My dog keeps licking his paw. How to relieve his pain at home?

Poor Austin! He could have an infection there, he may have been injured, there could be a foreign body, or he could have allergies. Ultimately he will need to see a vet for it, as he sounds pretty uncomfortable, so I'd take him into the vet in the morning. Tonight, you can try an Epsom salt bath for his paw to see if that helps temporarily. I'd also put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking it more. You can make one at home, and I will put a link below on how to do it. Best of luck. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

If BoDeen is only licking one paw then he may have something between his toes that is causing a problem. I will usually recommend soaking the foot in Epsom Salts (following the instructions on the box for making it up) for 5 minutes then just drying it well. That can be repeated twice daily. You should also try to figure out a way to prevent him from licking at the foot and to protect it. I like a light boot like TheraPaw Boot ( https://www.therapaw.com/therapawboot ), but you may also be able to find something at a local pet store that would work. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for posting your question regarding Cody. The pictures are definitely helpful in getting the full picture of what is going on. There is hair loss and the skin is inflamed and reddened in the pictures. If he is biting / licking at his feet and they look like this, he may be dealing with allergies. Does Cody come into contact with grass? If he does, he may have a contact allergy with the type of grass that is growing this time of year. Epsom salt soaks probably won't help a huge amount but they also won't hurt. The soaks may provide some relief while the feet are soaking. The primary problem probably won't be addressed with epsom salt soaks alone. I would suggest administering Benadryl over the counter. You can give 1mg per pound of body weight, so Cody's dose would be approximately 50mg every 12 hours if he is indeed 50lb. There are multiple causes of allergies but if it is isolate to the feet, I think a contact allergen leading to the above mentioned symptoms. Your veterinarian will be able to send you home with better products to relieve the symptoms further such as sprays and oral medications if the benadryl is not working. There are specific anti-itch drugs available now and injections that are quite safe to use. I would also suggest natural supplements such as Omega 3 fish oil (Welactin for canines), Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent is another great natural oil product and a shampoo such as Duoxo PS to bathe Cody twice weekly until the symptoms are gone. Hope this answers your question and if you have any other concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me for further help.

Poor Maxx. Allergies are no fun, you can try a few at home remedies, but if he doesn't get relief he honestly may need a veterinary visit. Antihistamines can be hit or miss in dogs but you can certainly try Benadryl twice daily if it gives him some relief. You can also soak his feet in lukewarm Epsom salt solution once or twice daily. Malaseb shampoo may help if there is any yeast or bacterial infection component to his itching. When using the medicated shampoos I typically recommend lathering them up, especially affected areas and allowed to soak for up to 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing. If you have a crate or someplace Maxx can hang out while sudsy that helps. And for dogs that will not leave their feet alone I strongly recommend getting an E collar. Sometimes you have to break the cycle of the scratching and licking before seeing any improvement. If there are open sores or very raw areas I would recommend trying to do a veterinary visit as that indicates secondary infection and will likely need systemic treatment as well. I hope Max gets some relief soon thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Luca! I actually recommend to use an Elizabethan collar instead of a sock. The sock will hold in moisture and it will make the area more humid which will encourage more bacterial or yeast growth then allowing it to air out. Keeping these lesions open to the air is much better. Have Luca wear the collar anytime he is not being directly supervised. Wash the paw daily with an antibacterial soap and rinse. You can continue the Epson salt soak every other day (rinse well afterwards). After it is dry, you can apply the spray. Make sure to keep his feet clean and dry. Until he is checked out by the vet on Monday, keep the trauma to the paw minimal so no running, jumping and keep his walks minimum and avoid abrasive surfaces such as overly dry grass and rocks. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Kiba! This licking can be due to an injury, infection, or allergies. The only way to know for sure is how have him seen by a vet, and I do recommend taking him in tomorrow if possible. I would put an Ecollar on him tonight to keep him from licking it, and I will put a link below on how to make one at home. You can also try to soaking his foot in an Epsom salt bath to give him some temporary relief. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

You can try and bathe his foot in very warm epsom salt solution for ten minutes at a time three times daily, as it may help for a foreign body to come out, if there is one in the paw. You need to check between the toes and pads for a thorn, stone, or any injury. If you can, palpate the toes to check for pain, which would signal either a sprain or fracture. This could also be caused by a snake bite or bite of another animal and now it may be infected. This is about all you can do until you get an appointment with a veterinarian (any vet!). You will need to get help to get him outside and into the car. If this is so bad that your dog is falling, then he should be seen right away by a vet.