My dog keeps biting a spot on his side. What is it and how to treat?

This looks like a like mass, skin tag, or possibly a nipple. You can try to give him some Benadryl to see if this controls the itch. See link below. You can also spray the area with Benadryl spray. If that doesn't help or if the mass is changing, I would have your vet take a look at it. Your vet will be able to aspirate it to make sure it is benign and also get him started on some meds to help him if needed. I hope this helps ! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/#

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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

It looks like the skin in this area has become infected. It could have started as a simple wound, like you said, and then progressively became infected. To help the area heal, keep the wound clean and dry. Wash it 2x a day with a gentle antibacterial soap. You can apply some triple antibiotic ointment to it as well. You will need to keep Boomer from licking the area as best as you can. The best way to do this is by placing an E-collar on him. If this does not help the area heal in 3-5 days or if the area around the wound is swollen at all, I would recommend taking Boomer to the vet to have it evaluated. He may need oral antibiotics to get it cleared up. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

From your pictures, a possible cause might be a lick granuloma. These start for some reason (sometimes a bug bite, a small scratch, or a small skin mass) and the dog licks at them and makes it worse. They lick at it and push surface bacteria deeper which makes it itch, so they lick. It becomes almost a habit like a human biting their fingernails. So- I would recommend a visit to the veterinarian. They can check to make sure that is what it is , make sure that the inciting cause is gone, and do some diagnostics to determine a treatment plan. Has there been any changes to Neo's environment? Sometimes stress can start a lick granuloma or prolong it. Your veterinarian will most likely start antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. They might also recommend increasing his activity in case boredom is a cause. If there is a small skin mass present- they will recommend diagnostics on that. Good luck! Sometimes these take time, so have patience. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

The most important thing in getting a lesion relating to self-inflicted harm to heal will be to prevent any continued harm from occurring. This will likely involve obtaining an e-collar from your local vet or pet store and fitting it on Sugar. You can also put something like a t-shirt on the area depending on where it is. Also, without seeing the lesion, I can not advise you on whether or not an infection may be occurring and if antibiotics might be required. The itchiness from the lesion is not likely to stop until the healing process has at least partially started. As such, the use of the collar I mentioned in the beginning with be of the most importance. Hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ghost! Based on your picture it appears that Ghost has an infected mass on her back. You can clean it gently with water and a mild soap twice daily then apply a triple antibiotic cream. If she can lick it then you should use an Elizabethan collar (cone) to prevent that. If it is a mass it could be benign or cancerous. It may not heal with out the mass being removed. If it gets worse of their isn't improvement in 7 days I would take her to your Vet. I hope this help!