My dog (fox terrier) also gets grazes/red patches on the inside of her knees and undercarriage (where the fur is thin) at this time of year - the vet gave me some steroid cream to clear it up but didn't really know what it was caused by. I wasn't keen on the cream as I had to wear gloves to put it on and she licked it off almost straight away! I think that she is allergic to certain grasses or they graze her as she runs through them - someone recommended Camrosa ointment which they use on their dog and my sister uses Anthisan on her dogs. I've tried both and they seem to help.
My dog is also definitely allergic to some pollens and gets gunk in her eyes from time to time which I bathe with salt water (again vet didn't know what it was and gave me some eye drops which didn't clear it up - £££ later...)
Whenever we see the vet (which seems to be quite often at times!) she always weighs and checks Molly over which is good but I suspect she feels she has to justify the £35 which they seem to charge just for walking through the door... I have found the advice from other dog owners tends to be spot on!
