My dog has a skin condition or allergy that is causing him to scratch and nibble at himself quite often. I know it's normal for a dog to occasionally scratch himself or lick certain areas, but his skin around the areas he favors is bright red and I'm worried he could be causing more damage to himself. He's on a daily treatment for his allergy (nothing specific), but the only thing that has alleviated his scratching was when he was prescribed steroids. Neither the vet nor I want to keep him on steroids for any extended period of time, but his daily treatment doesn't seem to be helping.
Is this purely a medical issue or is there a way I can get him to scratch himself less? I am hoping that if he scratches himself less it'll allow his skin to heal and bother him less. I try to call his name or give him a command like sit when I see him start to scratch, but it doesn't seem to be working and of course isn't going to help when I'm not home.