My dog keeps chewing and licking his paws. Why is he doing this?

I'm sorry to hear that Mister has been chewing on his feet. Dogs can chew on their feet for a variety of reasons, including allergies (food or something he is walking in), a skin infection (bacterial or fungal), skin mites, or anxiety (similar to a person who bites their nails when stressed). I would recommend Mister be seen by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his chewing behavior, have any necessary diagnostics done (allergy testing, skin scrapes, etc) and get started on a treatment plan to hopefully help resolve the issue.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Gizmo may be chewing his paws from anxiety / stress, allergies or pain. I would recommend bathing him with a sha.poo such as Duoxo PS calm shampoo and bathe twice weekly. I would also recommend malacetic conditioning spray, welactin omega 3 fish oil and essential 6 spot on by dermoscent. If this is allergy related, benadryl is an option that can also be used in cases like this. The typical recommended dose is 1mg per 1lb of body weight every 12 hours. If there is no improvement, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at gizmo to help determine what else could be the cause. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Hello. It does sound like possible allergies, which can start at any age, most commonly around 1-2 years of age. But we can see the presence of mange mites & nail bed infections too. To rule these out, you will need to see your veterinarian who can perform some skin scapes around the base of the nails & look under the microscope for the presence of mange mites. Oce the source of the irritation is found, the proper treatment can be started to stop the chewing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

When dogs itch and chew excessively on their feet it is usually due to an allergy. The allergy can be to something in their food (usually the protein) or they can have environmental allergies to things like grasses and pollens. These dogs usually benefit from a special diet and an anti itch medication like Apoquel or Cytopoint. These medications help block the itch sensation so the dog stops itching. Toby's allergies look pretty severe based on the pictures you loaded. So I would recommend talking to your vet about getting him started on one of the medications mentioned above to help give him some relief.

Biting or chewing of the feet can be a sign of allergies, or infection of the nail beds or other nail bed disease. I would recommend bringing her in to your vet for an examination. She may need medicated wipes or oral medications to help decrease the irritation and biting.

When dogs chew at their feet excessively it is usually due to allergies. The allergy is typically to something in the environment but could be due to an ingredient in the food. If infection is present, the Rexxy may need antibiotics. He would also benefit from an anti-itch medication such as Atopica, Apoquel, or Cytopoint. Your veterinarian can help determine which of these treatments will work best for Rexxy. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.