Dogs lick their paws to clean and soothe itching sensations, but this behavior may also be an indicator of injury or pain.
Pet dogs who engage in constant paw licking often result in yeast and bacteria infections that are itchy and painful for them, leading to yeast or bacteria infections of their feet that cause itching and discomfort. A simple moisturizer or balm can help put an end to this habit.
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1. Yeast Infection
An infected area between your dog’s paw pads may lead to itching and discomfort for them, as yeast thrives in this dark, warm and damp area causing irritation and itching.
If your pup appears to have a yeast infection, honey may provide relief. Thanks to its natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, honey is ideal for disinfecting their paws while relieving any itching they might experience.
Yeast infections are especially likely to appear in dogs suffering from diabetes or Cushing’s disease, both of which suppress their immune systems and make treatment harder than necessary. Your vet can prescribe you medication that will treat and prevent further outbreaks of yeast infection.
2. Allergies
An occasional bout of paw licking is considered normal grooming behavior for dogs, but excessive paw-licking requires immediate action to address. As constant licking keeps skin moist and damp, which increases yeast or bacteria infections that itch and inflame even further – leading your pup to continue licking their paws over and over until their pads become raw and cracked.
If your dog suffers from allergies, their paw pads can become especially prone to itchy spots due to the high concentration of mast cells found here. When exposed to allergens like pollen, food allergies or flea saliva, mast cells become activated and cause itchy spots in this area. Make sure you rinse their feet in cool water after every walk to flush away allergens that have collected in their paw pads and check for foreign objects such as thorns, burrs, pebbles or nails that might be hiding there as these could be sticking out from beneath their pads!
3. Skin Irritation
Dogs can develop skin irritation on their paw pads and feet from many sources, such as hot sidewalks, salty sidewalks, stepping on sharp objects, blistering from insect bites or open sores from cuts or scratches, blistering blisters from blistering, or constant itching from cuts or scratches that leads to compulsive licking behaviors. Itching from these problems may lead to compulsive licking behaviours in dogs.
Veterinary care may help relieve itching caused by infections on paw pads or feet in pets, while fleas or mites could also make their paws itchy; food allergies or sensitivities could also irritate their pads or feet, leaving your furry friend’s paws itchy.
Some dogs will benefit from having natural skin moisturizers applied to their paws, such as shea butter or coconut oil. A chamomile bath or spray can soothe paws while helping prevent itching; apple cider vinegar has an unpleasant taste which discourages excessive licking. Before applying any of these products, check for cuts or infections and consider an iodine solution as a disinfectant solution.
4. Trauma
Dogs naturally groom themselves, such as after taking a walk through muddy or sandy terrain. But if their paws become consistently raw and they lick them excessively as part of this natural self-grooming process it could indicate serious health concerns.
Constant licking can keep the paw pads and feet moist, encouraging normal bacteria to overproduce, leading to itching and infections that lead to further irritations like scabs, more itching, more licking, etc. in a vicious cycle that damages fur and skin on their paw pads and feet.
Search the paw pads for any foreign objects such as thorns, cuts, blisters (from walking on salty or hot sidewalks), stings or bee bites and apply a soothing cream or anti-itch spray as soon as you detect an itch or biting or licking at raw wounds on their feet. Acupuncture can also relieve arthritis pain while decreasing paw licking behavior.
