My dog keeps licking a red, raw spot. What's wrong and what to do?

Sometimes these lesions can occur from rubbing the muzzle on cages doors, carpets...etc. Sometimes they can also be from infection and less commonly from an autoimmune disease. I would recommend to have him examined by his veterinarian who will likely prescribe medication orally. Treating this area topically can be difficult as most dogs will lick off any medication you apply to the area so oral medications are generally best. You should also protect the area from further rubbing with an elizabethan collar which should be worn at all times. You can try gently washing the ears with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse well) once daily if he tolerate it. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'd be worried in that Harley keeps licking it, which shows it's bothering him. From your picture, it looks like he has licked that area raw in a spot, so I would definitely have this checked out by the vet. Give the vet a call today or tomorrow to make an appointment for him. Until you can have him seen, put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking at it. You can get one at a pet store, or I can put a link below on how to make one at home. Best of luck, I hope this helps. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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!

The picture is not clear enough to see exactly what is going on with Eli's skin. I would recommend a veterinarian because it may be a hotspot starting which can get drastically worse very quickly. I would recommend an ecollar if she continues to lick. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Lily may have an infection which may be making her feel poorly. Sometimes skin infections can be quite painful and cause enough discomfort to cause them to stop eating and to become lethargic. I recommend that you have her evaluted by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. This is usually easily treated. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there! Thanks for using PerCoach! If this is the only place she has been licking, this is likely a lick granuloma in the early stages. This is basically a skin wound that is created by self-trauma. It will take a full examination by a veterinarian to rule out other things though this seems the most likely. Tha main thing is finding out what is triggering this. Sometimes it is behavioral or due to stress and sometimes it is medical in nature such as due to allergies. I recommend that you have Jackie evaluated by your veterinarian to confirm this and to start management for it which often times involves placing an e-collar to avoid more self-trauma, start therapy for the possible inciting cause like allergies, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. In the meantime, you could consider getting an e-collar to avoid self-trauma while you have her evaluated. Good luck!

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!