Dog licking small, bald, irritated spot on arm. How to stop it?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Clyde. He skin looks very sore. Poor guy! When I see a patient with ongoing skin disease, I work hard to determine the underlying cause so effective treatment can be determined. I would recommend he has skin scrapes to look for mites and a fungal culture to rule out ringworm. Then I would start him on flea and tick prevention to rule out a flea allergy. Next, I would do bloodwork on him to ensure he does not have evidence of an underlying hormonal disorder contributing to his skin disease. Short of doing a skin biospy, the last thing is to treat for allergies. Food allergies are assessed by a diet trial with a prescription diet. The dog can eat absolutely nothing else during the trial. It is hard to do, but the only way to assess food allergies. Very few dogs are allergic to grains and the ones that are tend to be Irish Setters. So he could still have a food allergy despite your diet change. There are new medications to manage environmental allergies that are very effective with less side effects than steroids. So these could be an option as well. Consider bathing him with a medicated shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner twice per week. I hope this information helps!

The dog who is licking that spot is probably doing so because the skin there had a very small lump that smelled different or the skin itself had an infection. Take the dog with the affected spot to your vet to have this area examined. You can also put an E-collar (cone) on the dog who is licking it, to prevent him from being able to do so. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If Cal constantly chews on it it may be that the licking and chewing is behaviorally based rather than injury based. Having the area checked by your vet is a good option, however, to rule out any possible causes such as an underling infection or allergy. It is also a good idea to not allow Cal to continue licking and chewing on the spot and to use an Elizabethan (cone) collar until the area is completely healed. Allowing him to lick and chew on it will just prolong the healing period and the saliva may introduce a secondary infection into the area.

It looks like a lick granuloma which can be secondary to itching, pain, boredom, stress, OCD. They are commonly treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and bandages or E-collar to prevent licking. If that doesn't work then anti-anxiety medications, like Prozac, can be prescribed to see if that helps. Below is a link with a website with additional information. http://www.skinvetclinic.com/acrallickdermatitis.html

If they are play fighting a lot, then you may have to keep them separated until the wound can heal. 1. Clip the hair away from the wound using buzzing-type clippers, not scissors or a razor. This is so you can monitor the wound and keep the hair out of the way to help with healing. 2. Disinfect the wound once with peroxide or a first aid chlorhexidine wound soap. Do not continue to use peroxide, or alcohol, as this will delay healing. 3. Apply an antibacterial ointment, such as Neosporin, twice daily. If needed to clean the wound, use a warm wet wash cloth to gently wipe away any dried fluid. 4. Prevent all licking or scratching of the wound by using an e-collar or dog booties or socks. 5. See a vet if your pet experiences prolonged lethargy, decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rectal temperature over 103, or if there is creamy discharge or discharge with a foul odor, or there is swelling around the wound.

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bogart. The only thing at home you can try is having him wear an E-collar. This will prevent any licking causing further damage from self trauma. It may allow the skin to heal. If this is unsuccessful though, he will need to see a veterinarian. The area could be a mass on his leg (benign or cancerous) or he could have what is known as a lick granuloma. I hope this information helps!