My Wire haired Jack Russell seems to constantly be licking and cleaning himself, to the point of obsession. Mainly around his tail area. I constantly check for fleas/ticks and he is clear. I treat him for them maticulously. He makes his skin sore by constant licking and cleaning. Is this a trait of a Jack Russell? Does anyone else have the same problem? I have been putting Aloe Vera Gel on the sore areas to help soothe the pink skin, but he just licks it off. Any reccomendations?
Thanks.
2006-09-18 00:12:42 · 17 answers · asked by richardmsteed 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
This is a problenm seen in a variety of dog breeds. My JRT is ok but my bichon used to do it all the time. Licking can become habitual even after you relieve the source of the itching. The more they lick, the more irritated the area gets. The more irritated it gets, the more it licks.
First, you can get products to stop the licking. My favorite is a product called Dr. Gold's Itch Relief Spray. It has hydrocortisone to heal, a topical anesthetic to relieve itch and a nasty tasting substance to stop licking.
Next, he could have an allergy. Look at your dogs food ingredients. Many dogs are allergic to grains such as corn and wheat. Beef and chicken can be culprits too. After researching because of my dogs, problem, I found a food that helps. It's called Natural Balance Potato and Duck. They now have other formulas for troubled skin as well.
The difference in his skin was almost immediate. A link is provided but you can buy it locally at Petco.
2006-09-18 00:59:52 · answer #1 · answered by groomingdiva_pgh 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Wire Haired Jack Russel
2016-12-31 04:23:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rough Haired Jack Russell
2016-11-13 03:24:30 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a symptom of stress, by the sounds of it, and it has become a learned habit....if you see your dog doing it,,tell him no and reward him when he stops. Bad habits are hard to kick in humans aswell as dogs, especially if they have developed to help ease stress. Take him to the vet first to rule out any underlaying problems...it may be an allergic reaction to something ...but think about if there have been any major changes in the household recently eg moving house/baby arriving/family split up/ decorating..all can cause stress so it may be worth investigating...
2006-09-18 04:43:47 · answer #4 · answered by wolfstorm 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There seems to be an epidemic of this in dogs this year. I know of 4 other dogs in this area alone who have suffered similar bites. My own dog got a really bad dose of Mallassezzia and I had to take him to the vet I suggest you do the same, he was on steroids and anti-biotics for 6months and I had to shampoo him with a special prescribed shampoo twice a week. It was horrible his hair fell out leaving his back bald and he kept me up all night with his scratching and licking. Don't use anything other than what the vet prescribes it can make it worse,I also have to give my dog a special diet of James Wellbeloved dried food. Good luck I hope I haven't scared you but please don't leave it see your vet..........
2006-09-18 01:04:20 · answer #5 · answered by pat P 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My Spitz had very bad skin problem, he used to get rashes in every rainy season, we tried all kinds of medicine, lotions nothing works. So I asked a homeopathy doctor not vet. He gave a sulpher ointment and sulphur drops (potency 30). Put 5/6 drops in the water he drinks everyday for at least 1 month or u can continue it. No sideeffect. Snowy is fine now.
2006-09-18 01:08:14 · answer #6 · answered by probalmandal 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It sounds like he has a hot spot, get help from the vet, sometimes they get in the habit of licking and (like OCD) can't stop on their own. I had a dog that made a sore on her backside too and one that used to keep him front paws completely fur-less. Both needed medication and constant reminders not to lick. I had to get their minds on something else.
2006-09-18 00:26:23 · answer #7 · answered by need2knw 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had a serious skin problem with my dog. We tried everything... shampoos from the vet, lotions etc... We put him on Nutro dog food and all of his problems went away. He also had stomach problems. I would reccommend you try that. It is the best food out there... Even better than Science, Eukenuba etc... We get ours at Petland but Petsmart has it too... Good luck..
Here's the website.. you can get coupons here also..
www.nutroproducts.com
2006-09-18 00:26:03 · answer #8 · answered by kdbnsc 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He may need to have his anal glands emptied if he is constantly licking near his tail, does he drag his bottom along the ground? Prob the best thing to do is to take him to your vet to get him checked. The sooner you find out what's bothering him the better and it may prevent it becoming more serious.
2006-09-18 04:39:29 · answer #9 · answered by Debbie M 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We had a Jack Russell with the same problem, infact it was pretty bad at one point , she had a bald patch after a while and the skin was very sore, we took her to the vets and got some lotion, forget what it was called, sorry. x
2006-09-18 00:23:51 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋