Has the hair regrown yet?
Dog Licking Scar Site
Hi all - Looking for some suggestions. My dog had to have a tiny benign tumor removed. It was fully removed via punch biopsy and three stitches were placed. He has since had the stitches removed and the wound is fully healed with no signs of infection.
However, my dog won’t stop licking and biting at the scar site and causing irritation. How can I get him to stop?
We’ve tried a bitter spray - he just licks it off. If we cover it, he will chew off the dressing or cloth. The only thing I can do is put him in a cone but he can’t stay in the cone forever so I need some help as the vet does not have any suggestions.
However, my dog won’t stop licking and biting at the scar site and causing irritation. How can I get him to stop?
We’ve tried a bitter spray - he just licks it off. If we cover it, he will chew off the dressing or cloth. The only thing I can do is put him in a cone but he can’t stay in the cone forever so I need some help as the vet does not have any suggestions.
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It was significantly regrown shortly after the stitches were removed. But there is less hair now that he is licking and chewing
Could there be a little bit of suture still in there?
It doesn’t appear or feel like anything is still in there. I have been doing scar tissue mobilization as well to help with mobility of the tissue.
I once had a cat that developed a nervous grooming habit after intestinal surgery. He would get a funny look in his eyes, then his hackles would go up, and then he would start frantically licking his shoulders. He created two bald spots that looked like someone had amputated his angel wings. I talked to the vet about getting him some kind of medication for OCD, but the vet didn't believe me. I ended up having to make the cat a nightgown to cover his wounds. After around 6 weeks or so the hair grew back, and I was able to let him run around in his birthday suit again.
It seems that the only solution you have here is to put him in a cone. Maybe you could just help him get used to wearing a cone?
Not sure how big your dog is, but I have a Chihuahua mix (14 lbs) and post surgery on his neck ( a large mass removed) I made a "turtleneck " out of a sweatshirt sleeve. Worked very well. You could also put a tshirt over it.
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