licking paws

[Maria2007]

My 3 1/2 yr old pug licks his paws a lot. He doesn't seem to be in any pain and I do not see any redness. Is there anything I can soak his paws in so he can get relief. Some type of home remedy?

[tiffers]

It may be an allergy.

[NewfieGrl]

I agree with Tiffers. It's possible that he stepped in something that irritated his paws, but in most cases paw licking has more to do with allergies, food more than environmental.
Michele
owned by 2 Newfies, a cocker spaniel and 2 cats
RIP Bootsie-March ? 1988-April 22, 2007

[m678o]

My dog does this alot!! She never got over it and she's 6 (7 in sep.)! Nothing seemed to help. She's just a nervous dog though. uz u know how some people bite their nails when they get nervous? Yeah, I think that she licks her paws cuz she's nervous.

[tiffers]

You may give him Benadryl. 1 mg/lb.

[dlramay]

my dog does the same thing and i notice she does it before she goes to sleep my mom thinks it relaxs her, but a friend of mine has the same problem with her dog and she took the dog to the vet for a check up and ask the vet about her licking the paws and the vet said that the dog is bored.

[Macawpower58]

I wander what food the dogs whom are licking are eating. It is known that food allergies (grains especially) often cause paw licking, sometimes accompanied by chronic ear infections. If you try a grain free dog food (you won't find in grocery store), you might be surprised at the results.

[NewfieGrl]

I tend to agree with Becky with regard to the most likely cause being food allergies.
Look on the ingeredient list of your bag of food. If you see corn, wheat, soy, gluten, anything with flour, then most likely one of these is the culprit. These ingredients are also known to cause stress on the kidneys.
Benedryl tends to work more effectively for environmental allergies but most of the time will not touch food allergies.
I went through paw chewing, itching and ear digging (chronic ear infections) for years with my cocker spaniel before I knew anything about allergies.
When switching to a better quality food don't be scared off by price. It will most likely cost less in the long run as you will feed less so a bag will go further. Long term cost savings can be huge, especially when we see all the pets out there with kidney problems.
Also note that it can sometimes take up to 6 weeks, after a switch, for the itching, scratching, etc. to go away, especially with a dog who has more severe allergies.
Good luck.
Michele
owned by 2 Newfies, a cocker spaniel and 2 cats
RIP Bootsie-March ? 1988-April 22, 2007

[cristian]

You should try to find out what the problem is because the licking may lead to lick granuloma

[Furlongs]

I do agree with several of the posts, but would suggest managing the symtom until you resolve the underlying issue. Some fish oil might help give his skin alittle more condition to help deal with the situation.

If the licking does get too be too tough on him or you then a hydrocortisone spray would help with some peace:

http://furlongspetsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=297

[KGLCharm]

Paw licking, allergies....My 6 yr old lab has been licking her paws (top side) and legs off and on for a couple of years. She's on an expensive grain-free food. Is given glucosamine and fish oil daily. Have seen 2 vets. The last one said everyone says allergies when they don't know what causes something. And the first allergy that comes to mind is food - because it's the one thing we can control. But it could be an allergy to anything. I wonder if it's arthritis and her legs are aching, and therefore she's licking. She doesn't seem to be in discomfort, though she does favour one front paw that seems slightly pinker between 2 toes than the other.
A food change is not a bad place to start, but don't count on it being the end all be all. It might be behaviour, and distraction, or more exercise might work.
Good luck!

[tnec]

yep Good luck!

[Molly]

I also have a dog that does this a lot - more so at bedtime. I have a chihuahua and they are very nervous dogs. I notice it more when her nails are starting to grow and she not only licks the heck out of them, but tends to start biting them down, even if they aren't that long. I keep an eye on them. She doesn't seem to lick the back paws, only her front ones. Strange, but in my case, I'm pretty sure it's not allergies but like the one vet said, boredom.

Good luck!

Molly

[mmizuno94]

One of my dog does the same thing. Esp right before bedtime or when she's just laying down relaxing she'll lick her paws and sometimes even chew on her nails if they're starting to get long. I've been told it could be allergies too but I don't think it's too food. We've tried several different foods (canidae, nutro, natures variety, Innova Evo) and these aren't cheap foods but she's always licked her paws no matter what. I believe she may have some sort of allergies but I don't think it's to the food. Probably more enviornment. It could also be boredom too.

[tiffers]

We've tried several different foods (canidae, nutro, natures variety, Innova Evo) and these aren't cheap foods but she's always licked her paws no matter what.

Just because you're trying different food, doesn't mean it's not too food. It's not an allergy to the food, it's an allergy towards the ingredients.