My dog keeps biting himself. What safe home remedies can I use?

Poor Maxx. Allergies are no fun, you can try a few at home remedies, but if he doesn't get relief he honestly may need a veterinary visit. Antihistamines can be hit or miss in dogs but you can certainly try Benadryl twice daily if it gives him some relief. You can also soak his feet in lukewarm Epsom salt solution once or twice daily. Malaseb shampoo may help if there is any yeast or bacterial infection component to his itching. When using the medicated shampoos I typically recommend lathering them up, especially affected areas and allowed to soak for up to 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing. If you have a crate or someplace Maxx can hang out while sudsy that helps. And for dogs that will not leave their feet alone I strongly recommend getting an E collar. Sometimes you have to break the cycle of the scratching and licking before seeing any improvement. If there are open sores or very raw areas I would recommend trying to do a veterinary visit as that indicates secondary infection and will likely need systemic treatment as well. I hope Max gets some relief soon thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi. Poor Twitch. Sounds like some pretty bad allergies. Also, check and make.sure there aren't any fleas or ticks. The only options at home would be to try antihistamines. You can contact your veterinarian for a possible dose for those. Otherwise Twitch would need to be seen to get the best treatment and diagnostics.

There is no home remedy I would recommend - it sounds like Cashew could have flea dermatitis and/or a secondary bacterial skin infection. I would recommend having a vet examine Cashew's skin to determine whether or not he might need oral or topical antibiotics or even a corticosteroid to help with inflammation and itching.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Skin issues like you are describing can have a variety of causes, including skin parasites (fleas or mites), allergies, an infection, or an underlying medical issue (Cushings disease, diabetes). I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his skin lesions, have any necessary testing done (bloodwork, skin scrape, culture) and start on any treatment that he may need. Good luck!

It sounds like Rook is definitely very uncomfortable. If you really are unable to have him ctopical hecked out (which I would strongly recommend based on how serious the skin condition sounds), the at home remedies I would recommend include flea / tick treatment, medicated bathing, and medications such as benadryl. You will also want to apply an e-collar to Rook to prevent any further licking and biting that is causing a worsening condition while the situation is getting under control. If none of these are working in an appreciable amount, I would tell you to begin to try and save a little bit to have him checked out. Their are prescription medications that might work really well in getting the itchiness under control and make Rook a happier dog. Hope this helps.

If Casper is biting at it, it could be that this is an irritating skin rash. I'd put an Ecollar on him to keep him from biting at it (you can make one at home), and make an appointment for him with his vet. The vet can diagnose the cause of it, and can prescribe treatment for it. Best of luck. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html