Anonymous wrote:We adopted a dog a little over a month ago. The rescue disclosed that he had a wound on his back leg that was mostly healed and he needed to wear a cone. We did that and it healed. Once the fur has grown back, he has started a new wound, by biting and licking a different part of his leg. We caught it early. Vet gave us some anti itch stuff and it didn't get bad and she declared we no longer needed the stuff. But now he has done it again. It seems stress related. Is this dog going to have to wear a cone forever while unattended? Anyone else go through this?

Sounds like my 12yr. old dog. Pomeranian mix.

What I learned throughout the years, she has allergies, mainly grass, s spring and fall is terrible for her. She gets itchy everywhere and ends up biting and licking and hurting herself.
In the Spring she gets (like humans) itchy/runny nose, itchy ears, and some eczema.

Some years are better than others, so we don't keep her "medicated" all year around. But we do stay attentive to see when she's starting to itch. Sometimes she gets Eczema spots on her back and because she cannot scratch it she just chews up her paws. Ugh!

We have medicated shampoos and lotions, eye drops, ear cleaners, etc. and they do work, however, you have to be consistent using them.

She also has a Soft cone that we use during "peak times" and she's ok wearing all the time.

You'll be surprise a lot of dogs have allergies in this area... just we all do!

I mean, a dog from a rescue a) ended up there somehow, which may have involved difficult traits and/or external traumas and b) has certainly been through a lot since he was surrendered.

We didn’t hear our older rescue dog bark for three months. And let me tell you, a year in? I heard it A LOT.

Definitely check out the allergies and stuff but you probably just have to manage/prevent the wounds as best you can, give him the best calm life you can, and wait a few more months before you do more than that.

Thanks everyone. This is OP. We have been spending a ton of time with him (last week all of us were only out of the house 1 day of the week) and he seems very happy- tail wagging. But the signs of stress other than the licking and biting are that he pants more than most dogs and follows us everywhere (even to the bathroom). The licking can happen anytime including at bedtime. We don't have the cone on him unless we all need to be out of the house.

He has purina pro calm but that takes 30 days to work. He takes two relaxation treats a day. And get a pupscicle calming treat once a day. Any other ideas? We've had him about 5 weeks.Internet says it takes 3 months for dogs to feel secure in their new home.

Poor pup. Spend more time with it and try not to pass on your stress to the dog.

Dogs are VERY perceptive and pick up on human emotions, often mimicking the behaviors of their masters.

Idk. We do this to lions a lot here in Australia. XD

You might also try dog pajamas, they make ones specifically for “surgery recovery” that aren’t cutsie and cover the back legs. I just got a pair for my dog who currently has stitches. If you can pair wearing them with a really interesting toy, it might help your dog transfer the habit to the toy if it is anxiety or a self-soothing behavior.

Also Argan oil is safe to use on dogs though I would avoid putting it directly on irritated skin (Trader Joe’s has a good one). Good luck and it can take a few months for a dog to fully relax into a new situation so hopefully this will get better with time!

I. Also thought an allergy. Some dogs also find relief from itching with a probiotic supplement.
Or it could be a nervous habit and you need a trainer to help you redirect. If that’s it something like a thunder vest or pheromone spray might also help. Or Prozac.

Another possibility to evaluate is an allergy

Is the dog only chewing himself when left alone or all the time? If it’s only when he’s home alone, there are training methods to address separation anxiety.

Have you tried anxiety medication for the dog? Short of prescription medication, I’d use calming chews, those plug in diffusers with pheromones, and maybe one of those stuffed animals that has a heartbeat so it’s like cuddling a litter mate.

We adopted a dog a little over a month ago. The rescue disclosed that he had a wound on his back leg that was mostly healed and he needed to wear a cone. We did that and it healed. Once the fur has grown back, he has started a new wound, by biting and licking a different part of his leg. We caught it early. Vet gave us some anti itch stuff and it didn't get bad and she declared we no longer needed the stuff. But now he has done it again. It seems stress related. Is this dog going to have to wear a cone forever while unattended? Anyone else go through this?