Acral Lick Granuloma Dog Treatment

Acral lick dermatitis or lick granuloma is a skin condition occasionally seen in dogs.

Acral lick granuloma dog treatment.

Lick granuloma which is also known as canine acral lick dermatitis acl is a skin injury resulting from excessive licking. When a dog persistently licks its skin it results in inflammation. The name for this condition stems from its location acral meaning on the extremities and from its cause licking. However there is a definite strong psychological component e g fear anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder.

With time the skin thickens and due to the continuous licking the area cannot heal. Clomipramine or clomicalm is a medication used for separation anxiety in dogs. Cause of acral lick granuloma in dogs. Also known as acral lick dermatitis this problem occurs when a dog obsessively licks at an area on the lower limb most commonly the wrist or carpal joint of the front limb.

What is a lick granuloma. When the wound is disturbed the outer layers of epidermis are scraped away. They are continually removed and unable to heal leading to substantial inflammation. Anti anxiety medications are sometimes used if the cause of the lick granuloma is suspected to be nervousness or stress.

Lick granulomas are caused by your dog excessively licking a wound over the course of weeks or months. Affected dogs usually lick at one chosen spot on one leg. What is acral lick dermatitis. The laser instrument ablates removes the tissue by vaporizing the surface layers.

Oral medications except for oral antibiotics and trental these medications are all treatments for the possible root causes of the obsessive licking behavior that causes lick granuloma.