Dog Licking Feet Pads

This points to the emergence of a compulsive behavior.

Dog licking feet pads.

By obsessively licking their paws dogs might cope with feelings of nervousness strain and uncertainty. So while paw licking can be annoying it s generally nothing to worry about. When dogs injure their paw pads they often relentlessly lick them as means of soothing them. Dogs are very helpful for letting you know when something is stuck in their paws so pay attention if they seem more interested in that area.

If you are walking through streets that have been gritted or had salt laid down on them be vigilant this will irritate the pads of your dog s feet and likely get stuck within the pads. If the paw pads and feet appear normal the licking could be due to a skin condition dermatitis which often is the result of bacterial problems allergies or food sensitivities. Finding your dog licking his paws all the time can be very annoying as well as frustrating. Pets paw pads are supposed to be rough so they can get traction on smooth surfaces.

In some cases canines continue licking wounds even once they re completely healed. Check between your dog s toes and paw pads for a tick. Allergies are one of the major causes for red inflamed paws and a common reason that a dog would be licking their feet. However a variety of factors including hot pavement wintery conditions chemicals dry air exposure to rough surfaces and excessive licking can cause dry cracked paw pads.

Dry and cracked paws can be painful and put your pet at a risk for infection. Dogs groom themselves multiple times throughout the day. Dogs who lick their paws excessively often develop stains on the fur of their feet if they are light colored swelling and sometimes excessive licking may cause moisture to become trapped between the dog s toes making it an ideal setting for an opportunistic infection. Now just imagine what your dog may be going through.

This in turn will lead to your dog licking and biting at their unwelcome infiltrators and potentially ingesting something very dangerous. When a dog s genetics make them prone to skin allergies the skin has a weaker protective barrier to the external world. Catching your dog licking and chewing at their paws could be an indicator a tick has taken up residence there. However if your dog s licking paws until the skin is red and inflamed it s probably a sign that something else is wrong.

A dog chewing his feet versus a dog licking his feet.