feet problems

Question
My dog always sems to have a skin condition flair up in the summer months. Ive had her to the vets numerous times but they are unable to tell me what it is. She gets a red rash, odd puss spots and and has her skin red raw and patch with scratching. I know this could be attributed to many things but am so far at a loss as to how to help her or even ease the itching. She always chews at her paws, not just a nibble but a rough gnawing and I didnt know whether this is the same problem or something unrelated. Last night she chewed the whole pad off one of her feet, a deep wad of skin from the whole of her pad and is now having great trouble walikng. She has taken it this far once before, again the vets being unable to tell me what is going on. Any help or advice would be great as she is obviously in a great deal of discomfort. Thanks

Answer
This is most likely a seasonal allergy called atopic dermatitis.  Often a short course of cortisone is given to the dog to decrease the itching and inflammation.   You need to find a vet that treats a lot of skin conditions to give your dog some relief.  Allergic dogs chew and lick their paws until they bleed.  Sometimes because of all of this trauma the paws also get infected with yeasts or bacterial infections.