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Dog licking paws, fur loss, and jaw wound: Could it be allergies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 7 months old | 17.64 lbs

My dog is a Shih-Tzu crossbreed. He often bites his feet despite having an e-collar on. The fur on his hind legs have stopped growing. And he has a wound on his lower jaw from unknown causes. Please advise.

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1 Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 8th, 2019

Poor guy. These are classic signs of allergic dermatitis: licking/chewing at the feet and redness/irritation of the paws and lower limbs. Sherlock likely has an lallergy to something in the environment or certain ingredients in his food. Often-times it is a process to determine what the underlying cause is, but here is some information on how to get started. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952600 While determining the cause of your pets allergies, it is best to get him on allergy medication to help control his symptoms (licking of the feet). The two most commonly used treatments for dog allergies are Apoquel or Cytopoint. Ask your vet about them to gain more information and develop a regimen that works best for Sherlock. In addition, you should look into a medicated shampoo for topical relief. Duoxo calm shampoo is available online and works really well. I hope that Shelock is able to manage his allergies well soon! Best wishes and take care.

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