Why does my dog bite his legs so much it causes open wounds?

Question

i have a 8 yr old toy poodle he has been biting at his legs so much he has ripped thru his skins opening a wound i dont know why this is happening. Pet's info: Dog | Toy Poodle | Male | neutered | 9 years old | 70 lbs

Ricardo Fernandez, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It is important to not only treat the allergies but also the secondary infections that are also likely going on. The first thing you should know is that you are not alone. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!

Why does my dog bite his legs so much it causes open wounds?

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