My dog is itching, biting paws, and has red skin. Is it allergies?

Question

The dog I foster seems to itch, bite her paws and bite at other parts of her body sometimes. I can’t narrow it down to a certain event or food as it seems like it’s all the time. Some days I see this redness under her fur. Last time I had her bathed was 4 weeks ago. What testing is needed and will a vet be able to tell me the cause in one visit? Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 41 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. Story has allergies, more than likely a combination of inhalant allergies called atopy & contact allergies to environmental irritants such as grasses, pollen, dust mite, etc. The gold standard to identify allergies is a dermal test conducted by a dermatologist. There is also testing that can be done through blood & saliva, but the skin test is best. Once the allergens are identified, then a desensitization program is developed to retrain the immune system not to react to the allergens. Another option is just to treat her symptomatically using the newest drugs designed just to treat allergies. Ask your vet about Apoquel or Cytopoint, both can keep Story very, very comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog is itching, biting paws, and has red skin. Is it allergies?

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