Dog licking fur raw, bleeding, warm skin. Vets can't diagnose. What to do?

Question

My dog eats away her fur until she is raw and bleeds, her skin is warm and I don’t know what to do she has been to the doctors a couple times but nothing has helped. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | 10 lbs

Angel Alvarado, LVT · Accepted Answer

Place an e-collar (cone) on Angel to prevent further licking or chewing. Rule out fleas by treating with a monthly preventative for at least 3 consecutive months. Vacuum the house and wash all bedding. Use an area treat such as Indorex or Knockout ES. Once fleas have been ruled out, consider other parasites, such as mites. Your veterinarian may need to perform skin scrapes to diagnose mites. Infection (bacterial or fungal) should also be ruled out. This may require submitting samples for cultures. If all is negative and conservative treatment (steroids, antihistamines, antibiotics) are ineffective, a consult with a veterinary dermatologist would be recommended. Discuss allergy testing, hydrolyzed diets and food elimination trials with the vet. Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose, but once you pin them down, management becomes quite easy.

Dog licking fur raw, bleeding, warm skin. Vets can't diagnose. What to do?

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