My dog keeps licking a bald sore spot on my other dog. Why?

This could be from an insect bite or injury that he’s licked excessively. I would place him in a cone and apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it daily. If it doesn’t improve in about ten days then you can take him in for a skin scraping to check for mange. I don’t often see localized demodex in a dog this age. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ralph.

I would approach this two ways. One, get the dog who is getting licked checked by your vet, to see if there is something going on in that area that needs medical attention. Dogs are very sensitive to changes in scent and have been known to detect signs of illness in other animals and people long before any other symptoms emerge. Secondly, to keep the dog from licking to other, you can apply a product called Bitter Apple to the dog getting licked. This product is extremely bitter (wash your hands well after application or you may inadvertently touch them to your face or mouth and find out exactly why it works well in deterring licking, yuck!) and is meant to help protect bandages and furniture from chewing, but I have used it for a similar purpose as yours.

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

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.

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!

It is very difficult, or nearly impossible, to say what the initial cause of that wound is on Clyde's arm. However, what he is now doing is contributing to its inability to heal properly. The licking is happening because the area hurts, but the licking creates a more profound wound. This in turn creates more pain, therefore more licking, and on and on the wheel turns. As a result, we need to stop the licking. You will need to get a collar for Clyde to wear. You can buy one commercially or make on at home. The area should also be clipped and cleaned with an antiseptic, and something should be applied to the area daily to help with itching. A systemic antibiotic is sometimes needed in these instances as well, which would require a visit to the vet. Hope this helps!

It looks like Lila may have what is called a hotspot (localized area of infection). When they lick the area they can make it extremely worse very fast. I recommend taking Lila to a veterinarian to get the area clipped up, cleaned up and have antibiotics +/- topical medication. I recommend in the mean time going to a pet store and getting an Elizabethan collar for her so she stops bothering the area. This does not look like mange. I hope see feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!