My 5yr old female doberman keeps knawing at her nails and skin till she bleeds.?

she has numerous abrasions we have cleaned them and have been advised to use a cream too but she just wont leave them heal.It started with her nails now most part of her legs and her upper back legs. Any one know why or what makes her do this please.thankyou.My 5yr old female doberman keeps knawing at her nails and skin till she bleeds.?
I believe it could be allergies, but when you talk about the back legs also, it could just be boredom. Dobes are very high energy and intelligent dogs. Have you ever heard of flank sucking? This is when they bite or suck on their flanks and can become a very serious habit. I would try some behavior modifications when you catch her in the act, such as giving her a new toy and playing with her, taking her for a walk or some type of excersize such as playing ball, and also try useing some over the counter products such as bitter apple or bitter lime on the area or around the area if it is severley inflamed. Talk to your vet. If it is allergies, you can learn to give allergy shot right at home. Also, allergys can be a seasonal thing depending where you live. Good luck and also try to help any unwanted behavior, also.Have hadMy 5yr old female doberman keeps knawing at her nails and skin till she bleeds.?
It is caused by a combination of dry skin (yes dogs can have it) and fleas or small lice. You can go to your local vet and have them give you a specific lotion for her dry skin. My dog had this same problem about 1-2 years ago and her skin is just now starting to heal properly and grow hair back. It is definitely better to take care of this problem as soon as possible. I hope she gets better soon.
It can be allergies or they can be ';lick granuloma.'; Have you been to see the vet? I had a Doberman, and for him it was allergies. When we lived in NJ, he chewed his paws obsessively. We had to keep him on benadryl 4 times a day. When we moved to AZ, he stopped!





Talk with your vet, but it could be not enough exercise combined with something else. Most Dobermans need 2-4 hours of exercise per day, in my own experience.





Good luck!
I'm assuming that you have ruled out fleas or some other skin abnormality. If that is the case, unfortunately it sounds like allergies. My Golden-Border mix has allergies also. Typical signs are biting and licking feet and creating 'hot spots' by biting, licking and itching the same areas until they bleed. There are several schools of thought on treating allergies and I do not pretend to be even close to an expert on them. I have had past success with a Sulfa-based shampoo (although I can't find it in the stores any more), and am currently using an antifungal mixed with an oatmeal based conditioning shampoo. Of course you could test her for what she specifically reacts to and put her on shots to desensitize her like they do people, but it is quite costly. The naturalists suggest as natural and well balanced a diet as possible to feed her immune system so her own body can fight the allergen. My vet has recommended benedril for the worst of the season and or more powerful steroids if necessary. I have nixed the use of steroids because the side effects can be so devastating. These are some possible suggestions, but if your Dobby is suffering from allergies, there is no cure that I have ever heard of. It's a battle every season. Sorry!!!!





I might add that for getting the abrasions healed, I have had some success with the following:


(I have to shave the spot, you probably won't have to.) I clean it with alcohol on a cotton ball and then apply 3 way anitbacterial ointment. If you don't have an elizabethian collar, you should probably invest in one. I try to keep the area moistened with either bacterial or micaderm ointment (usually both) while it heals to keep the itch factor in check. I use the fungicides due to the fact that the area stays so damp for such extended periods of time from all the saliva.
allergy......take her to the vet to have her tested...