Why is my dog licking herself and biting paws after her heat cycle?

Sometimes dogs will feel uncomfortable during their first cycle. They may be lethargic, have a decreased appetite, and crave attention more than normal. All of this is completely normal. The itchy paws does not really fit with being in heat, and could be caused by fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. You can try a medicated shampoo, like Dechra MalAcetic Ultra Shampoo along with a good flea preventative. If it continues after her heat cycle is over, you should see a vet for diagnosis.

Hi, this is a behaviour that is normal in certain contexts. You need to keep an eye on everything else, if they are eating well, and drinking well and there are no abnormalities in the urine that you can see, I would not worry about it. Hope this helps !

Chiquis likely is suffering from a bacterial dermatitis in this area or possibly a yeast infection. You will need to keep her from licking by placing a cone/e-collar on her. I suggest you make an appointment with your vet for an exam. The vet will likely take a swab and check the material under the microscope to verify that this is indeed a bacterial infection or a fungal (yeast) infection and them prescribe the relevant antibiotic or antifungal medication.

It is normal during a heat cycle for the vulva to become very swollen. She is probably licking constantly to clean off and remove the bloody discharge that is coming out. She is just trying to keep herself clean. They can bleed pretty heavily for part of the heat cycle.

Pit Bull Terriers are notorious for having skin issues/allergies. That is my best guess as to what is going on. She is probably agitated and that is why she is getting snippy with the other dog. Dogs also lick their feet incessantly when they are stressed out and this may be the case with her if you have brought another dog in the house. Dogs that are not spayed will also have hormonal issues that can cause this behavior. If you are not planning on breeding her it would be best to get her spayed. In the meantime you can try treating her for allergy like symptoms and see if it helps: 1. You need to get an E-collar (cone) to stop her from licking. If she doesn't stop licking the feet will never get better no matter what you do. You can buy them at Petco: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-ecollars?ddkey=https%3ASearchDisplay The collar must be long enough to go past the end of her nose or she will still be able to lick. 2. You can give her some Benadryl - one capsule/tablet for every 25 pounds of body weight (example, if she is 75 pounds she would take 3 capsules). You can do this twice a day. Dogs metabolize this drug very quickly which is why they take such a high dose. 3. Bathe her with medicated shampoo. I would do her whole body the first time and then every 3 days I would do just the feet. Follow the instructions on the bottle. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Veterinary-Formula-Clinical-Care-Hot-Spot-and-Itch-Relief-Medicated-Shampoo-for-Dogs-and-Cats-16-fl-oz/24885757 4. On the days you don't bathe her you can spray her feet down with this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/DOUXO-Calm-Micro-Emulsion-Spray-6-8-oz/184782529 If none of this helps. You should take her to your vet for an exam as there may be something else underlying. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

She may be in heat still (up to three weeks after stopping bleeding) or indeed she may have a uterine infection. Nestle will need to be seen by a veterinarian for a hands-on exam. If the vet suspects an infection he will want to verify this with an ultrasound exam or an x-ray. A uterine infection can be life threatening and the best treatment would be surgery to remove it and its purulent content. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian now.

Sometimes the genitalia can experience hyperpigmentation after a heat cycle. Some sort of infection is also possible and a physical exam is needed to tell the difference. I recommend to call your veterinarian who is most familiar with Zoe. They may recommend an exam. Best of luck.