until it opens up.   Then it abscesses.

We started her on anti depressants.  Which actually helped with the constant licking.

We have tried just about everything.   But once she starts licking.   It ends up with the cone and antibiotics.

Oops, misread the title!

Could be a couple things. . Pent up energy is commonly released with licking which can cause a hot spot. A skin irritation can cause a hot spot etc. My dog has had a couple hot spots over the years. Clean the spot with some alcohol, and use some bitter spray Like this and spray it on the area (don’t have to soak it). Stuff tastes absolutely horrible. . . Don’t ask how I know. Spray a couple times a day to stop the licking, so the hot spot can heal.

This is what’s worked for me in regards to hot spots. Being a longer haired dog, you may have to use clippers to shave the hair away from the area so it can get air to promote healing. Just depends where the spot is. You can also get natural uncooked beef marrow bones at the grocery store for a couple dollars to keep him occupied / release energy when exercise isn’t an option.

For the most part I have a pair of goats that can and will eat anything and for the most part they digest it just fine.

Until I decided to dispose of a few cans of really old corn by mixing it in with their kibble... One girl had no issues at all but her sister developed hot spots in short order. Took a good few weeks after all the corn was out of her system before she got back to normal.

Sometimes all it takes is a single ingredient to cause allergy issues.

Update: went to dermatologist (visit cost more than a new Pancakes, but I digress).  Her opinion is food allergies, we're on a strict 60 day diet of hypo-allergenic food.

How does that help you determine what exactly she is allergic to?

glad to hear you are on the right track

tonight our boy had chop meat, rice, kahle, salmon, carrots and asparagus

I am definitely with you on the duck thing but...



Good luck taking that dog to the park in the future.