Help...Licking butt constantly - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Weneebug · 11-13-2009, 07:18 AM

A couple of months ago I had to take Harley to the vet because he was itchy all over. They treated it as an allergy and gave him a steroid. He has been doing much better with that but now I am noticing that he is constantly licking his butt. I thought maybe it was because I recently changed his food and his stools seemed to be loose for a few days...I thought he may be irritated from that. His stools have firmed back up now but he is still licking. Any other ideas?

Mom to Hot Rod · 11-13-2009, 07:23 AM

He may have a food allergy. We've only just discovered that Hot Rod is allergic to chicken. Most puppy food is chicken and then each time a dog has an upset tummy, chicken and rice is advised. Plus he just plain loves chicken!

We didn't give him any for a while and then we noticed that the couple of times we did, he would start licking and kinda nibbling at his paws. We stopped chicken, he was fine, gave it and he started again.

Is it possible for you to try and weed out different ingredients? So many dog foods have chicken/turkey/duck in it.

Weneebug · 11-13-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom to Hot Rod

He may have a food allergy. We've only just discovered that Hot Rod is allergic to chicken. Most puppy food is chicken and then each time a dog has an upset tummy, chicken and rice is advised. Plus he just plain loves chicken!

We didn't give him any for a while and then we noticed that the couple of times we did, he would start licking and kinda nibbling at his paws. We stopped chicken, he was fine, gave it and he started again.

Is it possible for you to try and weed out different ingredients? So many dog foods have chicken/turkey/duck in it.

Well...he was on Iams Healthy Naturals until I found out how bad the reviews were on it. He is a rehome and came to me on Iams so I left him on it. I tried to switch it up last week I bought Blue Life Protection formula Fish and sweet potato. I was trying to get away from the corn products...thought maybe that was it. When I switched him I didn't do it slowly because he was completely out of Iams..which was a mistake because it messed his tummy up. I went about another bag of Iams and am mixing the 2 foods now. His stools have firmed up some since I did that. When I took him to the vet last time they thought it was a flea allergy because he had been to the groomer and I found one flea on him. It may be another vet visit on Monday if he doesn't seem better this weekend.

lysiane_souris · 11-13-2009, 08:03 AM

So I just had a post asking why bailey had a bad smell on her but area and I learned it was her anal gland. and with my research I learned that they constantly lick their bum trying to releive the itchyness/pain it cause.
Causes of Pet Anal Gland Problems: Loose Stools, Improper Draining Leads to Infection | Suite101.com
I am no expert and changing food could be the cause but figured I would throw my thoughts out there

thanks

AshSavalle · 11-13-2009, 08:11 AM

In my opinion this sounds exactly like a food allergy. I would keep weening him onto the new food and see how that goes. Look to see if your new food has any gluten and grain. I know you do not want either of those. Keep a CLOSE eye on him when totally switched to the new food and keep track on his behavior. Sometimes it takes up to 6 weeks to see improvement and to locate the allergy so dont worry.
I am going through the same thing with my older dog. He has developed an allergy and we are starting with his food. It is very important not to change too much all at once. That way you can weed out the possibilities of where it is coming from. Also... look into the treats you give him. I think people tend to overlook the treats.
Another suggestion is to try MinkSheen shampoo, I have not yet tried it but plan to! Look it up on here and read a little about it. I know Westbrook Dog sells it as well.
Good luck!! keep us updated

Mom to Hot Rod · 11-13-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weneebug

Well...he was on Iams Healthy Naturals until I found out how bad the reviews were on it. He is a rehome and came to me on Iams so I left him on it. I tried to switch it up last week I bought Blue Life Protection formula Fish and sweet potato. I was trying to get away from the corn products...thought maybe that was it. When I switched him I didn't do it slowly because he was completely out of Iams..which was a mistake because it messed his tummy up. I went about another bag of Iams and am mixing the 2 foods now. His stools have firmed up some since I did that. When I took him to the vet last time they thought it was a flea allergy because he had been to the groomer and I found one flea on him. It may be another vet visit on Monday if he doesn't seem better this weekend.

check out what lysiane_souris says as well. Could be the glands, although Hot Rod never licked his but each dog is different. Could be fleas as well. Unfortunately, the only way to pinpoint this is to take one ingredient/source and test trial it. Long and tedious but the best way to figure it out. Good luck.

AshSavalle · 11-13-2009, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom to Hot Rod

check out what lysiane_souris says as well. Could be the glands, although Hot Rod never licked his but each dog is different. Could be fleas as well. Unfortunately, the only way to pinpoint this is to take one ingredient/source and test trial it. Long and tedious but the best way to figure it out. Good luck.

Yes, the glands could need to be "popped"! That may not be the main issue but could explain more of the bum licking. This is going to sound nasty but has he been scooting at all? or had any poo issues (not being able to push it all out)?

Weneebug · 11-13-2009, 08:52 AM

He has not been scooting but he had loose stools when I changed his food. I read some about the anal glands and now I'm wondering if that is it. I was taking him to get groomed at pet smart every 6 weeks (but i'm not sure if they were expressing the anal glands...they never said that was included) until about 3 months ago. I then took him to a new groomer and they totally messed him up (shaved him pretty much) so I have been trying to let him grow back out. It has been a few months since he has been groomed. Maybe I should try a grooming trip before looking into the food allergy...I don't know about expressing them myself.

Wylie's Mom · 11-14-2009, 06:01 AM

Determing what a dog is actually allergic *to* is not actually easy....so did the vets actually ever determine that, bc that usually takes a lot of time, effort, and work. [I see Vet Dermatologists for both my dogs - one who has seasonals, one who has Atypical Cushings - and we still can't say 6mths later what they're really allergic to for sure bc we've never done the allergy testing]

Also, what was he eating before and what is he eating now?

Did the steroid give relief or no? If yes, how long?

Is it possible the groomer nicked his bottom? Is it red/swollen? If yes, you can put hydrocortisone cream or diaper cream on it, that will help soothe and decrease inflammation. If swollen - his glands may be full and that may also be a sign that his new food is not working well w/ his body.

Weneebug · 11-16-2009, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Determing what a dog is actually allergic *to* is not actually easy....so did the vets actually ever determine that, bc that usually takes a lot of time, effort, and work. [I see Vet Dermatologists for both my dogs - one who has seasonals, one who has Atypical Cushings - and we still can't say 6mths later what they're really allergic to for sure bc we've never done the allergy testing]

Also, what was he eating before and what is he eating now? He was on Iams and is now on Blue Life Protection Formula.

Did the steroid give relief or no? If yes, how long? It did give him relief. He just came off of it and I've noticed he has started scratching some but not near as bad as before.

Is it possible the groomer nicked his bottom? Is it red/swollen? If yes, you can put hydrocortisone cream or diaper cream on it, that will help soothe and decrease inflammation. If swollen - his glands may be full and that may also be a sign that his new food is not working well w/ his body.

No, I wouldn't think so because its been about 3 months ago since he has been.

11-13-2009, 07:18 AM	#1
Weneebug YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Forsyth, GA Posts: 296 Blog Entries: 1	Help...Licking butt constantly A couple of months ago I had to take Harley to the vet because he was itchy all over. They treated it as an allergy and gave him a steroid. He has been doing much better with that but now I am noticing that he is constantly licking his butt. I thought maybe it was because I recently changed his food and his stools seemed to be loose for a few days...I thought he may be irritated from that. His stools have firmed back up now but he is still licking. Any other ideas?

11-13-2009, 07:23 AM	#2
Mom to Hot Rod Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MD Posts: 10,908	He may have a food allergy. We've only just discovered that Hot Rod is allergic to chicken. Most puppy food is chicken and then each time a dog has an upset tummy, chicken and rice is advised. Plus he just plain loves chicken! We didn't give him any for a while and then we noticed that the couple of times we did, he would start licking and kinda nibbling at his paws. We stopped chicken, he was fine, gave it and he started again. Is it possible for you to try and weed out different ingredients? So many dog foods have chicken/turkey/duck in it. __________________ www.kissecollar.com Soft Cone Collars for Post-surgery and much more! 10% (non-food) - Discount code YT10

11-13-2009, 08:03 AM	#4
lysiane_souris YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shediac Cape, NB - Canada Posts: 486	So I just had a post asking why bailey had a bad smell on her but area and I learned it was her anal gland. and with my research I learned that they constantly lick their bum trying to releive the itchyness/pain it cause. Causes of Pet Anal Gland Problems: Loose Stools, Improper Draining Leads to Infection \| Suite101.com I am no expert and changing food could be the cause but figured I would throw my thoughts out there thanks __________________ Lysiane & Bailey, the 6lb Monster

11-13-2009, 08:11 AM	#5
AshSavalle Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 263	In my opinion this sounds exactly like a food allergy. I would keep weening him onto the new food and see how that goes. Look to see if your new food has any gluten and grain. I know you do not want either of those. Keep a CLOSE eye on him when totally switched to the new food and keep track on his behavior. Sometimes it takes up to 6 weeks to see improvement and to locate the allergy so dont worry. I am going through the same thing with my older dog. He has developed an allergy and we are starting with his food. It is very important not to change too much all at once. That way you can weed out the possibilities of where it is coming from. Also... look into the treats you give him. I think people tend to overlook the treats. Another suggestion is to try MinkSheen shampoo, I have not yet tried it but plan to! Look it up on here and read a little about it. I know Westbrook Dog sells it as well. Good luck!! keep us updated __________________ Proud mommy of TeddyPippo Pina Buddy and Sonny

11-14-2009, 06:01 AM	#9
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	Determing what a dog is actually allergic to is not actually easy....so did the vets actually ever determine that, bc that usually takes a lot of time, effort, and work. [I see Vet Dermatologists for both my dogs - one who has seasonals, one who has Atypical Cushings - and we still can't say 6mths later what they're really allergic to for sure bc we've never done the allergy testing] Also, what was he eating before and what is he eating now? Did the steroid give relief or no? If yes, how long? Is it possible the groomer nicked his bottom? Is it red/swollen? If yes, you can put hydrocortisone cream or diaper cream on it, that will help soothe and decrease inflammation. If swollen - his glands may be full and that may also be a sign that his new food is not working well w/ his body. __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

11-13-2009, 08:52 AM	#8
Weneebug YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Forsyth, GA Posts: 296 Blog Entries: 1	He has not been scooting but he had loose stools when I changed his food. I read some about the anal glands and now I'm wondering if that is it. I was taking him to get groomed at pet smart every 6 weeks (but i'm not sure if they were expressing the anal glands...they never said that was included) until about 3 months ago. I then took him to a new groomer and they totally messed him up (shaved him pretty much) so I have been trying to let him grow back out. It has been a few months since he has been groomed. Maybe I should try a grooming trip before looking into the food allergy...I don't know about expressing them myself.