He everyone, My female JRT, Lizzie, is a retired momma dog. She licks her feet so much that the fur has been licked off of her toes. The Vet suggested allergy to grass and has me giving her Zyrtec. It isn't helping. She also licks/bathes my other females and will do so for as long as the other girl lets her, sometimes up to an hour. She was a great momma and loved bathing her puppies as well. They were always sparkling clean So I am wondering if it is more of a fettish or nervous habit than an allergy?? Any thoughts?
Have you tried changing her food to either a raw or grain free diet, in case there are dietary allergens? I think I would go back to the vet, and let him know that the antihistamine hasn't worked. He may decide to try her on a different kind of medication.
She has her yearly exam this month so I am going to talk about possibly allergy testing which is kind of pricey. I have looked into raw but I have 6 JRT's and if I do that for her they will ALL want it which I can not afford. She is a picky eater, I have tried several brands. The food she is on now, which she loves, does not have the typical grain allergens. It has Sorghum, Millet and Oat but NO CORN, NO WHEAT. (Victor Super Premium Professional)
These are only suggestions that you could try before committing to a full allergy test. I must say that I have never had a dog with this problem, but I do have one who has other longstanding autoimmune conditions. 1. There are other drugs that your vet might suggest that you could try. Some older, and at least one more recent. There may be side effects to watch out for though. 2. I don't know the composition of US dog food brands, but the allergen may not always be a cereal, certain fillers, and also chicken, can trigger allergies in some dogs. It might be worth asking your vet about trying a test feeding programme. Tedious, but can be worthwhile. 3. If you really think grass is the major problem you could try kitting her out with a set of boots. I presume that you are already dipping and drying her feet each time she comes indoors.
I think I would go for a very dilute solution of a gentle puppy shampoo. The solution doesn't need to be foamy, just a few drops in a jug will do. Don't rub her feet dry, just pat them dry with a towel. Wet wipes are supposed to be pretty good too, and are can be carried with you.
