Why is my dog scratching so much her skin is bleeding and raw?

Question

My pug dog won’t stop scratching to the point that her coat is falling off and bits of blood are coming out. She doesn’t have fleas and we have been treating her for allergies as well as giving her vitamins to ensure she is getting the nutrients she needs. However the itching won’t go away and it seems to be getting worse . She doesn’t seem contagious since our other dog seems perfectly fine. Our vet is asking for a lot of money that we don’t currently have, please help I am at a loss. Pet's info: Dog | Pug | Female | unspayed | 4 years old | 18 lbs

Ricardo Fernandez, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This wound looks severe enough that shaving and appropriate local cleaning is indicated as well as most likely starting antibiotics. You could use an e-collar to try to prevent further self-trauma though this is not going to help longterm if the allergic issue is not addressed. 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 is my dog scratching so much her skin is bleeding and raw?

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