[Dailydrool] Need Help and Advice

[Lynn & Linda Ferrell]

Zoey and I are at the lake in Wisconsin; her daddy had to go back to work 
and will be back later. We are supposed to be having fun, but no so much so 
far.  I took her to a very nice new vet today for a paw she has been 
relentlessly licking.  The vet thinks she probably had a sting or bite 
between her toes and that has escalated with licking nonstop to a  downward 
spiral of infection and inflammation. She is reluctant to put her on 
prednisone because of her chronic pancreatitis, so we have topical steroid 
spray and antibiotics. I am supposed to put a sock on her foot. A friend 
helped me put it on this morning, though we had to use a muzzle and there 
was lots of very vocal acting out and thrashing. She got the sock off this 
afternoon and immediately licked her foot. I rolled up two hand towels and 
pinned them around her neck but her front foot is too accessible and the 
towels have little effect except I can grab hold of them and get her to stop 
licking. She does not mind them, though. Interesting. 

She bolts if she sees the muzzle and I cannot restrain her and get it on by myself. I was trying 
to avoid an e-collar, because I know the noise from running into things will 
upset her big time, but I am at the end of my rope. Is the e-collar the only 
alternative? I am supposed to spray her foot twice a day, so the sock must 
be reapplied again and again and the resistance just ramps up. If I go  back 
to the vet and get her the e-collar, can I just leave it on? How will she 
eat or drink?  Is it safe to leave her alone wearing one of those? I need to 
leave sometimes and it is too hot to take her along to run errands.  She is 
11 years old and mostly sweet, but messing with her feet is always marginal 
and now it has her steamed big time.  She has had a very stressful summer 
with more thunder than the last ten years combined. She can't take valium 
because of her liver enzymes and the herbal remedies are limited in effect. 
We could use any suggestions from your experience. Droolers are the best!!
Linda and Zoey
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