My dog licks until she bleeds after anal gland burst. What's wrong?

Question

My dog had an anal gland that burst about 2-3 weeks ago. I took her to the vet and they drained it, I gave her a full round of antibiotics and pain medication and she wore a cone. It’s been almost 3 weeks now, the area is fully healed but each time I take the cone off, she licks random parts of her back and legs until they bleed. Can this be a lingering side effect from the meds she finished about 2 weeks ago? She has never done this until after this incident. Appetite and energy are normal. Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Female | unspayed | 7 years and 4 months old | 9 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

That's not a typical side effect of giving an antibiotic, but it is possible that Brooke is still experiencing some pain related to the anal glands, and so she is licking to relieve it. It's also possible there is another issue, such as irritation on the legs, that are causing her to want to lick and chew. If you haven't already, I would schedule a recheck with your veterinarian to make sure the anal glands are healed up and to look for any other issues such as pain in the legs or around the anus, allergies, parasites, etc that may be causing her to lick. In the meantime, keeping the Elizabethan collar on may help. There are also no-lick wraps that can be placed on the legs that may help deter licking if there is no injury (once you've gotten the OK from your vet). Distraction through a puzzle or chew toy such as a Kong stuffed with treats or food may also help redirect this behavior into something more positive if it's stress or habit-related instead.

My dog licks until she bleeds after anal gland burst. What's wrong?

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