You’ve probably witnessed your dog washing his paws many times, and this is not surprising, because licking or gently biting them is a common behaviour for pets. Dogs and cats, to a greater or lesser extent, take care of hygiene and “clean themselves”. Grooming behaviour is easy to notice as your dog will lick each of their paws; not focusing specifically one paw.
However, if you have noticed that the next day in a row your dog licks his paws (or only one paw) with great commitment or bites them and does it persistently as if he wanted to eat them, it is a sign for you that it is worth taking a closer look at your pet. The dog licks its paws for several reasons, but not all of them must herald serious problems. I will try to explain when and why the dog licks its paws.
Let’s have a look at some of the reasons which keep your dog licking their paws!
1. Psychological issues — Anxiety and stress, OCB, Boredom
Dogs, like people, may have a depressed mood and feel sadness, loneliness, anxiety and even depression. Excessive licking can be a compulsive disorder related to stress caused by any changes in our lives (e.g. a new baby or animal at home, death in the family, moving to another home), stress that occurs with the age of the dog (some dogs develop anxiety as they get older due to a decline in thinking, learning and memory) or when the pet does not receive adequate attention from the owners of the form of play or petting (boredom).
In such situations licking paws brings them relief and reduces stress hormone (cortisol) levels In the dog’s body — this activity is reassuring for them. Unfortunately, excessive compulsive licking can irritate the skin and lead to the formation of aching wounds and bacterial infections.
2. Bacterial infections
As mentioned above, regardless of whether your Doggy licks his paws because of itching, pain, or simply feels like it, it can eventually lead to skin problems or infections.
Bacteria accumulate on everyone, even the cleanest quadruped. And all thanks to the hair, which is located in the spaces between the toes.
Due to poor ventilation, they are a place where bacteria have a real paradise. From here, unfortunately, it’s a short way to various infections. Therefore, if with the excessive licking of the interdigital spaces, in addition to an unpleasant smell, you notice purulent changes on the dog’s paws, be sure to contact a veterinarian who can write an antibiotic, or suggest ways to prevent their recurrence in the future.
3. Allergies and fungal infection
Allergy is one of the most common causes of licking paws in dogs. Allergies can be seasonal or food-related, and can also be a reaction to the cleaning products we use at home. Dogs that suffer from food or environmental allergies will often lick themselves, especially in areas of the body that come in contact with the ground, such as the paws. These areas will often become red and inflamed, requiring immediate medical intervention to reduce the build-up of moisture-loving yeast or infection.
Seasonal allergies can be recognized by the fact that they manifest themselves at a certain time of year (usually in summer and autumn) and are the result of contact with an external allergen. If you notice your dog excessively licking his paws after going for a walk, it can be an allergy to something in his environment, because our dogs’ feet may itch or be irritated by allergies to grass, pollen, various plants or even mold.
Unlike people who have symptoms of this type of allergy affect the respiratory system, allergy in dogs occurs in the form of skin irritation or inflammation. Completely eliminating allergens is not always possible, but let’s do our best to prevent the consequences or mitigate the effects.
4. Pain and discomfort
One of the easily missed signs of pain is paw licking. Dogs tend to devote more attention to places on their bodies that are hurt or painful. Scratching, licking and biting sore paws can give them temporary relief.
In this situation, you should carefully look at the entire paws with the pads, whether there are no wounds, cuts, abrasions, stuck foreign objects that should not be there (e.g. splinters, a blade of grass, glass, shards of grass and even insect stings) and look if the dog is not limping. Even if you do not find any signs of a wound, you should never ignore it. Paw licking can also be a sign of pain further up the leg.
It may happen that he is suffering from an internal injury like muscle sprain, arthritis or some type of inflammation or fracture. Dogs who overexert themselves can sprain their legs just like humans can.
5. Dry skin (Dermatitis)
During the winter or during the hot summer, the skin of dogs, like humans, may lose adequate moisture. And apparently the skin tends to dry, crack or irritate. Licking can be an attempt to moisturize dry places.
The causes of dry skin can be very different and affect you in different ways. The reason can be warm and dry air in our apartments during the heating season, cold, dry air outside, or some of the products we use. Dry skin in dogs is often caused by excessive bathing or grooming schedules, especially in products that contain strong chemicals and preservatives.
This strips their skin and hair of its natural oils — much like it does in humans if you wash your hair every day. It is worth applying strongly moisturizing, natural and organic balm once a day to very dry skin. Dry skin can also be a symptom of a fatty acid deficiency in the diet that helps maintain healthy skin and beautiful coat.
6. Salt, pesticides, chemicals used outdoors (especially during frosts)
Dog paws come into contact with many things and substrates with very different structures. If the feet after walks are itching, being licked, visibly irritated, … it’s very likely that they were in contact with the substance or irritant substrate — e.g. chemical fertilizers on lawns or even sand. The irritated delicate skin of the paws and their pillows can be the cause of their constant licking.
If your dog licks his paws only during the winters, then one of the possible causes can be his exposure to the deicing salts. Deicing salts are used to melt ice on driveways and roads, and when your dog gets exposed to these salts, it can lead to chemical burns on your dog’s feet.
7. Parasites
Invasion by external parasites can also cause this behaviour. Fleas, ticks and scabies are also a fairly common cause of skin itching. Flea saliva contains several potentially allergenic ingredients that can lead to so-called FAD (flea allergy dermatitis). This disease is seasonal and increases in the warm season. Lumps and pimples are formed on the skin, mainly in the lumbar-sacral region, head, sides of the body and abdomen.
8. Hormone Imbalance (Thyroid Related)
Hormonal imbalance in your dog can also be a reason for his excessive paw licking. When his body does not produce the required thyroid hormones in cases of hypothyroidism (too little) and hyperthyroidism (too much) it can result in hair thinning, shedding and loss of hair and can even lead to forming of red spots on these areas.
How to prevent/stop dog licking paws?
It is important to first establish the reason why your dog is licking their paws before trying to modify this behaviour. If your dog’s health is okay, try to distract you from licking, e.g. your favourite toy, chews, games or simply by a command (Do this whenever your pet wants to “consume” his paws).
An animal accustomed to licking will try to do so with every attention. Ensure you are meeting your dog daily exercise quota. Spend time working on training and play some brain games. Try to pay him more attention. Give more toys, teethers etc. Do not let him get bored.
Tips for reducing boredom:
- Work on simple obedience training,
- Play with your dog — e.g. tug of war
- Mix up the daily walk — change routes and allow your dog to sniff around
- Work on some brain and nose work games,
- Allow your dog plenty of space to roam within the home,
- Groom your dog,
- Massage your dog,
- Allocate boxes for toys and swap which boxes you have out every couple of days — dogs do get bored with the same toys,
- Feed their meal in a slow feeder or a stuffed toy or another food dispenser.
- If you have to leave your dog alone for short periods of times, allow them space to roam in the house and leave toys for them to play with.
- If paw licking is caused by an allergy, change your dog’s diet. Buy special food for allergy sufferers or exclude the most suspicious products from meals. The most allergic are: poultry, milk, eggs, cereals, rice, potatoes, tomatoes.
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