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My dog is licking paws and chest with a rash. Benadryl isn't working.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 6 years old | 15 lbs

Hello. Our dog has been licking her chest and paws a lot. I believe it's allergies. We have given her benadryl for a few days but her rash is still there and she is still licking it. Could you recommend some treatments for this? I would appreciate it. She is a Morkie and 5 years old.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 7th, 2017

Allergies are certainly suspected since Molly has been licking at her paws and chest. The most common underlying causes of allergies are related to fleas, food or the environment. When dogs lick or scratch excessively, they can cause skin infections to develop, which are also itchy and create a vicious cycle. The appearance of Molly's red and crusty skin lesions are suspicious for the presence of a skin infection, which require oral antibiotics for treatment. Make sure that she is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Nexgard, Bravecto or Advantix) regularly and take her to the vet for an exam. The vet will be able to prescribe any necessary medications (likely antibiotics and anti-itch medications) to help. You can also try giving her baths in a gentle oatmeal based dog shampoo. Until you can take her to the vet, put an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further skin damage from licking. I hope that she is feeling better soon!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Molly! She sounds very uncomfortable. If the Benadryl isn't working, then she needs to see a vet for stronger medications to treat the rash such as steroids. I would take her into the vet first thing in the morning. Tonight, you can give her an oatmeal or Epsom salt bath which may temporarily give her some relief from the itching. I would also put an Ecollar on her to keep Molly from licking at it and making it worse. I will put a link below on how to make one at home: http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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