Acral Lick Granuloma Dog Treatment

What is acral lick dermatitis.

Acral lick granuloma dog treatment.

Hypothyroidism has played a role in some cases of acral lick granuloma especially in black labs. They are continually removed and unable to heal leading to substantial inflammation. Affected dogs usually lick at one chosen spot on one leg. The name for this condition stems from its location acral meaning on the extremities and from its cause licking.

This condition is thought to be both physical and psychological in nature. The laser instrument ablates removes the tissue by vaporizing the surface layers. However there is a definite strong psychological component e g fear anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder. What is a lick granuloma.

Anti anxiety medications are sometimes used if the cause of the lick granuloma is suspected to be nervousness or stress. With time the skin thickens and due to the continuous licking the area cannot heal. When a dog persistently licks its skin it results in inflammation. Clomipramine or clomicalm is a medication used for separation anxiety in dogs.

Also known as acral lick dermatitis this problem occurs when a dog obsessively licks at an area on the lower limb most commonly the wrist or carpal joint of the front limb. Lick granulomas are caused by your dog excessively licking a wound over the course of weeks or months. When the wound is disturbed the outer layers of epidermis are scraped away. Oral medications except for oral antibiotics and trental these medications are all treatments for the possible root causes of the obsessive licking behavior that causes lick granuloma.

The use of laser surgical instrumentation is fast becoming a useful tool to assist in treatment of lick granulomas in dogs.