Why is my dog suddenly licking paws, scratching, and limping?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sunny may be licking his paw due to trauma or a wound that is painful - dogs can sometimes have pieces of grass or small twigs stuck between the toes. Infections or allergic reactions can also occur on the feet, either to a cleaning agent or certain foods. I recommend having Sunny seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine exactly what is going on, especially because he seems uncomfortable. His vet may recommend topical or oral antibiotics, foot soaks, or a diet change. I hope all is well!

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.

That red bump in between the toes is suspicious for a grassawn/foxtail. I suggest you have her examined by your vet (not an emergency). In the meantime, you can try soaking the foot in warm Epsom salt water (10 minutes 3 times per day) to hopefully draw out any foxtail that may be under the skin.

Poor Chubby!! With her symptoms coming on so suddenly, it is likely that she stepped on something that has injured her foot. It could be a very mild cut (those can still be quite painful!) or a more serious injury like a small stick still embedded in her foot - and a myriad of other injuries. When these injuries happen, dogs show exactly the signs you are seeing. Compare her injured foot to the other one - if it is swollen I highly recommend you see your veterinarian within the next day or so. If safely possible, try to distract her from her injured foot with a very tasty treat and see if you can look closer to see what is going on. Small shallow cuts, although painful, can heal on their own, you may see a thorn you can remove (but only if Chubby will let you!!). If Chubby just won’t let you look, as long as there is no swelling, watch her for another day to see if she is improving. If she is not getting better in 1-2 days, or if her paw starts to swell or smell bad, definitely seek help from your vet!! Meanwhile, don’t give her any human medication for pain as these drugs can hurt her. I hope Chubby starts to feel better soon. If you decide to take her to your vet, they may decide to sedate her to be able to thoroughly examine her foot and then decide the best course of action. While she is limping, you should try and keep her activity low by leash walking for potty breaks and keeping her in the house otherwise. Good luck!! Thank you for using Pet Coach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tiny. If it happened this same time last year, then seasonal allergies are a likely cause making him itchy. Place an E-collar on him when he is unsupervised to prevent self trauma. You can also bathe him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to help soothe the skin. If he seems excessively itchy or has trouble urinating, then he will need to see his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

I am very sorry to hear about Simba. Some possible causes for these symptoms could include a wound to the foot such as stepping on a sharp object/thorn/splinter/etc that has punctured the skin or cut the skin; and injury to a toenail where a nail has been split or torn; or a musculoskeletal injury such as a ligmament sprain or a broken bone. I would recommend bringing Simba in for a vet to examine his foot to determine what is causing his symptoms which will help guide his treatment.

I'm sorry to hear that Murphy is not feeling well. It's hard to know without seeing him in person, but it could be allergies or an infection or possibly something stuck in them like you mentioned. If he is so uncomfortable that he's limping, I would take him to your family veterinarian. They may need to probe the wounds or take a small sample of the surface and look under the microscope to determine what is causing it and then make treatment recommendations from there.