When we see dogs lick themselves, we often assume that it is just a natural habit akin to tail wagging. But licking, especially when it happens far too often, can be a sign of a more serious problem.
Lick granuloma, also called Acral lick dermatitis, is a serious problem that can be caused by a variety of things, like allergies, itchiness, pain or discomfort, insect bites, arthritis. and even by psychological factors like stress, boredom, separation anxiety, or obsessive compulsive disorder.
When dogs face any of these factors, they may start licking their limbs or paws obsessively. According to Dr. Karen Becker from Dogs Naturally Magazine, the obsessive licking may cause a temporary sense of relief in dogs and, in turn, encourage them to form a habit of excessive licking.
Typically distressed dogs excessively lick one area repeatedly; causing red, sometimes bleeding, lesions to form.
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Veterinarian TJ Dunn, Jr. wrote in PetMD that afflicted dogs’ skins are so affected that bacteria, obstructed oil glands, and inflamed capillaries can be found down to their base layers. Harder still, he explained, is breaking the dog’s habit of excessive licking. In some cases, even when the lesions are surgically removed, the dogs lick the same area again and cause new lesions to form.
Dunn recounted one case where an Airedale, which he described as “perfectly healthy”, had a severe case of lick granuloma caused by a separation anxiety when the dog’s owner leaves for work. In his case, attempts to get him to stop the excessive licking only resulted in a new granuloma on his other leg.
“In this case the ‘cause’ of the licking...may be self stimulation to help allay the anxiety separation,” Dunn wrote. “The skin lesion will heal slightly, almost seem like they are going to heal, and overnight...the lick granuloma is activated, licked raw from continuous passes of the