My dog is chewing herself raw... why?

Question

My dog is chewing herself raw. She is not old, and has no health conditions, and we've had her for a long while so I don't think it's because she is nervous. We haven't changed her diet, or her schedule. Nothing has been changed, but she has just suddenly started chewing on her front right paw just below the knee to the point that she is biting off the skin and bleeding.

Help is much appreciated!

Answer 1

Your dog could have an allergy. Have you checked her for fleas? I found out my Bichon is HIGHLY allergic to fleas, he chewed his hind leg so raw it was bloody. Call your vet and have your dog checked out, if it is fleas that is usually easily fixed with advantix or some other topical treatment. But you might need to get an ointment for the sores. I would definitely call your vet though.

Answer 2

Try changing the diet omitting grain, dairy food, beef and it's derivatives as this can cause problems. People in the dog world now consider that the above foods should be off the menu. If you do change introduce the new food gradually over about ten days. I use a food which is fish based and your dogs problem could be a digestion problem. Look at "Fish4dogs on the Internet. Also try more exercise and training to exercise her mind.

The chewing could have become a habit or a way of seeking attention. Next time she starts chewing ignore this, don't speak then walk out of the room and bang the dog closed behind you. Do this every time she chews for the next two days, this will establish if it is a habit or a way of seeking attention.

You could also try sticking an elastoplast on her other leg, please ensure that this is not tight. This will distract her because she will try to get this off and it will take her mind off the bad leg.

She may also like one of those balls which you can fill with dog food, it takes a while to get the food out and this will excercise her mind and keep her busy.

Have you considered the possibility of worms, flees or blocked anal glands.

Answer 3

If she is gnawing at just one spot on her leg, she could've been bitten or stung by something, like a spider, mosquito, or bee/wasp. You can wipe down the area with some hydrogen peroxide (it won't sting like rubbing alcohol) and wrap it with a clean bandage if you have one, if not put a long sock over it and tie it off loosely around the top (don't cut off the circulation). If you have it, tea tree oil is a very good natural antiseptic and itch reliever that is safe to use on dogs. Keep the wound clean, and if she doesn't stop itching it soon, you may need to take her to the vet to make sure she doesn't develop a skin infection secondary to the wound.

My dog is allergic to fleas, and even though we put Advantix on her every 3 weeks, she still gets bites occasionally that swell up and scab over and bleed, so when her itching gets bad we give her a Benadryl tablet to help with the itching... you can give 1mg per pound of body weight on a dog.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I'm going to tell you this in all seriousness. We had our Shih Tzu for a year and he was a lovable little guy. Then for 9 years we watched as he chewed himself, licked himself and drove himself completely crazy trying to rip his fur and skin off. I tried EVERYTHING imaginable to help him. There is nothing you can mention that I didn't try. We were at the point of putting him to sleep because he had gone insane from chewing himself. (And yes we took him to Vets). I finally found something on the Internet. I figured I would give it a try....what were my alternatives but to put the dog out of its misery. It is a food supplement we add to his dog food. In two weeks....9 years of chewing have stopped. He is playing and is the happiest dog alive. PLEASE...read about this product at www.dinovite.com This is not an ad, I do not sell this stuff, but I can tell you that it works and the reason dogs chew is explained on the site and makes a whole lot of sense. Seriously...just go to the site and read. It has helped us keep our dog around and WE aren't going crazy anymore.

Answer 5

Could be any number of reasons this is happening. impacted anal glands, flea allergy, yeast infection, food allergy, worms, pollen or seed allergy, mange and the list goes on. Often it is a flea bite that causes itching and a sore, the other more common reason is a wheat or gluten intolerance. I am not sure where you live but if you are in the UK change the food to salmon and potato in case they is an intolerance to wheat and rice. See a Vet and get them to check for mange and anal glands and the general health of the dog. Do not leave it too long the earlier you get it treated the easier it is to clear.

Answer 6

After you check with the vet.....up the exercise. In fact, you can do this tonight before you go to the vets. Most dogs I see with this condition (that are cleared from the vets as healthy otherwise) are simply developing anxiety due to excess energy. Lots of activity, walking, fetch, ANYTHING to take that energy level down. Challenge your dog's mind with a game of hide and seek with her favorite treats. If nothing in your environment has changed, it may just be that she is simply BORED...give it a try. Good luck.

Answer 7

This can be caused by several things. The best thing to do is let a vet diagnose it because if you treat it for something and thats not it then you have wasted your money and the dog suffers longer. Trust me, don't nickel and dime yourself to death. If she hasn't had a check-up in a while it probably wouldn't hurt anyway. I hope she gets better.

Answer 8

mmmm. could be allergies. If thats the only spot, could be something like an itchy spider bite. If she's biting off the skin, I would just go to the vet so they can clean it up and maybe tell you whats up.

Answer 9

Pls. take to vet.
Some dogs develope anxiety disorders for no known causes, others it's an allergen,.. vet may have some insight visually as to why or take a scraping.
Gd. Luck.

Answer 10

Something you need a vet to diagnose but it could be:
-sting or bite (wasp, etc)
-foreign object embedded in the leg (piece of glass, staple, pin, etc)
-bugs (fleas, a tick, etc)
-allergies (food allergies can develop later in life)
-boredom (and chewing her leg gives her something to do)
-infection or disease (chewing relieves the pain or itch)