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Hi all. We have a sweetie named Kodi who has been a great dog for the past 8 years. Lately he has taken to chewing the tops of his back feet quite badly, sometimes to the point of bleeding. He also scratches more often since we moved to Florida about 4 years ago. The vet has not been much help. We feed him Science Diet Sensitive Skin which I suppose helps, it's hard to tell. Any advice? Thanks...

>>Hi all. We have a sweetie named Kodi who has been a great dog for the past 8 years. Lately he has taken to chewing the tops of his back feet quite badly, sometimes to the point of bleeding. He also scratches more often since we moved to Florida about 4 years ago. The vet has not been much help. We feed him Science Diet Sensitive Skin which I suppose helps, it's hard to tell. Any advice? Thanks...
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Ask your vet for a referral to a veterinary dermatology specialist. I'll bet you that kind of doc can truly help your dog. I doubt that is the best food for the situation, and also behaviorally I'd try getting him to switch the mouthing to toys, possibly feeding his meals in the toys for awhile.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

I'll bet you that there is at least one corn product in that sensitive skin formula. Maybe some by-products? Animal fat? They added fatty acids for that formulation, but I don't think they took out all the bad stuff that is typically found in SD foods.

I would find a different food. No corn, no sorghum, no by-products. Paw chewing occurs frequently with food containing corn.