My dog won't stop licking his back end. Is it fleas or allergies?

If JJ is licking his behind, that can be a sign of impacted anal sacs. Licking the feet can be due to allergies. You need to take him into the vet first thing in the morning to have these issues diagnosed and treated.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without an exam. However, 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!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Usually chewing at the back end or bum is caused by the following: 1. Full anal glands- these can rupture if not emptied 2. Flea allergy dermatitis (an over-reaction to fleas, so one bite from a flea makes them very very itchy all over, so you don't see fleas on them but they are reacting) 3. Flea infestation 4. Intestinal worms (lead to diarrhea and itchy bum) 5. Other possible causes exist as well. I recommend that you have him assessed by a vet to check his anal glands and check him for fleas. Also, if he is dewormed then a fecal test might be recommended, and if he isn't then a broad spectrum dewormer might be recommended. Best of luck with Jagger! I hope he feels better soon!

There can be lots of reasons to lick back there. Allergies are the most common cause, and it could be a reaction to flea bites, foods, or the environment. Intestinal parasites and anal gland issues can also cause irritation. Licking can also be seen during the heat cycle of intact females.

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, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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 this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Lalo could suffering from a food allergy or a mite infection or a fungal/bacterial infection. Please take him to a veterinarian for an exam and some testing. Food allergies can be treated with a diet change, avoiding the offending allergen, and fungal, bacterial and/or mite infections can be treated with a fungixidal, antibiotic or acaricidal medication respectively. Your vet may also prescribe a medicated shampoo.