Wednesday, July 29, 2009

My female dog is chewing her front legs where IVs were for spaying. how can i get her to stop chewing?

She still has the plastic collar on, but manages to chew thru it, irritating her front legs...when the collar comes off in two days, i am sure she will chew the heck out of her legs...is there a spray or lotion that will prevent this?
Answers:
It probably itches from the healing process. my dog does this with random scratches.

The pet stores sell sprays that are "bitter apple" that are safe for topical use and taste bad.
For small wounds, I spray a bit of antiseptic and put on a liquid bandage. After that dries, I put the bitter apple spray on top and reapply the bitter a couple of times a day. This works for me. You may not need the bandage, at this point, if that is the case, just go straight to the bitter spray.

Did the vet give you a "elizbethan collar" after the spaying? If the bitter apple doesn't work, you can try using this until the spots are healed. If the vet did not supply a collar, you can usually get them online or at pets stores.

Good luck!
go to the local pet store get some stuff called Bitter Apple. Its a liquid that will stop it
I'd give your vet a call. She might need a larger collar.
got a muzzle?
if the wounds are closed then lemon juice or somthing similer might work but please make sure they are all closed up...there is also a cheap version of the bitter apple stuff call chew stop or no chew somthing or another it is just some nasty tasting stuff and make sure to wash your hands after using it... lol
give her, her favorite teat or toy.
Put a halo on her. This plastic mechanism prevents the dog from being able to reach her legs with her mouth and stops chewing.

Bitter Apple is another solution. It's a spray that tastes so bad that the dog will refrain from licking or chewing any area covered with the stuff.
If she is able to reach her paws/legs and chew on them even when the collar is on, then she needs a bigger collar. It is too small. Call the vet and ask for a bigger one, or go to the local pet store and purchase one. I am sure they would have them.
get a cone from a vet
They make a bitter spray you can get from the vet or a pet store. They usually use it on stitches on animals so they won't lick at them. Just spray it on and she should stop.
My dog had this issue, and she needed a bigger cone (they come in various sizes). She shouldn't be able to chew the cone if it is big enough. I have used bitter apple/bitter lime with my dogs, for chewing on surfaces in the house when they were puppies, and one of them treated it like an appetizer. However, most dogs are repelled by it. good luck!
I know there's this salve out there that parents use to get their kids to stop sucking their thumb that tastes just awful. It might work, but if there are any open wounds it might irritate it, so talk with your vet, it could work!

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