ArcaMax

Dogs lick for many reasons, and you are right that anxiety and boredom can be the culprit, so introduce more toys and daily walks into his schedule.

Also, take Buddy to the veterinarian for a skin exam. Once a dog's skin is "angry pink" and "raw," there is a chance for a secondary infection in addition to the itchy discomfort. Your vet can prescribe oral medications and a skin topical to make Buddy feel better.

After the skin heals, you can spray Bitter Apple (available at pet stores and online) on the area that your dog keeps licking as a preventative. Your vet may also recommend a change in diet since food allergies can cause itchy skin too. There are a lot of reduced ingredient dog foods for dogs with food allergies available at major pet stores. Introduce new foods slowly to avoid stomach upset.

Dear Cathy,

You mentioned the dangers of using Teflon pans with a bird in the home. Another thing to keep in mind, if you have a bird, is that self-cleaning ovens emit fumes the same as Teflon pans, and birds should be removed from the area. -- Cynthia, Long Island, NY

Dear Cynthia,

Thanks for the additional tip. Here's one more: birds also are very susceptible to paint fumes, so look for no to low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints when painting the home to reduce their exposure to dangerous fumes.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)

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