I posted my boy Brody's problem a few weeks ago in another thread about seasonal allergies. I have a question on possible sources of paw licking related to either allergies or bacteria.

The situation:

About a month ago I took my 17 month old male GSD back to the vet for an infection. His ear was gunked up, he had very itchy, red paws with some inflammation between his toes on one foot and some other areas had red blotches. I had him on Benadryl for a few days and the vet put him on an antibiotic, Cephalexin, for 21 days.

After a couple of days, he stopped the paw licking. Everything cleared up and he was his normal, happy puppy self again. I gave him the remainder of the three week course of Cephalexin on schedule and he never licked his paws once. He was completely normal. I only had him on the Bendadryl for the first 3 or 4 days.

His last does of the Cephalexin was a week ago today. Then, on Saturday (5 days after being off of the antibiotics) he started licking his paws again. He was doing it quite often yesterday (Sunday) so I started him on Benadryl again. I also washed his feet with some Chlorhexidine shampoo. I am now starting to wipe his feet after he comes in from outside as well.

So, there's the story... here are my questions:

Why was he not licking his paws while only on antibiotics?

Is it possible that some bacteria is present that is causing his paw licking? So once he was off the antibiotics it started up again?

Just FYI, I have a friend who has a GSD that is related to mine with very similar problems right now. My boy's great-grandsire is the other dog's grandsire. They are both on a raw diet consisting of beef from Blue Ridge Beef and some grain-free dehydrated veggie mix by Sojos.

His paws are not red or inflamed yet and his ears are clear. I am trying to keep this from becoming worse, again. I think my next course of action is probably calling the derm vet and/or ordering a test like this one:

http://www.myallergytest.eu/panels/spot-test-90/

I am just confused as to why, if this is an allergy, the antibiotics alone kept him from the paw licking.

Thank you!

In trying to research the answer to my own question, I found an article online with some interesting information:

 Quote:

Although a dog can have a bacterial skin infection without having allergies, the reverse is not true. It turns out that dogs with skin allergies -- a condition called "atopic dermatitis" -- have a weakness in their skin's immune function, known as a "barrier defect."

In normal dogs, the skin's barrier keeps water inside the body and substances like bacteria, yeast and pollens out. In dogs with a barrier defect, those substances "leak" into the deeper layers of the skin. Because the body perceives them as invaders, the immune system revs itself up to destroy them, bringing local inflammation to the area as part of the immune response.

That inflammation causes the itching, redness and irritation we know as an allergic reaction. Most dogs react to the discomfort by chewing and scratching their skin, which further damages the barrier, allowing more bacteria and yeast to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, triggering more irritation, itching and inflammation.

It gets worse: Dogs can eventually become allergic to the bacteria and yeast themselves, triggering an escalating cycle of infection, itching, chewing and licking that leaves the dogs hairless and in pain, and the owners broke from constant, often fruitless, visits to the veterinarian.

The full article:

The "Killer App" for Canine Itching

So it possibly could be some kind of environmental allergy that is getting in through his skin, which in turn is causing an immune response, which in turn causes him to start licking his paws, which in turn lets in bacteria?

Do you use any plastic dishes?

I want to type about a million words here, and I can't (I know others will) .... however, my strong advice is to get a derm vet appointment.


Also, it's not to do any kind of test (especially no blood tests) without the derm vet.


What was the cytology finding for his inflamed paws? Yeast as well as bacteria?

Thanks Connie. They found no yeast at all, which was surprising to me!

My vet said the next step would be to try an elimination diet, but I don't agree. I still think it's got to be some kind of environmental thing.

I did find a local derm vet who will require a referral from my current vet for an appointment. The initial consultation is $125.

 Quote: Jodi Moen

Do you use any plastic dishes?

Nope. Only stainless steel, always washed. I have also cut out so many things since the diagnosis a month ago, just in case it might be some type of food allergy. No peanut butter Kongs, treats containing any kind of grain, etc.

Frequent bathing does more to offer relief for my seasonal allergy dog than anything else. Whatever the inhaled allergen is (mold, pollen, dust mite) is also sticking to the hair coat, making the dog's own coat a primary source for the allergen.

Keto Chlor or a similar shampoo will also help knock down yeast and bacteria. Bet even a non-medicated dog shampoo (or even just plain water) will physically remove the allergens from the dog.

Also, Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) is just one of dozens of possible antihistamines, and each dog's response to them is highly individualized. (Meaning it works great for some dogs; for others it doesn't offer much relief.) Zyrtek (Citirizine) is another OTC that some dogs respond well to. And there are many others that a derm vet can try--perhaps even give you a 1-week trial dose of several to see which works the best for your dog.

For dogs that are helped by antihistamines, they are generally given daily during the season when the allergy is present (not just when the dog has an itch flare up). If it is a seasonal allergy, the dog may get relief as soon as there is a hard freeze in your area. (or it could be an allergy to something inside your house: dust mite, mold, feathers, cat dander, etc.) and it will be more of a year-round thing.)

Good luck.

Thanks Tracy! KetaChlor is the shampoo I use too. Fortunately the lows here are going to be in the 20's for the next few days. I also keep a very clean house and he's the only one who lives there aside from myself!

Based on this info, I think my course of action should be:

1) 2x week or more foot soak according to Dr. Becker with povidone iodine.
2) Derm vet appointment.

He could be allergic to you. Stranger things have happened. Any organic substance is a potential allergen.

If you start to see relief now that you've had a freeze, then you'll know that this is a true "seasonal" allergy (likely ragweed) (did this start end of August/early September?)

If the symptoms don't stop pretty abruptly with your local freeze, then I still think this sounds like an inhaled allergen (versus food or contact allergen). I suppose you could do tests to find out exactly what the allergen is. I never have, because the treatment would be the same regardless: minimize exposure and treat symptoms.

Yes, it started in late August/early September. One course of antibiotics and he was good for a few weeks, then it happened again at the beginning of October. Three weeks of antibiotics, then five days later he's licking his paws again.

I am in an area that does have a lot of ragweed. I used to be allergic to that too when I was a kid!