My boy Casper’s face and paws get like this all the time and at first I thought they were hotspots or just the whole “crusty white dog” stereotype but I recently he’s been licking chewing on them much more frequently than usual. I genuinely thought he was bleeding when I was checking why he was chewing so hard a few minutes ago which prompted this video. I would’ve got him checked at the vet for it specifically earlier but they’ve never mentioned it being a concern and when I looked it up it said the main concern is if he is chewing and licking them  a lot and he doesn’t usually lick or itch his paws very often. I assume it’s allergies and  I’m working on trying dog-food that may help in case of allergies but it’s a bit difficult. I flashed Boo’s feet for comparison and she licks around as often as he usually does and she is never red.

I know it’s likely discoloration from the chewing that is likely caused by itchiness from allergies and I should see a vet but I can’t get an appointment for 2 weeks so I’m trying to figure out a temporary solution. I’ve seen a lot of people using cones when their dogs have hot spots and I’m thinking of doing that but I’m not sure

Thanks!

Are these hot spots?