My French Bulldog is licking his paw raw. What could be the cause?

Dogs over-lick for a few different reasons, so it's difficult to say what's causing it. Bobby may be over-licking the area because it's sore from an injury, has something like a thorn is stuck under the skin, or is infected. I think it will be fine to try and treat this at home for now (even though we don't know the cause), but would recommend a visit to the vet if: 1) It doesn't get better in 2 weeks 2) It starts to bleed or there is a break in the skin Here are my recommendations: 1) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least twice a day. 2) Ice the foot for 15 minutes once a day. 3) Tape a sock over the foot to prevent licking. You can also get some anti-lick sprays at the pet store to spray on the paw. Once the skin looks normal and/or Bobby stops trying to lick, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Bobby gets better soon.

It is true that Bulldogs are prone to allergies, but they can be treated with medication like Apoquel or Cytopoint. I'd have him seen by a vet to discuss using one of those medications for him. I hope this helps!

That could be a ruptured abscess or interdigital cyst. Either is common in bulldogs and may have an allergic component. place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further licking. Ideally, Dexter should be examined by your veterinarian when you can for confirmation and treatment. He may need antibiotics and the paw is likely painful. Medication can be dispensed for relief if indicated.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Elvis. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian today as his skin appears uncomfortable. He could be experiencing a skin infection secondary to allergies, fleas, or a problem due to ringworm or mites. His veterinarian will examine him and may recommend skin tests. From there, medications can be prescribed to help him feel better. In the meantime, you can bathe him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe his skin. I hope this information helps!

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 medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

 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!

Hello, and thank you for your question. Possible causes of Frankie's lip issue include a bacterial infection, fungal infection, parasites such as mites, or underlying allergies. Frenchies have deep skin folds on the face, which makes them predisposed to these types of skin issues. The location of the lesion makes it difficult to treat topically, so I would recommend taking Frankie to the vet to be assessed. They may recommend a skin scraping or cytology to rule out some of the above possibilities. At minimum, they can prescribe antibiotics if an infection is suspected, and anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce the redness and itchiness. A hypoallergenic diet trial may also be recommended. In the meantime, you can try gently cleansing the area with a wet puppy wipe. Try to keep him from rubbing or scratching at the face - an e-collar (cone) may be needed for this purpose. I hope this helps, and that Frankie feels better soon!

Ouch! That does look like a bit of a sore spot. If you have an appointment already scheduled, I would just place an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Bentley to prevent him from continuing to lick the food as licking it can make the spot worse and introduce bacteria/cause an infection in an already inflamed wound. Keeping the sore spot clean and dry with the use of a washcloth is also a good idea until your appointment. If you do see any rapid changes in size, it starts oozing debris badly, or it is painful enough that Bentley can't walk on it, then trying to get in for an appointment sooner is best.