My dog keeps licking and biting one spot. Should I take him to the vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Not necessarily. In reality, this is not unusual in dogs. I would be concerned though if he is causing himself any skin lesions or wounds from the licking which in that case it could be from allergies and should be addressed. Otherwise, he is likely going to be just fine. Good luck and have a great day!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Thor. Unfortunately, I cannot make a definitive diagnosis over an internet forum, it's illegal. It could be he has pododermatitis, but without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain. I'd take him into the vet who can diagnose what is causing the problem, and can treat him. Best of luck.

Since it sounds like this spot looks different that the spot that your vet saw 2 months ago, I do think it is worth having your vet evaluate this spot. Some dogs are prone to developing lick granulomas where they will continually lick and chew at a spot from stress. The longer the behavior continues, the harder it is to resolve the wound, so I would recommend having your vet evaluate it soon. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am assuming you are referring to what is called a "hot spot" but it is very difficult for me to say for sure. It would have been better if you had included a photo. The best I can tell you without seeing this lesion is that Oscar needs to see a veterinarian for an exam. If you would like to post again with a photo we may be able to help you better.

Hello. Alvin looks like he is chronically licking his skin. Since this is an isolated area, you need to investigate what the underlying cause might be. This might include some pain from arthritis or inflammation in the muscle, to basically an obsessive compulsive type behavior. The first thing is to put an Elizabethan collar on him so he can not continue to lick here. Then see your vet so any underlying causes can be addressed. Hopefully, this will clear up quickly. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

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!