Lick Granuloma:

Okay, you may have heard about lick granuloma but here’s the real deal. It’s the raised area on a dog’s ankle as a result of the dog’s excessive licking.

So, why would a dog do this to him or herself? Some may argue that lick granuloma is similar to why people bite their nails. For instance, we bite our nails in anxiety-ridden situations or out of habit, basically it’s a behavior not unlike your dog’s licking. In fact, lick granuloma may be the result of your dog simply being bored. Or maybe it’s a new surrounding such as moving to a new home or the addition of a new pet or family member in the house. Or perhaps the loss of one, too.

While your dog demonstrates lick granuloma, you may notice the constant licking of its ankles. Some pet owners may decide to treat lick granuloma with treating the skin lesion itself; others may decide to have behavior therapy as well. It’s likely that as a result of lick granuloma your dog will experience an itchy sensation. There are special wraps to put on the wounds whether it’s the wrist or ankle for healing to occur. In some instances the skin gets infected so veterinarians may subscribe antibiotics as a result of the severe lick granulomas.

Although there are treatments, it’s similar to the expression of simply “putting a bandaid on something” without getting to the underlying cause or root of the issue. When it comes to lick granuloma, your dog may simply start switching to a different foot. Your dog may have an obsessive/compulsive disorder, he may be experiencing stress (or even seperation anxiety), he may be depressed; there are a variety of behavior-induced reasons as to why your dog may need help.

At The Dog Bowl, nothing is more important than your pets’ health and well being. For more information about lick granuloma please ask your vet.