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My dog has been severely licking his groin area for at least 6 months if not more. We have tried everything. We started him on fish oil, switched to grain free dog food, and brought him into the vet 3 times to get allergy shots. The allergy shots work for maybe a week or two, and the fish oil seems to maybe help a tiny bit. The side he keeps licking is now inflamed and feels lumpy. He is very sensitive when we feel it. Please help!

My dog has been severely licking his groin area for at least 6 months if not more. We have tried everything. We started him on fish oil, switched to grain free dog food, and brought him into the vet 3 times to get allergy shots. The allergy shots work for maybe a week or two, and the fish oil seems to maybe help a tiny bit. The side he keeps licking is now inflamed and feels lumpy. He is very sensitive when we feel it. Please help!

Updated On April 19th, 2018

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 8 years and 9 months old | 106 lbs

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

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Thank you for submitting your question regarding Clyde. He skin looks very sore. Poor guy! When I see a patient with ongoing skin disease, I work hard to determine the underlying cause so effective treatment can be determined. I would recommend he has skin scrapes to look for mites and a fungal culture to rule out ringworm. Then I would start him on flea and tick prevention to rule out a flea allergy. Next, I would do bloodwork on him to ensure he does not have evidence of an underlying hormonal disorder contributing to his skin disease. Short of doing a skin biospy, the last thing is to treat for allergies. Food allergies are assessed by a diet trial with a prescription diet. The dog can eat absolutely nothing else during the trial. It is hard to do, but the only way to assess food allergies. Very few dogs are allergic to grains and the ones that are tend to be Irish Setters. So he could still have a food allergy despite your diet change. There are new medications to manage environmental allergies that are very effective with less side effects than steroids. So these could be an option as well. Consider bathing him with a medicated shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner twice per week. I hope this information helps!

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