My dog won't eat, has fever, itching, and red lips. Allergies?

Question

My 1 yr old pit bull mix has recently not been eating very well, and last night seemed to have gained a fever. He’s been itching his paws and back legs like crazy. He’s lips are also red, and raw. Does he have food allergies, or is something really wrong? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered | 1 year old | 40 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 his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This should not be causing him to not eat well as you describe so I am suspicious that there is something else going on like a gastrointestinal condition which may be affecting his appetite. Your veterinarian would be able to check on this. 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!

My dog won't eat, has fever, itching, and red lips. Allergies?

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