Why is my dog biting her skin until it bleeds, even without fleas?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 5 months old
My dog is biting her skin until it bleeds. She does not have fleas. I have been putting aloe. What do I do?
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 2nd, 2016
Unfortunately she may have an environmental or food allergy involved here. I would recommend taking her to a vet to get the skin looked at. If it is bleeding chances are she needs a good antibiotic and an strong medicated anti-histamine +/- steroid combination to help control the itch. Then comes the fun part, trying to figure out what she has an allergy to? This can be discussed with your vet in detail based on what things have changed in the home (bedding, shampoo's etc) and possibly even starting her on a food trial to rule out food allergies (I like to use Royal canin hypoallergenic hydrolyzed protein or Hill's Z/D for dogs- prescription foods). Only prescription products have been shown to be consistently effective for treating dogs with food allergies. Some dogs even have dust mite allergies of grass allergies (which are proved with skin allergy testing).
17Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 7th, 2018
Hi there. Poor Bella! Yes, it's very possible that this could be due to allergies - this is usually the most common cause of itching and hair loss that we see, especially this time of year. Because this looks quite severe and seems to involve most of her body, she'll almost certainly need prescription medication from your vet to treat this effectively - so I would recommend taking her in for an exam as soon as you are able to. In the meantime, you can try bathing her in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo if you want to. This won't treat the underlying problem, but it may soothe her skin and help relieve the itching a bit until you're able to see the vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 2nd, 2019
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an 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, 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). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 1st, 2018
This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Fortune with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get her to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on November 25th, 2017
Poor Oreo sounds very itchy! This itching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If she isn't up to date on her flea treatment, she will need a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. You can also give her Capstar, which is a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes and is safe to give with a spot on treatment. You will need to disinfect the environment as well. If she is up to date on her flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam Monday. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. Good luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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