Why is my dog licking his hind leg? There's a rough black spot.

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.

I would be most concerned for a lick granuloma although it is difficult to tell from pictures. These can be related to arthritic pain, boredom, compulsive disorders and allergies, among other causes. The treatment depends somewhat on what the vet suspects the cause is- but may include diet changes, pain medicine, antibiotics if it appears infected and/or behavioral modification. If your vet does not think it looks like a granuloma in person they may recommend a biopsy! I hope this helps and Mercedes is back to normal soon!

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!

I recommend to have Messi examined by the veterinarian. Skin masses can be many things but red raised masses are especially concerning for a skin cancer called a Mast Cell tumor. Your veterinarian will need to collect a sample of cell to examine under the microscope to determine what this is and if further treatment is needed. have Messi wear an elizabethan collar to prevent licking. Have this checked out soon.

Those spots on Riley could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash his whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching and he may need to wear and Elizabethan collar at all times. Since he is still licking the lesions, it's hard to know if the changes to the lesions are a sign of recovery or a worsening. You MUST stop the licking. If the lesions don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined again by the veterinarian who may prescribe additional medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for sharing pictures of Oreo. The area looks like a region of inflammation that he is making worse by licking. This can potentially be caused by allergies, bug bites, infections, etc. Place a cone on him to prevent him from licking it. You can try applying a small amount of triple antibiotic and keep the cone on until it heals. If it does not improve, he should be seen by a veterinarian. He may require antibiotics or corticosteroids for treatment.

I can certainly see that Moglee has some skin lesions and I'm sorry to hear that they're causing him so much discomfort! These lesions could be a result of a bacterial skin infection (often from underlying allergies to fleas, food or the environment), ringworm or mange. Make sure that he is receiving a high quality flea and tick preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto or K9 Advantix II regularly. You can also try bathing him with an antiseptic shampoo (here is one example: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27982). However, if Moglee's skin lesions persist or worsen, I recommend taking him back to his vet for further evaluation. An e-collar (cone) may also be beneficial to preventing further skin irritation from his ongoing licking until this issue resolves. I hope this helps and that Moglee feels better soon!