standard poodle rash

Question
Hi
My name is Veronica and I have a beautiful and lovable standard poodle. I have had her since she was a puppy.  She is 7 years old.  She started developing dark skin under her left back leg like a rash almost and she keeps licking it.  I am a little scared.  Have you ever heard about dogs getting rashes like that? can you help?

Answer
Hello Veronica,
I have heard of this and actually its fairly common in dogs.  It can be caused by a number of things such as changes in food, chronic irritation/inflammation to something, medications, fleas, or even allergies to about anything.  You can take her to the Vet to see what might be causing it, but you might want to try giving her a Benedryl tablet in the evenings (because it can make them tired) for a week or so to see if it helps her.  
If you don't see the benedryl starting to help within the next week, let me know and I will check my resources.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions or concerns for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim