Why is my dog chewing her legs raw, bleeding, and has a raw muzzle?

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat him with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advocate or advantage), then get him to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might revile an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to stop the chewing and repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start him on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting him on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

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!

Poor Tobias! Thank you for providing pictures of his back. This behavior is commonly caused by flea, and if he isn't up to date on his flea medications, I can give you a flea treatment program for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If Tobias is up to date on his flea treatment, then he could be suffering from allergies or mites causing his symptoms and I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests and skin scrapings allergies and mites. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Hello. Poor Chiquis has allergies, probably an inhalant one to pollen, grasses or dust mites. If you can get her to your veterinarian, she will have very good medications to control the symptoms. These include Apoquel & Cytopoint . You can try a hypoallergenic shampoo to help quiet her symptoms, but this will be temporary, lasting a day or so. But you can bathe her 2-3 times a week to minimize the symptoms. I would try Douxo Calm, or Hylyt antiitch shampoos, both available on Chewy.com. Also, start her on a fish oil supplement. I really recommend Nordic Naturals, also available on chewy.com, to help with the itching. Her symptoms can be controlled, but not cured unless you invest in allergy testing & a desensitization protocol, so check in with your veterinarian at your earliest convenience. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The most likely cause would be a skin condition of some kind, causing her to be itchy - some common possibilities would include allergies, fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the cause is, so I would recommend having her examined by a vet - he/she can do a simple test called a skin scrape if needed to help diagnose the problem. In the meantime, I would suggest getting her an e-collar (plastic cone) to keep her from continuing to chew at her leg and make things worse until you can get her in to see a vet.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures, it appears Riley has a skin infection known as a hot spot. She will need to be seen by a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause and get treatment for the infection and itching. Hope this helps!

I would recommend taking Sugar to a veterinarian. There are a few different things that can cause skin like this. It could be allergies and she could just be so itchy that she is creating the infection. It could be fleas and you may just not see them. Even one flea can create bad reactions if the dog is allergic to them. There are different mites that can also make dogs very itchy which in turn leads to issues like this. It could also be an endocrine disorder if everything else is ruled out and then blood work is required to see what is going on with her. Your veterinarian can evaluate her skin, provide medication to help her feel so much better and pin point exactly what is causing this in Sugar. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.