# Unhappy Molly



## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

No idea what caused it although we did get soaked on our walk yesterday morning, but I noticed Molly laying in front of the fire intensely licking the top of her leg late in the afternoon and when I investigated it was very red and sore 










I managed to get her to settle down on my lap and leave it alone for a while but as soon as she woke up she was determined to lick it continuously again so I had to put her fleece all in one suit on her overnight which she was not at all happy about.










It worked overnight but this morning she has managed to force her head into the neck hole to get at her leg again so as soon as shops are open we are out shopping for a cone to stop her  she is currently wearing a t-towel bandaged round her neck to stop her bending enough to reach it  

I am not sure if it is hurting or itching but whatever it is driving her crazy and she is very unhappy


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Oh poor Molly, I seriously do not like threads called 'Unhappy Molly'.
Definitely the right move to stop her licking at it - Once she has the collar on you can let the air get to it. I'd be inclined to bath the area with some salt water solution.
Hope it calms down quickly. When you buy the collar get her a seriously tasty distraction treat.
Give her a hug and a kiss from me.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

She is so miserable at is awful and I have been thoroughly grumped at for stopping her getting to it which might be interesting in the pet shop when I try a collar on her 

Will do with the salt water as soon as I can get her separated from it properly


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I wonder what it is?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Collar bought and we have been at my friends daycare place for a few hours to help give it a new year clean during which time she has been happily occupied saying hello to everyone - as soon as we got home she managed to get her cone off so now done up a notch tighter.










When I can keep her off it for long enough it looks great with the redness going so will hopefully be fine.

She was the same a couple of years ago when she got nipped by another dog on her shoulder and would not leave it alone so made a small wound much worse quite quickly  that time she had to wear a t-shirt for a few weeks to keep it covered.


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## emjon123 (Apr 9, 2013)

Poor thing she looks so sorry for herself.


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Thought I'd posted this......
May be it's a reaction to some plant that she may of encountered on her walk??
Like an allergy or a sting?? X


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Poor Molly she looks like a slightly grumpy flower 
Is her leg less red now?


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

If it's itchy bicarb solution might help. Poor Molly.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Her leg was less red today and looked quite good (and like the cone was an over reaction) while I was at my friends but now has a bright red patch after the few minutes she got to it when she got the collar off while I was upstairs  I suspect it is now sore 

Someone has suggested calendula cream so I will get some of that tomorrow although not helped by her hating me even looking at it.

She is now a very grumpy flower - even more so after an attempt to get the cone off after me looking at her leg


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Poor Molly, sounds a bit like a 'hotspot', can be started by a variety of things, can be eczema, can be an allergy, or just something that causes an irritation then I think the licking can become a habit and its a catch 22 situation. If you google 'hotspots on dogs' you may find some recommendations that may help.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks yes I think it is now a hot spot - she got so upset with me looking at it I am leaving it for tonight - I have ordered an inflatable collar for her as well as I think she is going to need to wear one for a while to let it heal up


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## Miss Lilly (Sep 12, 2014)

Awww, poor Molly! I didn't know they were called hotspots but my beautiful old great Dane once got a grass seed embedded in her front paw and spent years licking that spot even after it was removed. 

I wonder whether Molly brushed up against some kind of irritant?


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## arlo (Mar 11, 2013)

Poor Molly, really hope after another night you will see an improvement. Do you think an anti-histamine might help if it is an allergy or bite? Big kiss to Molly from Arlo and Savannah XX


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## Mazzapoo (Jul 28, 2013)

Aw, poor Molly, it must be really aggravating her, I hope the calendula will help xx


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks all  I gave her some antihistimine on Saturday but not carried on as it now looks more sore than itchy  more reading up and most of the information suggests not to use a cream and just clean with antiseptic so I have some antiseptic on the way as well as the inflatable collar.

She normally sleeps on the end of my bed but if unhappy insists on pressing up against me instead - which meant I spent most of the night fighting for room on my bed but collar has stayed on and it does look slightly less red this morning  I am back at work so she is delivered to my friends with instructions for collar to stay on whatever 

It is possible she brushed up against something although it was just the usual field so not sure what. As it started right at the top of one of her front legs though I suspect it was a tiny bit of mud I had not totally cleared when I washed her down


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Have you tried apple cider vinegar? It's very very soothing, a natural antiseptic and healer.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

oh yes Ruth that is a good suggestion, I know young stinging nettles can affect them quite badly, but there are so many things I expect that can cause a reaction. Hope she is improving.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

She is much happier now. I have left it alone as she was getting so upset with me even looking at it but this morning she happily rolled over for tummy rubs and stretched her legs out nicely so I could see it as it is healing well and looks much better.

I am going to try cleaning with hibiscrub from tonight to just make sure it stays good although the main thing is to keep it protected I think 

She spent yesterday lounging around on chairs with friends


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

It works for loads of skin issues. Sorted out our stingy nettle paws. Sufferes of eczema use it on their itchy flakey scalps and it works wonders. It's a great thing.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Good to see Molly relaxing in her collar - she is a trooper - even if she is a grumpy one 
I think that you have done brilliantly spotting the problem early and stopping her getting at it. Hopefully it will clear up and not re appear.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I will get some apple cider vinegar in as well as that might have helped when I first spotted her licking at it 

She is coping wearing her collar better than I thought she ever would to be honest and I am lucky that I know she is safe with my friend and her dogs while I am at work 

I am annoyed with myself that she managed to get her collar off on the first day and make it much worse in the couple of minutes she was out of my sight  but much happier now that she seems to be on the mend and happier herself.


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## caz3 (Mar 27, 2014)

Hi sorry to hear about Molly ,have also heard sudocrem is good for any red itchy or sore spots,scratches etc worth a try as its only a couple of pounds from most places.Hope this helps xxx🐶


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Molly is still in her cone  I got a comfy collar (inflatable) but she managed to get that off however tight I did it up 

I now have a few days off work so hoping to get her settled and get her out of the blooming thing without licking and hurting herself. Her leg is totally healed but she resumes licking quickly if given the chance.

This evenings effort is a long sleeved baby vest - hopefully this will work


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

must be very frustrating, hope it goes well while you have the time with her. Can't remember if you said you were trying Apple Cider Vinegar? maybe worth adding it to her diet, wouldn't do her any harm anyway.


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Poor poor Molly, it must be very uncomfortable for her x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I have actually not done anything other than the cone as once left alone it cleared up very quickly and looks fine now.

She is happy in front of the fire at the moment


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

She looks happy & very cuddly! X


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Molly looks so gorgeous... A long sleeved baby t shirt may be good lounge wear!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I need to look at her diet and see if we need to tweak slightly as I am still worried about what started it so will be looking at the cider vinegar.

Her vest also needs tweaking slightly I think as the neck could do with a few stitches to make it smaller so it does not slip down so far I think and I will probably cut the end off but it is a great fit and working so far


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

How humid is your house? With all the dry winter air here skin dries out and can become red, itchy and sore. Does this happen there? Maybe you need a humidifier?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We tend to have soggy winters (as well as Spring, Summer and Autumn) so doubt it is that to be honest. My friends where the girls spend the day has huge damp issues 

She woke me up in the night licking so had the cone back on which she was not very pleased about but we are going for a walk soon and I am hoping to keep her busy. 

I had taken the cone off this morning but she managed to get her leg out of the vest so cone back on until our walk.


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## caz3 (Mar 27, 2014)

Aww she looks so cute


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

This is her current look - I stitched up the neck of the vest so it will not slide further down


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

It looks as if she is plotting her vest escape


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

She has now discovered the sleeves can be pushed up  but I have some bitter apple spray which I am reluctantly using as I think that is a better option than the cone.

If only she used her brains to co-operate instead of to outwit me


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Little Molly rocks the long sleeved baby vest look!  x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Shush - don't tell her but Molly is currently vest free and leaving her leg alone


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Yeah!! Good girl Molly!! X


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We lasted a few hours but then vest had to go back on  I have a couple of days off work and was going to take her to the vets - but took my car into the garage this morning and they kept it until tomorrow afternoon so it will have to wait. She is improving but I could just do with their advice about whether she needs something to help or just carry on as we are.

Her guarding does get in the way if I leave it until she has settled on licking as she then gets very defensive and does not want me to stop her getting to her leg, which makes getting a vest on and her legs down it fun!!!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Not quite sure what I am doing at the moment  after several days in her vest I had cut the legs slightly shorter on one on Wednesday and she managed to pull the leg up a bit and start licking her leg further down and started to make it red and sore.

So - we are back to cone for now. I did not manage to get to the vets this week and was going to go tomorrow - but I am fairly sure they will want to give her prednisilone - and one of the side effects for that is pancreatitis which she has and which poses a far more serious risk to her health than a itchy leg 

There is nothing at all to see on her legs but she is bothered by something. I have not tried the apple cider vinegar yet - would I wash her legs with that?


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

This is strange how she has just started to do this.
Didn't Christine (erinfare) have the same problem with poppy?
She licked her paw and made it all discoloured?
Do you think she could possibly be stressed by anything? X


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I would dilute the ACV a little. 1 part ACV to 3 parts cooled boiled water and bathe her leg in it 3 times per day. I hope she gets better soon, hopefully it hasn't become habitual.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Sadly we are no further on with this 

We have also tried a highly recommended cream - which made her leg slightly sore

Antihistimine - which made no difference at all 

We now have a steroid spray to try for a week


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Poor Molly, I hope it clears up fully soon x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We have used the spray for a week and Molly has had a couple of spells with her collar off in the house. She lasted an hour today before my nerve broke as she was licking intently and I put her collar back on - she was licking a bit higher up this time though so will use the spray there and continue to allow her some time with the collar off in the hope we will start to win the battle at last.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

This is getting more and more perplexing. Do you think it is painful or itchy?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I think itchy to be honest - she will let me move the joint and poke and prod with no reaction - it is slightly complicated by the vet I trust locally has retired which means the only vets I trust for an opinion on pain are almost 3 hours away. She jumps onto seats as normal though and runs as fast as ever so I don't think it is pain. If we don't start to get somewhere soon I will book her in to be checked out at the specialists in Wales though. 

Her pancreatitis also complicates as many of the medicines we would usually try can cause pancreatitis so are not an option 

I am going to use the spray in this area and give her some more time with the cone off then back to normal vets at the weekend.


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