Why is my dog's paw itching so badly and bleeding? What to do?

Poor Baby! Excessive biting or chewing at the paws, tail, or other parts of the body is most often caused by allergies, but could also be due to other skin problems such as a bacterial or fungal skin infection, fleas, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend taking her to the vet tomorrow for an exam. He/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, if she's making herself bleed, you may need to get an e-collar (plastic cone) for her to wear until you're able to see the vet. This will keep her from continuing to chew on herself and make the skin problem worse.

It sounds like something is really bothering Panda on her paws. You need to take her into your vet to find out why she is doing this. It could be allergies, a foreign body stuck in her paw (like a grass seed or foxtail), mange, or ringworm. For her to chew on her paw so much that it's bloody and red says that it is really bothering her, and she needs to see a vet as soon as possible to get relief. She will likely need antibiotics to treat the paw if there's infection, and an Ecollar to stop her from chewing it. She will need the underlying cause to be treated in order to stop the behavior completely.

Poor pup! If Princess is licking her paws to the point that they are bleeding, this is definitely not normal. The most common cause of excessive licking or chewing of the paws is an allergy problem - either seasonal environmental allergies or food allergies can cause this. Other possibilities would include a bacterial or fungal skin infection in this area, or even skin mites (mange). I would recommend having Princess examined by a vet as soon as you are able to - he/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, I would recommend getting an e-collar (plastic cone) for her to wear to prevent her from continuing to lick her paws and make things worse.

Poor Bjorn! It sounds like he may have allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or even some type of mange - these are all common causes of excessive itching and redness affecting the paws. Epsom salt baths were a very reasonable thing to try - but since they aren't helping anymore, I'm afraid it's definitely time for a vet visit. Your vet can do some simple skin tests to help determine what is causing the redness and itching, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat the problem depending on what is found.

It looks like he might have chewed a hot spot onto his foot. It may have started with a minor scratch or bug bite or allergies. That itched, he chewed it, which irritated the area, which makes it itch more, and so on. I recommend getting him seen by your vet soon to have his skin checked. After an exam and possibly some lab work, your vet will have a better idea what is going on and how best to treat it.

It's pretty serious that Leo's paw has been bleeding for a week. I'm not sure what caused it but bleeding for a week requires an immediate vet visit. I don't see anything obvious in the picture, but to make a diagnosis, I would have to see him in person. I'd take him into a vet now. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

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!