Acral Lick Granulomas, Proud flesh, & Rodent Ulcers in Dogs

[Dobified]

I have been researching this as Rudy has one of these spots on his toe from licking like crazy all the time. I will have to get him to the vet.

Most people have no idea what this is so I wanted to post this to make you aware of it.




Granulomas, Granulation tissue, Granuloma complex, Rodent Ulcers, Cold Sores, Proud Flesh, and Eosinophilic Complex are all related and are various names for pretty much the same problem. It's not a problem we fully understand, but it's a common medical fact of life in humans as well as pets: sometimes the skin over-reacts to irritants, allergens, or virus' and the result is a raised, sore, and red inflammed tissue. In humans and cats, these cold sore like lesions are usually at so called muco-cutaneous junctions. This is a fancy description of where skin and mucus membranes come together. Common examples are the lips, nose, and vaginal lips.

In dogs, the most common reactive spots are on the carpus or wrist.

Acral Lick Granulomas, Proud flesh, & Rodent Ulcers in Dogs:

Acral lick granulomas are a common problem in dogs and refer to the raised reddened, tough, rubbery tissue that results from dogs licking the same area over and over again.



The cause if this is usually because of underlying allergies, anything else that itches in the area, or possibly from compulsive disorders associated with boredom and/or anxieties...kind of like us biting our fingernails to the quick.



Sometimes we luck out and treatment is easy, but usually it's frustrating in the sense that the simpler treatments that are likely to be tried at first will prove to be insufficient. So be prepared for repeated attempts.



Step 1 is a good exam looking for infection, underlying injury or bone infection, for other signs of allergies etc. This includes a skin scraping for mites, especially in young dogs.



Of course, if infection, mites, foreign bodies, thorns, ingrown hairs, or allergies are detected, then solving such problems will become part of the treatment plan.



Step 2 is topical treatment to reduce the itch, to help repel licking, and to treat surface infection. I like to use a combination of prescription strength hydrocortisone cream, Malotic Ointment, a bandage, and sometimes an elizabethian collar. Sometimes repellents like bitter orange help. Some vets like to add DMSO



Step 3 Systemic treatment with antibiotics, possibly steroids, and antihistamines may be needed.

Prozac or other compulsive disorder medications might be suggested and tried with success.



Be prepared for successful treatment to take 2-3 months.



Fatty Acid Supplementation is often helpful



Consider immune modulators like Immuno Regulin



Consider long acting steroid therapy such as methylprednisolone injections. Short of surgery, this is usually the most successful treatment, but then you have to weigh whether it's worth the risk of potential side effects.



Cyclosporin (Atopica) may be a successful and safer alternative to long term steroids, but such treatment is quite expensive.



Accupunture may be recommended.


Surgical removal is sometimes needed to prevent

or treat lameness or for cosmetic reasons.

[southern_girl09]

Good post and info.. I've never heard of any of that.

[barnjess]

great info, thanks for shareing

[gradysmomma]

Thanks for the info. It will be very helpfull to some.

[Aria]

great info again... your like a dictionary for animal illnesses LOL =) Keep it up, more people need to be educated on what we techs are telling them.... knowledge is never a waste.