Pup chewing on paws

abby0313

I have a 9 mo old lab mix, and lately he has been chewing on his paws. Generally at least once a day I will mess with his paws when he's laying down (gently pull on them, hold onto them, etc. this was suggested by our vet and groomer because how particular labs can be about the paws--supposed to make it easier to trim nails/hair on feet), and there are no cuts or sores on his paws. Any thoughts on what it would be. We switched his food about 3 months ago because he was very sick and the new food has helped, I don't think its an allergy because he isn't scratching more than he was in the past.

 any thoughts? Thanks!

jmcgra06

Our five year old yellow lab does it all the time. He doesn't itch his body, just his paws. He is allergic to the grain in the food we used to feed him (now he eats grain free) as well as dust and pollen. We didn't notice it at all when he was a little puppy, but probably when he was around 6 months old. We just try to wash his feet a lot and stop him when he licks because he gets yeast infections on his feet and they smell/itch worse.

lookame3639

I have an Italian Grayhound, I also work at a pet store(so I am knoweledgeable however my advice is just that, advice. I am not a vet)

Anyway my pup is allergic to grass in Spring and Summer she will chew on her paws after she goes outside. Many dogs can be allergic to grains or meats in the food, it's best to choose a higher quality food rather than something like pedigree. While switching foods there is a canned food which will help settle a dog's stomache. It's called fruitables pumpkin. The only ingrdient is pumpkin and it helps setltle a dog who has consitant diarreah.

As for yeast infections you can give your dog a VERY small amount of plain yogurt. It helps balance out the yeast in a dog's body but don't give the dog to much it'll cause upset stomache. Also, do not give it daily or anything.

If the dog still is having diarreah which can't be controlled. Switch the dog to boiled chicken and plain boiled rice for a few days until you see solid stools again. Then swich back to regular dog food.

prettybird48

Yes,it could be a yeast infection. Keep hair between toes cut short and always keep the pads and between toes DRY! The vet will have some medicated pads to wipe the feet with plus some spray to use several times a day. It.s just a thought. We have a Cocker who goes through this several times a year. By the way, I am new to this answering questions but because I have 5 dogs and 2 cats and belong to a Pet Rescue  group I probably will log onto this site daily to learn a lot. The vet I have is the BEST. He give accupuncture treatments to our dogs and that clears up a lot of their med. problems right away. He also does chiropractic treatments too. Anyone in Ohio should go to him. If interested,contact me @ lakegirl58@hotmail.com Thanks! Hope this helps your doggie's foot licking.

Essenceofaya

All of the above advice is great, but here's another tip to add - its possible your pup is chewing at his feet because he is bored or nervous (Similar to people chewing their nails) - and its just become a habit - this is assuming it isn't an allergy or infection : )