Top 3 Reasons Why Dogs Chew and Bite their Leg
Leg biting and chewing can be a worrisome behavior especially if it was something your dog developed quite suddenly. Here are the most common reasons for dogs that chew and bite their legs in a compulsive way.
1. Your dog has an allergy
The biting behavior might be a result of an allergic reaction. Dogs can suffer allergic reactions on their legs for a number of reasons, including insect bites and topical exposure to chemical irritants. Observe the area of the leg where your dog bites and check for any allergic signs of symptoms. The leg area, for example, may have red bumps or it could also have bare spots due to the excessive biting and chewing.
2. Your Dog has a skin infection
Infections may also develop on the dog’s leg. The dog may have an open wound that led to the development of skin infection. Much like allergic reactions, these infections can be quite discomforting and painful for a dog. Your dog might think that the only way to get rid of the discomfort is to bite and chew at the infected area. It’s important to check with the vet if you suspect the biting is caused by any of the above reasons.
3. Your dog has behavioral issues
Your dog might also be biting his leg due to psychological issues. The dog, for example, could be bored to the point when they start to chew certain areas of the body until it gets raw and sore. This is common among dogs that are left alone for an extended period of time. Making sure that your dog, especially high-energy breeds, gets plenty of mental and physical exercise could be one way to reduce this unwanted biting behavior.
How to stop a dog from chewing his legs
Make sure there are no underlying health issues. Go to the vet if necessary. It can become an even bigger health problem if the raw leg gets exposed to additional infections. Dogs are prone to allergies. You need to make sure there is nothing that you are feeding that’s causing food allergies in your dog.
Next, make sure your dog has plenty of play time and toys to engage with. Healthy dogs are unlikely to engage in compulsive behaviors if they are getting plenty of engagement with their family members.
My dog won’t stop biting the heels of other dogs! He is quite a large dog (80 pounds) and shouldn’t be scared of other dogs.
He plays with other dogs and does great until they play chase. He focuses on the legs and starts biting them.
I have a 7 months old dog that has developed a strange behavior recently. He first starts with drinking water then out of no where starts to bite his leg and tail. He will also bark at his back legs. Almost as if the legs were bothering him.
We have a dog that keeps chewing a certain spot in his leg. He chews until the spot starts bleeding! He did have fleas a while back but is now clean. We’ve had him on medication and gave him proper flea baths.
Please help if you’ve had similar experiences. What else aside from flea infestations can cause a dog to chew until his leg starts bleeding?
A dog i occasionally sit for chews at his leg until it is raw what can be done? Is a dressing with iodine helpful?