[lab13]

It is boredom or anxiety or allergies that causes a dog to lick at their front legs so much? My lab does it many many times a day.

 

[mattgusmum]

How old is your lab? It can also be a sign that he/she has painful arthritic joints.

 

[Dani]

what are you feeding the dog.

 

[windycanyon]

Boredom perhaps? Stress? It's interesting but my girl who just whelped started grooming herself rather excessively the last 2 wks of discomfort. She also is starting to shed... by whelp time, she's got 2 bald spots right about the spot that a vet would draw blood. She is going to look like heck in a couple weeks as fast as her coat is wanting to blow!!! My other ***** went into season about the same time as this, and I noticed that she licked herself there, same spot! I think in their cases it was a combo of shedding and hormonal stress. The one girl had all rights to be stressed-- 12 puppies!!!! And the other may have just been nervous since she was bred on her last cycle, lol-- didn't want to go there again anytime too soon! 8) -Anne

 

[lab13]

HI

I am feeding her a homemade diet at the moment.
She has been doing this long before that, actually many many months.
She is 5 1/2.

 

[kassabella]

How old is your lab? It can also be a sign that he/she has painful arthritic joints.

thank you Janice. Darn it. I never thought of this.

sorry to hijack your thread.

Ernie has been doing this for some time and I thought boredom. But he had also been limping a lot more before the car hit him. I intended saying something to the vet then the car hit him and I didn't.

 

[Apollopuppy]

my mother's lab mix teddy does this until his paws are bald. He has allergies we think but I bet he does it cuz hes bored. Maybe a kong for your puppers would help with bordem and a vet visit could help determine if you pup needs a steroid shot due to allergies.

 

[gerst001]

could be allergies to food or air - maybe a cut if its one leg????

If it is not a cut or wound, I would cut out all grain for the diet to start...from there I would change the protein.

 

[Sadies Paw]

My Sadie (13months) has started doing this also, but I think in her case it is allergy related. We just switched her food from Iams LBP, to Eagle Holistic Chicken & Rice LB Adult. We switched her slowly over about 12 days, but 5 days into the switch-over, she started licking, knawing at her paws. Sometimes front legs, sometimes back, not canstantly but often enough. We are now on the Eagle pack 100% but it has only been a few days now. It's hard to say if it is getting worse or not. It's been about the same I guess. I have a bad feeling tis food isn't going to work out, but I'm giving it time.
I can't be of much help besides giving my version of a similar situation. I suspect the rice in Sadie's new diet. Are you feeding a form of rice/grains in your home cooked? Perhaps you should try eliminating one ingridient at a time, in the hope of seeing a change in her licking. That is, if it is food related to start with.
Keep us posted!