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My dog chews himself raw. What are the causes and solutions?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Alaskan Malamute | Male | neutered

My malamute chews himself raw and we have gone to the vet. Is there anything we can do to help him? He's about 8 years old. The vet gave him medication (a flea pill) this past summer and special soap but nothing helps. What can we do?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 16th, 2017

Koda needs to be flea treated every month in order to be protected from fleas, so i could be that he is suffering from fleas causing him to chew himself raw. I will give you a flea treatment program if he hasn't been treated from fleas since last summer. 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.

Another cause of him chewing himself raw could be allergies. It would be worth a trip back to the vet for Koda as he sounds very uncomfortable. You can discuss with the vet the use of Apoquel. It is an allergy medication that has been reported to have great success on dogs with bad allergies. I would have him seen by your vet this week to discuss possibly using this medication on him.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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