Why Do Dogs Gnaw on Their Paws? It’s common for dogs to lick and gnaw on their paws as a form of self-grooming. However, excessive licking or chewing of the paws or nails may be worrying and calls for a trip to the doctor.
You will get to know Why Do Dogs Gnaw on Their Paws as you read on!
Table of Contents
Why Do Dogs Gnaw on Their Paws?
There are a number of causes for your dog to gnaw on their paws. The most typical causes are as follows:
Yeast infection: Malassezia and yeast ordinarily coexist on a dog’s skin without causing any problems.
The most prevalent species of dog is pachydermatis. However, Malassezia is an opportunistic infection; when another organism creates an imbalance, it seizes the opportunity and quickly multiplies, especially in warm, moist environments.
Yeast infections of the feet and paws are frequent, and they make the skin around them excruciatingly painful. This causes the dog to scratch and bite at her feet, which feeds the yeast overgrowth.
Pododermatitis That is Itchy
This is an all-encompassing diagnosis for itching feet that can have a number of reasons, such as parasites like mites, hookworms, or yeast, as well as an allergic reaction to various contact, food, or inhalation allergens. In order to offer long-lasting relief from pruritic pododermatitis, understanding its underlying cause is crucial.
Foot & Toe Problems
Dogs may bite at their feet in an attempt to relieve their discomfort if their nails are excessively long. Excessive licking and chewing are also brought on by broken nails, whether they are the result of illness or injury.
To keep your dog’s nails healthy and attractive, keep an eye on them and teach your dog to cooperate with nail-trimming or-grinding. Frequently check for foxtails or other grass awns between the pads and the toes.
Behavior Problems
When an irritation or damage is present, activities like excessive licking and chewing may start. However, even after the problem has been treated medically, these behaviors may continue.
It might happen when a behavior has developed into a habit. It’s also likely that the dog discovered that licking is an excellent method to capture the attention of a distracted owner.
Allergies
Allergy-prone dogs typically have red, itchy skin and paws. Dogs routinely and persistently bite, chew, and lick at their feet due to allergies.
In addition to other body parts, dogs with both food and environmental allergies frequently get red, swollen feet and may begin to lose fur in these regions. Contrary to popular opinion, dogs are significantly more likely to develop environmental allergies than food allergies. Only 10% of dogs who have allergies actually have a food allergy.
Injuries
Injuries to the paw and nails are rather frequent. Since dogs don’t have protective shoes like we humans do, they run the risk of hurting themselves when out and about. Your dog may have stepped on something sharp or walked on a hot, rough surface, such gravel, which caused irritation or cut to their paw.
Acorns, gravel, and other small things can occasionally become caught between a dog’s toes when it steps on them. Occasionally, while engaging in rough play or even on leisurely strolls, their nails might become damaged, ingrown, or even broken.
Your dog will often be fixated on one foot in particular and the behavior will have started suddenly if they are licking or chewing their paw because of an injury.
Depending on how they respond to pain and where the incision is, they may or may not limp. Typically, the abrupt, persistent paw chewing is a novel behavior for them, and it lasts far longer than ordinary grooming sessions.
Parasites
When our dogs have parasites like fleas or mange, they may bite and chew violently and continuously. These parasites bite, causing red, swollen skin. Dogs with flea or mite infestations frequently bite their entire foot and are typically red and scratchy elsewhere on their body.
Itching can also be brought on by ticks. Your dog may chew at a tick that has attached to their paw or the space between their toes in order to relieve the itching and get rid of the tick.
Just because you can’t see any parasites doesn’t mean there aren’t any because these bugs might be difficult to locate. To ascertain whether parasites are the source of your pet’s symptoms, your veterinary staff can use specialist methods and tests including skin scraping their feet torn apart.
To End Your Dog Gnawing on Their Paws
Try to offer your dog something else to do when she’s most likely to gnaw her feet if you’re certain there isn’t a medical explanation for the biting and chewing.
It’s always a good idea to take an honest look at your dog’s day and make sure you’re offering enough exercise and enrichment to suit your dog’s physical and mental health needs. Boredom can also contribute to repeated habits like licking and chewing their paws.
FAQs
Dogs routinely and persistently bite, chew, and lick at their feet due to allergies. In addition to other body parts, dogs with both food and environmental allergies frequently get red, swollen feet and may begin to lose fur in these regions.
Many dogs occasionally chew on their paws. This can occasionally be merely an addition to regular cleaning or develop into a habit over time. However, for some dogs, chewing on their paws may indicate a medical issue that has to be addressed.
While you address the underlying cause of the issue, applying an apple cider vinegar solution to your dog’s paws may provide a temporary relief. Your dog’s paws should be massaged with a 50/50 solution of warm water and apple cider vinegar. Before using the remedy, make sure your dog doesn’t have any open sores on their paws by checking them three times.
References
Recommendations
