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My dog licks his belly and paws with bumps. Is it allergies?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | unneutered | 70 lbs

My dog has constantly been licking and biting his belly. He seems to have some type of pimples or small bumps on it as well. Doesn't seem painful if I touch it lightly. He started with licking and chewing his paws but now its just the stomach. But he will do it for like 10 minutes unless I stop him.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Mirissa Duncil, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 22nd, 2017

Hi there.

What you are describing is suspicious of allergies. While I always recommend that my clients get a skin scrape first to make sure there are no mites, etc, if this is negative we begin the journey to diagnosing the possible allergens.

Many dogs have flea allergies. If your pet is up to date on a good flea preventative, this is not as likely.

Commonly, dogs can develop food allergies over time as well. The worst part of checking for this is that a true food trial (a new specialized diet) has to be the ONLY thing you feed and can take a few months to see real resorts.

Allergy medications are available now through your veterinarian's office. Depending on what they see on physical exam, your pet might be. Candidate for Apoquel or chtopoint injections to control itching.

I hope this information helps!

4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on October 19th, 2019
Licking or scratching that much is a sign of very itchy skin. There are many reasons including fleas, skin mites, allergies, infections or endocrine disease. I recommend to have Zastar examined by the veterinarian to look for infection and parasites. You can also start him on a flea prevention. Two of the best are Simparica and Nexgard. You can also feed him a diet called Royal Canin which is very good for the skin and start an additional supplement like an omega 3 fatty acid for pets.
I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on May 19th, 2017
This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be infection or mites.  First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation.   If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy.   Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Food allergy can cause gastrointestinal upset as well (burping and stomach noises).
Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics).
Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Chad Brown, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 28th, 2018
Hello and thank you very much for reaching out to our service.

The most common clinical symptoms of a dog who is allergic to their food have elements of gastrointestinal and dermatologic. So the gastrointestinal signs will be soft store or diarrhea off and on. The dermatologic symptoms of food allergies are licking chewing at paws, chronic ear infections, and chewing or rubbing its rear end.

If your dog is displaying any of the symptoms, I urge you to take him to the veterinarian as soon as possible for them to start a 8-10 week hypoallergenic dietary trial.

I hope this information has helped you. Have a great day.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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