My dog keeps licking her arm. Why isn't her allergy medicine working?

Question

My dog has been itching/biting her arm for about a year. We moved into a new house with a yard w/various plants/bushes and rescued a new dog from Mexico, she is white and gets rashes / itches a lot too but not like my dogs arm. Recently went on meds, arm got much better but she is still biting/itching while on the medication. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 6 years and 7 months old | 66 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Dogs often get these hot spots (aka acral lick granulomas) for a few different reasons, but it seems like this may be due to allergies. Harley may be over-licking the area because it's sore, or it has an infection. In fact, these types of lesions tend to develop infections in the skin despite the cause. It could also be somewhat of a habit she developed. I think it's best to consult with your vet about this, because they will know more about her case and can ensure that she gets the necessary treatment. You can also do a few things at home to help treat for infection and keep her from licking too much. Here are my recommendations: 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the sore skin. 2) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least twice a day. 3) Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Harley from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape above and below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep Harley from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the toes/foot starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. These types of lesions tend to take a long time to heal, so don't be surprised if its not completely healed until a month later. Once the skin looks normal and Harley stops trying to lick, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Harley gets better soon.

My dog keeps licking her arm. Why isn't her allergy medicine working?

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