Quote: Patricia Freese

I did get my snow pants on and took Kia outside for a romp in the wet snow - I make a good retriever - I would throw a stick, she would run & jump and leave it for me to chase & throw again. I'm not sure about her, but I got exercise! Which is what I need, thanks Kristel. BUT, after 15 minutes outside and 15 minutes on the grooming table/blow dryer getting snowballs off her long, thick coat and then a game of tug-of-war, she is content for the moment without a sign of licking - we will keep the exercise up and try not to get after her if there are setbacks.

It's pretty neat; once dogs realize that they will have a regular outlet for their energy they are much more content overall.

I think it's even more important for dogs that work or show to have that outlet to offset the stress of their lifestyle. It also doesn't hurt to take a dog in the ring that's in super condition

Even if there is an underlying physical cause to the paw irritation, taking some of the compulsion out of the licking will still help a lot.

Good job!

 Quote: Patricia Freese

Is this concotion for the relief of the itch and/or does it help to remove the staining as well

For me, it's to clear up the condition. He licks it like crazy right after I treat him and I allow him to. The discoloring goes away.

 Quote: Patricia Freese

How long do you soak and do you submerge the entire paws?

Sometimes I submerge and sometimes I soak a paper towel and wipe the area. Right now I'm having to get in between toes. I've never soaked his foot.

So you are not rinsing this off but just dipping it in and then do you blow dry it?

Tracy...I haven't hear anyone mention Penaten cream in almost 30 years! I had almost forgotten how great that suff is. I had a German friend that used to swear by it. I used to use it all the time. Until she moved back to Germany, quite a long time ago, because it's not available here. I remember the round blue tin that it came it. Ha ha.

Yup, blue tin, that's it! Great stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/penaten-Penaten-Cream-150-ml/dp/B000SI43LG

 Quote: Patricia Freese

So you are not rinsing this off but just dipping it in and then do you blow dry it?

I do not rinse it off or blow dry it. I apply and I'm done. He runs around with a wet foot (or feet).

JMO, but I would take the dog to the regular vet for a culture on that paw before I started using any 'concoctions' for rinsing or soaking. I use the blue power solution too, but it is an antifungal/antibacterial so if you use that before you go to the derma vet w/o having the cytology done first, you and the derma vet will never know if there was yeast and bacteria there to cause the problem. My golden is VERY sensitive to even a small amount of yeast between his pads. As soon as there is a little bit, he starts in with the same behavior as you describe your dog doing. Our derma vet said there are dogs who are high sensitive and even allergic to the yeast that can develop on those paws - the warm, moist environment that is made by the dog licking and biting sets up just the right conditions for yeast to grow. But the yeast is secondary to the biting and licking which a lot of times is allergies - and only less than 10% of the time is it food.

At least if you had the cytology done you could take the results with you to the derma vet appt when that happens and they would have some history to work with.
Just a thought!

 Quote: Lori Hall

JMO, but I would take the dog to the regular vet for a culture on that paw before I started using any 'concoctions' for rinsing or soaking. I use the blue power solution too, but it is an antifungal/antibacterial so if you use that before you go to the derma vet w/o having the cytology done first, you and the derma vet will never know if there was yeast and bacteria there to cause the problem. .... At least if you had the cytology done you could take the results with you to the derma vet appt when that happens and they would have some history to work with.
Just a thought!

YES. Please have the cytology done. This dog hasn't been diagnosed yet, so maintenance advice is really for later, post-diagnosis.

If you remove parasites, bacteria, or fungi, the test will not reflect the true condition. Remember that the vet needs to know how many spores/bacteria/parasites there are, and not just which one(s).

Malassezia, for example, is found on healthy dogs. It's the large number that indicates an overgrowth, so we don't want to mask the number.

Malassezia is already a partly clinical diagnosis in many cases because of its presence in small numbers on dogs who do not have a yeast overgrowth (or what's called a yeast infection). We don't want to make it any more of a guessing game than it already is.

Patricia: My Cody does lick his paws as well, but having exercise and a regular plan of activity has helped him greatly. I can always tell when he is more nervous, he will lick his paws. He has been to the vet and they found no rash on him. He is a jack russel mix and is full of energy. If I do not put him down for a "nap" in his crate, he doesn't rest. I take him on an hour walk of exploring and he walks on the treadmill about once a day. I have found he needs a job to do to be really happy and relaxed. I am still trying to find out what he can do.
Also, I may have missed it, but what do you feed your dog? Wheat can produce allergies in some dogs, so check the food too.
Hope this helps.

Patricia,

How is it going with your dog's paws?