Excessive licking and scratching

[LindaC]

I have a three year old ****zu named Tia. Two weeks ago I found two little lumps, side by side half way up her front leg. I thought of ticks right away, so my husband held her while I checked, I got a pair of tweezers and picked out what I thought may be a tick but it was a very small screw, like ones on a pair of glasses. Don't ask me how she got it or where she got it from, she is with one of us almost 24 hours a day. When our vet came into town, which is once a week, I took her up to see him. He shaved her leg but couldn't find anything , so he figured I got it all out. He put some cream on it and said it should be fine. We noticed she licked it continuously, but thought she was just keeping it clean until we took a closer look and she had licked her leg bald!!!! she had a couple of sores there but kept licking off the scabs, then she started on her other front leg and one back leg, she is constanly licking, you can tell because her hair goes orange where she has been licking it,the hair has grown back on the first leg, but she won't let us go near it, she is very protective of her legs, she growels when we just try to touch her leg, let alone checking it for any more lumps. We have held her and felt her legs but cannot find anything, she just acts like it's painful. now she also seems to be scratching her whole body.......she is very itchy ALL the time, it must be driving her nuts, it's driving me nuts!!!! Our vet comes back in 5 day's, so until then has anyone got any suggestions. I will check back later .....P.S. she can walk just fine, it's not bothering her that way at all.
Thanks for your help
LindaC

[maude]

Linda,

I am glad you are bringing the pet back to the vet. Something else could also be wrong...perhaps fleas, have you checked?

It probably is a type of compulsive behaviour that resulted from the screw.

I would go to a pet store and get one of those ELIZABETHAN collars. It looks like a huge funnel that the dog wears around it's head and it will prevent your dog from more licking until the vet sees her again.

Maude