My dog bites her paws and legs raw. Is it allergies or boredom?

Question

Yuki is about 8 month. She is a white Pomeranian mix thinking mix with Chihuahua. I feed her Blue food. Yuki bits herself all the time. People always ask me if I shave her legs. Her paws, legs, and arms are red from all the bitting. Took her to two different vets one said she was just bored so she does that and another said she might be allergic to chicken? Wanted to know what you think might be the cause? She also fleas or anything. She's been checked for that

Debi Matlack · Accepted Answer

This sounds like a food allergy to me, though fleas are a constant threat and she should be on a good quality flea prevention from your vet. Food allergies in dogs are almost always due to a sensitivity to the protein source. I suggest a food trial. Get a food that has a protein source your dog has never been exposed to, such as venison or duck. Ask you vet about limited protein foods they recommend. Also, treat your house and yard for fleas, just to make sure this isn't a problem. Fleas are opportunistic and will hitch a ride indoors on your pant leg. Behavioral chewing is much less common, but in order to curb that possibility, make sure Yuki gets plenty of playtime and exercise, to tire her physically and mentally. Poms are smart little things and behavior problems often stem from very intelligent dogs not having enough to keep them busy, they need a 'job'. Teach her obedience, get her involved in agility, take her for walks, runs, arrange playdates with other dogs, take her with you wherever you can, teach her tricks, play fetch, anything and everything you can to tire her body and keep her mind busy. Consider getting her a slow feeder or puzzle feeder to make her 'hunt' for her food, and thereby keep her mind occupied and stimulated. The best toy I've found for dogs that need something to do is a Kong toy. They are great for chewing, they bounce randomly so some dogs learn how to amuse themselves with it, and it has a hollow place you can stuff with peanut butter or some other treat to keep her quiet and occupied and not chewing on herself. Hopefully some combination of these will help distract her from chewing herself.

My dog bites her paws and legs raw. Is it allergies or boredom?

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