Constant licking - please help.

I have a 4 year old Bluetick Coonhound. For the past year we have been battling him licking his feet to the point of them being raw. We've taken multiple vet trips, which every "remedy" was a temporary fix (antibiotics, a cone, and an antibiotic ointment). It's like as soon as one foot "heals" he starts on another one. He is too smart for a cone, he either tears them apart or finds a way around it. I've been trying probiotics along with some antiseptic spray, and putting booties on him every time we go outside (thinking maybe he's allergic to dirt/grass?), yet he still wants to lick his feet. Any advice or help is much appreciated, I feel like this is a never ending battle with him but I feel so bad because there must be a reason why he won't stop yet I just can't figure it out. Thank you in advance.   Also, whichever foot he is fixated on at the moment gives off an odor - which I know it can be from a yeast infection - but how can I resolve this and stop it from happening in the future?

Hello and thank you for this astute question.  Astute because you have realised that treating the skin / any infections / temporarily releiving pain and so on is a short-term fix; if the reason for the licking is still present, then when the meds run out the licking will often return and the situation will flare up again.  Indeed, if one waits for this to happen before going back to the vet, then the vet will generally give meds to treat the symptoms (eg a secondary yeast infection) again, to keep the cat comfortable, and the cat will get better temporarily again.  Whst sounds to be needed is to get to the bottom of the underlying cause; to find out why the cat licks the foot AS WELL as treating the effects of it.  An under-diagnosed reason for this is thought to be pain - arthritis; stomach ache (eg pancreatitis) and so on, will often manifest as foot-licking.  Another can be walking through unsuitable substrates (such as grit on roads / driveways if the weather is as it currently is in my part of the uk).  Allergies (tends to be all four feet), mites, stress and foreign bodies should also be considered.   Indeed, foot-licking can be a complex issue and a chronic one ie one that recurrs, more like diabetes or asthma than something acute (ie that happens once and is resolved, like a broken leg).  If your cat is having a flare-up at the moment, they ought to see a vet.  But once initial short-term treatment has been carried out, please go back for a recheck to discuss the underlying causes;  are pain killers needed?  Might this be an allergy?  How about parasites?  And so on.  If it does feel that your vet is still unhelpful, could they refer you to someone with an interest in this?

I would like to apologise; my initial scan led me to think about cats;  however, the same diseases also happen in the dog.  I am not familiar with coonhounds so will be back in a second....

Hello again.  Coonhounds are not common in the UK but are thought to be prone to skin allergy, so this may be high on your vets list of differentials.  If the allergy involves local vegetation, then footbathing (and properly drying) the feet after a walk can sometimes make a big difference.  However, part of the process of diagnosing an allergy is ruling other problems out, including arthritis.  You may get to know your vet quite well over the coming weeks, so it pays to ask lots of questions.  I hope that they are able to get to the bottom of this case.  Wishing you and your coonhound all the best from here.