15
Mar
Intolerances can include both food and environmental. Your Dog is Bored or Anxious.
Break open a few vitamin E capsules and extract the oil.
What is wrong when a dog licks his paws. Its totally normal for your dog to lick their paws occasionally as normal self-grooming especially after a muddy walk or whenever their paws might be dirty. However licking paws excessively is cause for concern and can indicate a number of health issues which should be addressed quickly before the licking behavior causes a hot spot or skin infection between the toes. As a general rule the number one reason for a dog licking his paws excessively is allergies.
When allergens come into contact with the abnormal epidermis of a dogs paw they cause inflammation itch and pain. Dogs lick their paws to relieve the discomfort caused by their immune system overreacting to allergens. Your Dog is Bored or Anxious.
On the behavioral side excessive licking may indicate your dog is feeling bored or anxious. Licking their paws may help a dog feel better as the act of licking supposedly helps with reducing the level of stress hormone in the dogs body. Dogs lick their paws because of anxiety stress frustration boredom or OCD.
But they may also do it due to poor paw condition and grooming injuries parasites or insect bites. They might have medical conditions such as allergies growths joint pains hormonal imbalance and stomach problems. When your dog keeps licking its paw continuously and obsessively the body hairs in that area start falling off and exposes the skin which then becomes red and shiny.
If licked further and undetected the area hardens up and sometimes the skin breaks and bleeds. These conditions are referred to as lick granulomas. Extreme dryness causes exaggerated itching which translates into uncontrolled paw licking by your dog.
Dry skin can be a consequence of over bathing or dry and cold weather. Consult your vet for appropriate lotions oils and soaps to relieve dryness in your dog and avoid over bathing your dog and the use of harsh soaps at all costs. Urinary Tract Infection or Bladder StonesCrystals.
Dogs with a bladder infection or stonecrystal material may lick the penis or vulva for an extended period after urinating or may lick between eliminations. They may urinate more frequently and may strain to urinate. Often they feel an urgency to urinate and produce very little urine.
If your dog is licking his paws due to dry skin vitamin E is very helpful. Vitamin E is a good moisturizer and can help prevent or treat dry skin which in turn will put an end to your dog licking his paws. Break open a few vitamin E capsules and extract the oil.
Rub the oil directly on your dogs paws and massage for a minute so that it gets fully absorbed. Repeat 2 or 3. Allergies are another common reason why your dog may be licking his bum frequently.
An allergic reaction causes itching and inflammation which often includes your dogs anal region. Some dogs are allergic to fleas while others may be sensitive to shampoos or foods. Cysts may occur on the feet and cause your dog to lick their paws.
These are fluid-filled swellings that can have foreign materials embedded especially between the toes. Some cysts are growths that may contain a thick material and they can gradually get bigger over time. A cyst that is draining may need to have the embedded substance removed.
Chewing paws might be your dogs way of attacking dust mites or mange. Allergies to soy corn wheat egg and specific meats like chicken pork and beef are possible. In this case you may see several behaviors with your dog.
Licking paws hot spots rash and severe gastro symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea. Your vet will likely recommend switching food or trying a special. Licking and biting at paws can be a sign of a range of issues in dogs.
From intolerance to pain. It could be worth visiting your veterinarian to rule out anything that could be causing pain. It would also be worth mentioning intolerance.
Intolerances can include both food and environmental. If you think it may be food related try running an elimination diet of the usual culprits chicken beef and wheat. Your dog could possibly be licking his front paws to clean them after being in the cat litter box if you notice him doing this after just being in there then that is probably the reason.
However if your dog is licking at other times it could be because of another reason and is worth investigating further. If your dog is constantly licking his paws it may be because he is anxious or bored. Indeed the fact of excessively licking the paws is self-destructive behaviour just like when humans bite their nails.
In this case make sure that your dog is getting enough exercise each day he doesnt stay alone for too long and he has enough toys to play and get entertained. To stop your dog from licking his paws work on addressing his triggers such as allergies diet or environmental factors infections Yeast Fungal or Bacterial arthritis and bad behavior due to boredom or anxietyMake him wear dog boots or e-collar and clean up his paws after outdoor activities.