Why Does My Dog Constantly Lick His Paws?

Dogs are some of the most incredible animals on earth, they love humans unconditionally, and will happily obey our wishes to keep us company anytime we need it. However, at times they can be a little excessive at certain things like licking or chewing. If your dog has developed a habit of licking his paws or chewing the insides of his legs until they are raw, sometimes 24 hours a day, then you have a problem that needs to be addressed. Let's look at a couple of the different reasons he may be excessively licking his paws.

One of the first things that you'll want to look for is if your dog seems to have a problem with ticks and fleas. There are certain types of ticks that like the warm dark space between your dogs toes, or paws. If you sit down under some bright light and check between all the toes, you might be surprised at how many ticks can fit in there hidden. Fleas also like the warm dark area of the dogs paws and will be seen scurrying out of the way as soon as the lights hits them. If it turns out that this is the problem, then your dog is easily cured by using some good quality flea and tick spray to kill the offending bugs. His paws may continue to itch for several days afterwards, you'll just need to be understanding and maintain vigilance for the future.

Paw Cleaner

Another possible problem that can happen, is your dog has developed an allergy to something he has walked in, either out in your yard, the garage, or somewhere else. In this case a good and thorough washing of each of the paws is in order, then a dousing in medicated baby powder afterwards. The medicated baby powder will help alleviate the itching, keep the area dry so it doesn't develop a yeast infection, and taste bad if your dog decides to lick it. It is also important to try and track down whatever chemical your dog has walked in that is causing this irritation, because it will definitely return as soon as he walks through it again.

There are other, less likely problems that your dog could be experiencing, including behavioral, so if it turns out that neither of

these two hints has helped, it might be time to take your dog to a vet for a professional opinion. Many times a regular play schedule involving a tennis ball is all that is needed to cure his boredom.

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