Dogs often lick their paws and this is considered to be pretty normal. Why? They do this as a part of their self-cleaning procedure or, as dog parents call it, self-grooming. Because dogs don’t like to roam around with un-clean paws, making other surfaces, and their owner messy as well.
Yes, it comes off as a good quality because doing this shows that they are so very concerned regarding their hygiene. However, the same paw-licking habit can also become a stressful factor for dog parents, especially if they see their dog licking their paw's way unnecessarily. Because that hints towards underlying health issues and shows that your dog is feeling some type of discomfort as well.
Do you see your dog doing the same with its paws, and when you tried to help, you failed to identify the actual root of the issue? Okay, it’s time you stopped worrying. This blog will offer you proper guidance related to common causes of licking its paws when you should go to the vet, how you can help your dog, and additional considerations.
What Are The Common Causes Of Dog Licking Their Paws?
We know as a dog parent, you must be more than eager to know the common causes that lead dogs to lick their paws excessively. Therefore, let’s spill the beans on the reasons for your better understanding:
Seasonal Allergies
You might witness your dog licking their paws due to seasonal allergies. According to The Honest Kitchen, 10% to 15% of dogs have seasonal allergies. These are in the shape of pollen and mould allergies. Let’s discuss:
Pollen Allergies
If you are a resident of the United Kindom, then you will be fully aware of the diverse landscape the region brings forward. Be it rural areas or coastal regions, your pet can get exposed to a great variety of pollens. For instance, weed, tree, and grass pollen, can spark allergic reactions in your dog, compelling them to lick frequently and scratch themselves to have some relief. According to PDSA, when you see your dog licking or biting their paws more than they unusually do, then that is one of the signs of pollen allergy.
Mould Allergies
Then comes the mould allergies. When do mould spores appear? Mould spores make their way during colder and wetter months. The reason is that environments become extremely damp, which acts as a breeding ground for mould and trouble for your dog. Because you will see your furry friend licking its paws as a cleansing measure and to finish that skin irritation.
Which Dog Breeds Have Seasonal Allergies?
According to Zooplus Magazine, seasonal allergy or Atopy is found in 15% of the dog population. To be specific, these dogs are Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Boxers, Shar Peis, English Bulldogs, Terriers, Dalmatians, Irish and English Setters.
You must be asking when does this illness emerge? The answer is it mostly steps in between the age bracket of one and three years. The dog, who is not even six months old or has touched the seniority milestone, will rarely get pollen or mould allergies. One requirement for the outbreak of seasonal allergy is that it also depends on the dog’s reaction to the allergen. It can be possible, that your dog will not lick its paw due to any of the mentioned allergies, and at the same time, their reaction will provide you with the required answer. Therefore, if your dog belongs to any of the breeds, it can stand a chance of having this kind of allergy too.
Irritants In The Environment
In the list of common causes of dogs licking their paws way too much, irritants in the environment also play a role in the following ways:
Road Salt
During winters, the roads often get covered with thick piles of snow, therefore, to de-ice the pavements, road salt is used to make the streets easier for vehicles and passers-by to commute. However, the cleaning road remedy can annoy a dog’s paws, compelling it to lick it without pause.
You will be surprised to know that this road salt can be dangerous for your dog’s life as well. According to the Star Veterinary Clinic, road salt poses a risk to your dog’s paw. The thing is that when you walk with your dog or when it is solo on salted surfaces, their paw pads come in direct contact with the salt. This salt further makes the paws dry, cracked, and painful. Why? Road salt particularly is a desiccant, meaning it holds the potential to absorb moisture from your dog’s skin and paw. Extra walking on the road salt can raise dehydration and skin issues. Furthermore, the element can even cause discomfort to your dog as it may limp while walking.
Then, Vetsend reveals that road salt, also known as rock salt, can put your furry companion’s life at stake. How? The reason is that when dogs walk outside during snowy days, they casually tend to walk over road salt, and with that, the anti-freeze substances stick on their paw pads. Then, as part of their cleaning routine, the dog tries to lick their feet, which is the main dangerous part, because any type of salt that your dog consumes, will make them feel nauseous and excrete watery stool as well. If your dog licks a few milligrams per kilogram, then that can be fatal, especially in the case of smaller dogs. Therefore, make sure that your dog does not walk on the road salt, or clean their paws yourself, rather them licking the poison. So, this can turn out to be one of the causes of your dog’s continuous paw licking.
Urban Pollutants
Does your dog mostly remain outdoors or indoors? If your answer is outdoor, then most probably the paw licking is due to poor quality of air and other pollutants present in the environment. When your dog roams outside, its body and especially its paws are bound to catch dust. Therefore, it will lick their paws excessively, so that no traces of dirt are left on their paw pads. The more the amount of urban pollutants in the atmosphere, the frequency of your dog licking its paws will increase too. Therefore, as a dog owner, you can either shift your dog’s kennel inside to offer it some relief.
Infections Of The Skin
Your dog might be going overboard with its paw licking due to infections of the skin. Despite your being super careful in your dog’s situation, your dog can catch skin infections in the following ways:
Bacterial Infections
When was the last time you checked your wagging tail’s paws? If it has been time, then there is a possibility that some bacterial infection might be troubling it so much, resulting in your dog licking its paws to have some relief. Because of the spreading of the bacteria can cause inflammation, swelling, and severe itching on the paws. According to Pedigree, your pup may lick the affected areas to get some comfort and reduce swelling and inflammation.
Fungal Infections
In the category of skin infections, fungal infections can also force your dog to lick its paws. To be precise, these fungal infections exist in the form of yeast infections. Looking at the climate of the country, these can easily infect your dog’s paw. Why? Because yeast carries the potential to grow in damp conditions. According to Animed, if a fungal infection is annoying your dog, then take them to the vet, as they can prescribe you the necessary treatment or medicines helpful in addressing the problem and eliminating the symptoms. So, see a vet instantly to prevent the infection from invading more body parts of your dog and make things easier for it as soon as possible. Therefore, this can be another reason in your dog’s case.
Parasites
Your dog is a free animal and is born to explore the wild. While spending most of the day outside, they will certainly attract ticks, fleas, and mites to infect their paws. Although very small in size, these can also provoke your do to continuously lick their paws. When you notice them doing this, you should go closer and carefully check their paw; if you observe these tiny insects, then these are the reasons for your dog’s action.
Dermatitis
Even if your dog’s paw pads look normal to you, then the extra licking could be due to dermatitis. What is dermatitis? This is another type of skin infection that happens due to allergies, sensitivities to particular food items, and bacterial issues. Your dog can develop dermatitis, especially if he roams in the yard, where toxic chemicals are kept, through products you brought to remove the ice off your driveway, or certain kinds of weeds. These all are more than enough to make your dog lick its paw more than usual.
Arthritis
How old is your dog? Is it young or will be classified as a senior dog? If it is a senior dog, then your dog is licking its paws due to arthritis. A common old age condition, which happens to us humans as well. For your dog, it is painful, you will see it licking as a remedy to seek relief from joint achiness.
Injury Or Trauma
Does your dog possess an aggressive nature, or does it become like that on watching wild dogs? If yes, then it must have been involved in a fight with other stray dogs, which might have injured their paws and left them traumatized. This might have forced them to lick to reduce the pain. However, if your dog is very shy outdoors, then some objects from your garden, room, or backyard might have wounded their feet. And to reduce the discomfort you see them licking their paws. According to Blue Cross, dogs lick their wounds in the very same way you rub your head after unintentionally bumping into a wall. In us, the rubbing helps block the sensation of pain, while in dogs, their saliva has some mild antibacterial effect that blocks the painful feeling. Wild or feral dogs are often seen licking their wounds to reduce their uneasiness.
Cracked Or Dry Paws
Living in the UK, you will know how winters are. The environment changes, making skin dry. The dryness applies to your dog as well as the moisture runs out, resulting in dry or cracked paw pads, making them lick as much as they can. Apart from the weather, according to Pets 4 Homes, if you take your dogs on long walks on harsh or very hard terrains like tarmac or hardcore, then even that dries or cracks their feet. Arranging rough and tough activities in the shape of jumping and running around, then that too creates cracks in your dog’s paws. Dehydration is another cause for dry or cracked paws, resulting in excessive licking.
Health Of Your Dog’s Gut
It might sound absurd, but the health of your dog’s health does play a crucial role in impacting their skin. If your dog’s gut health is not as healthy as it should be, then that may elevate the chances of systemic inflammation and itchy feeling, provoking your dog to constantly lick its paws. So, the reason behind their paw-licking can be an unhealthy gut as well. Therefore, look into the reasons for what type of food you are feeding your dog and give them better meal substitutes to improve their gut health and for them to stop licking their paws.
Boredom or Anxiety
If your dog is super active but you are busy and not playing with it, it will get bored very quickly, and to kill time, it may lick its paws to clean itself.
Besides entertaining themselves, they can constantly repeat the action of licking their paws due to anxiety. Yes, like humans, dogs also have anxiety issues. How? Your dog can get anxious at the sound of sudden and loud fireworks, thunderstorms during heavy rainfall, or witnessing new faces at events that you host at your home. Furthermore, they suffer from intense separation anxiety from their owners. Dogs observe your routine and wait for your return, but if your timings change, then that instills fear in them that their owner has abandoned them. The same stress emerges when they see your bags packed or you travel with them to places whose surroundings they are not familiar with. If any of the boredom or anxiety-triggering activities have been happening at your end, then most probabl,y they are licking their paws to relax while offering you hints that they need your support to soothe their nerves. Hence, take all the necessary measures you can to stop its excessive paw licking and show them that everything is fine.
Compulsive Behaviour
Like humans, dogs also have obsessive-compulsive disorders. Yes, you are guessing it right that your dog might be licking its paws out of this disorder. No matter how many times they lick their paws, they will never get satisfied and feel that their paws are still dirty. As a result, you will see them constantly licking their paws. Therefore, you need not worry; it is their habit.
How Can You Help Your Dog?
As a dog parent, you will try your level best to come up with an idea to prevent your dog from constantly licking its paws. Therefore, you can make the most out of the following ways:
Identify The Cause
Instead of assuming things, you must get assistance from your vet to identify the cause of the dog's excessive licking of its paws. This will allow you to address and solve the issue correctly.
Manage Allergies
Consult a Vet
You will not be sure what allergy is bothering your pup and if it is licking their paws way too much. Hence, consult your vet and ask whether you should bring in your dog for allergy testing, what other medicines can be given, or go ahead for immunotherapy. This will make the situation a lot better for you and your dog.
Regular Grooming
After getting your dog treated, make it a point to groom it regularly, as that will help keep its coat clean from allergens.
Paw Cleaning
If you and your dog walk in areas with high pollution or a lot of pollen, remember to clean your dog’s paws to remove things that force it to lick them again.
Treat Skin Infections
At the animal’s hospital, your vet can hand over a prescription mentioning the appropriate medicines that can treat skin infections on your dog’s paw. Be it fungal, bacterial, or parasitic, the ointment will gradually remove them all. So, keep applying that to your dog’s paw so the licking stops.
Apply Balm On Cracked Paws
We mentioned that cracked and dry paws are one of the common causes for your dog to lick their paws. Therefore, you should apply moisturizer or balm on its paws, especially during winter so that they don’t remain dry.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of this blog and hope that you have now understood why you see your dog often licking its paws. Therefore, take it to the vet, get the exact medicines as prescribed, and see how gradually your dog will stop licking its paws.