This yeast is present throughout the body, but above all in the cushions, between the toes of the legs. If you notice that in dogs, there is an increase in yeast excess, it could be a symptom of pollen or food allergy or stress. Furthermore, the increase in Malassezia could favor the appearance of invading opportunistic bacteria. Usually, in the paws of dogs that have this problem, a white layer with orange nuances can be noticed, caused by the fact that the dog is licking continuously. Here is an doggy deodorant over the same.
How to prevent the dog from licking its bearings if it has Malassezia?
First of all, it is necessary to identify the cause of the excessive growth of the yeast on the legs and eliminate it or keep it under control. Until then, the spread of these fungi can be controlled by washing the area with chlorhexidine without diluted soap. These baths must be carried out every day and must last at least 10-15 minutes because chlorhexidine is only effective when it is in direct contact with the body.
Keeping bearings always dry helps a lot in keeping and reducing the presence of fungi, as they proliferate better and better in wet environments. If the dog does not allow itself to bathe the legs, the veterinarian will advise you pomade based on miconazole or clotrimazole, even if their application may not be easy because it is a troublesome procedure for the dog.
It licks the pads due to thorns or trauma
In other cases, the dog could constantly lick the pads due to trauma (blows, wounds) or because it has a plug that bothers it and hurts it. This case is different from the previous ones because only one leg will be affected by the problem.
The problem of thorns affects above all breeds of dogs that have a lot of hair in the area, such as the Cocker Spaniel, and just because of the amount of hair we don’t notice the problem. once you have passed the skin barrier between your fingers, they may remain there causing pain or lameness. The dog will tend to lick a lot to try to relieve the pain and find relief, even if in other cases, the pain does nothing but expand throughout the body.
Always check the dog’s bearings and cut off excess fur in the area is essential to prevent the problem. If you see that the dog has something planted in the paw, you must remove it immediately and apply a non-aggressive or irritating antiseptic, such as iodine diluted in a saline solution. Then consult a veterinarian.
Compulsive behavior
Once the aforementioned problems have been discarded, we must ask ourselves if the dog’s behavior is compulsive because it could be a stereotype. This disorder can be defined as repeated behavior without an apparent purpose.
If you think your dog has a stereotype, re-read the freedom of animal welfare and make sure you respect them all. Get in touch with an animal behavior specialist, like an ethologist, a veterinarian who specializes in animal psychology.
