- Home
- Dog Symptoms
- Chewing His Paws in Dogs
Chewing His Paws in Dogs
Written By hannah hollinger
Published: 05/25/2017Updated: 12/03/2021
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
What are Chewing His Paws?
You catch your dog excessively chewing, licking, and biting at his paws. You ask him to stop but he keeps on chewing. It continues when you are trying to sleep; you hear your dog biting and gnawing his paws. You are frustrated but concerned for your dog. There are different reasons why your dog may be chewing at his paws such as:
- Allergies
- Behavior issues
- Pain/discomfort from a foreign object lodged in the foot
- Corns
- Secondary yeast or bacterial infection
If your dog is excessively chewing, licking and biting at his paws he should be seen by a veterinarian. The veterinarian can help determine and eliminate the cause.
Why Chewing His Paws Occurs in Dogs
The chewing on the paws may be from:
Flea Allergy
Flea allergy is the most common allergy in dogs and cats. It is usually not the flea bite that causes the itching, it is the flea’s saliva which causes the allergy.
Environmental or Chemical Allergens
Your dog may have been exposed to a certain chemical, pesticide, soap or seasonal pollen, which is causing his paws to be irritated. Cleaning supplies used on the floor or carpets may be too harsh on a dog’s paws. If your yard or your neighbor’s yard was recently treated with pesticides, it may be the reason his paws are bothering him. New shampoos or soaps may be causing an allergic reaction to the products. Grass pollen can cause great discomfort if your dog is allergic to it.
Food Allergies
Your dog may have itchy paws caused by a food allergy. The most common food allergens in dogs include beef, dairy, corn, wheat and soy.
Behavior Issues
Dogs sometimes bite at their paws due to stress, fear or anxiety. Boredom may be another behavior issue, which may cause the dog to chew at his paws.
Pain or Discomfort from a Foreign Object
The dog may have a spur, awn or piece of glass in his paw. Ticks sometimes burrow between the dog’s toes causing great irritation.
Corns
Corns are painful growths found on the toe pads of dogs. They are common in the Greyhound and Lurcher breeds.
Secondary Bacterial or Yeast Infection
The constant chewing, licking and biting may cause a secondary bacterial or yeast infection. The infection will cause more discomfort and itchiness.
What to do if your Dog is Chewing His Paws
A veterinarian can help determine the underlying cause for your dog chewing at his paws. The veterinarian will perform a physical examination and the dog’s overall condition will be evaluated. The patient’s paws will be checked for any foreign objects.
The vet may recommend a complete blood count (CBC), skin biopsy or a cytology test. The complete blood count can help determine if there is a bacterial infection. A skin biopsy takes a small sample of skin, to be examined under a microscope. A cytology test scrapes or swabs the surface of the itchy skin to examine the cells more closely.
If the veterinarian suspects allergies he may suggest an intradermal allergy test. Small amounts of common allergens are injected under your dog’s skin. If your dog is allergic to a certain allergen his skin will get red and swollen.
A food trial test helps to determine food allergies. This test introduces one new protein for 6 to 12 weeks. If your dog shows a reaction to a protein, it is eliminated from the diet. During a food trial, your dog can’t be fed any treats, table scraps or raw hides.
Dogs with environmental allergies may need to be on daily medications. Dogs with flea allergies should be on monthly flea preventative medication. Corns may need to be surgically removed from the pads. Foreign objects will be removed from the pad and bandaged. Secondary yeast infections might be treated with topical antifungal medications. Bacterial infections are often treated with topical and oral antibiotics.
If the veterinarian believes the paw chewing is caused by behavior issues he may suggest a consultation with an animal behaviorist. An animal behaviorist may be able to recommend activities which may help your dog overcome his stress, boredom, fears and anxiety issues.
Prevention of Chewing His Paws
Some conditions cannot be prevented but some can. Dogs should be on monthly flea and tick preventative medication. This will prevent flea allergy reactions and irritated skin. It is important to prevent your dog from being exposed to toxic chemicals. If you spray your lawn with pesticides, your dog should not be allowed to walk on the grass until the chemical is dry. The same thing goes for recently cleaned floors or carpets. Dogs should be provided toys, attention and daily exercise. Additional activities may help prevent a dog from feeling bored or anxious.
Cost of Chewing His Paws
The cost will vary depending on the condition diagnosed. Food allergies can have a treatment cost of $1500; flea bite allergy treatment cost may only be $350. To clear up bacterial infections, the expense may be $350 and yeast dermatitis treatment may average $250.
Worried about the cost of treating your pet's symptoms?
Pet Insurance covers the cost of many common pet health conditions. Prepare for the unexpected by getting a quote from top pet insurance providers.
Chewing His Paws Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Husky
Six Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Upset Stomach, Chewing 1 Paw
He has an upset stomach, had for 4 days then back to normal for 1 and now upset again he is just passing water. No diet change
Sept. 26, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay, this venue is not set up for urgent emails.
There are many possible causes for this, and since I cannot see him, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get treatment for them.
Oct. 16, 2020
Was this question and answer helpful?
Labrador
Memphis
4 Years
11 found this helpful
11 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Constant Licking
Exposed Skin
My dog constantly licks and chews his legs. His legs are covered in bare red skin, it looks like it's been skinned. He constantly does this when he is lying down, I have to physically remove his head from licking. I don't know why he does this but it started a few months ago. Should I take him to the vet?
Jan. 2, 2018
11 Recommendations
Many times licking of the paws is caused by either food allergies (most common) or due to environmental allergies (grass for example); you should bathe the legs regularly and place a cone on Memphis is prevent any further licking - the saliva from licking also irritates the skin which causes more licking. You should visit your Veterinarian for an examination to rule out other causes (parasites, infections etc…). Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Jan. 2, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Yorkshire Terrier
Ginger
8 Years
2 found this helpful
2 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Throwing Up, Chewing Paws, Shaking,
My dog constantly chews and licks her paws. She has done this for several years. She also throws up at least once a week. Sometimes it’s the undigested food, other times it’s yellow color. Three times it has been blood. The vet thinks it’s food allergies, so I changed her food two weeks ago and she is still throwing up. Her WBC is always low too when we do blood work. What else could be the cause?
Dec. 23, 2017
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
2 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. Environmental allergies are a very common cause for dogs chewing at their feet, as are bacterial and fungal infections. There are very good anti-histamine and allergy medication available for dogs that does provide relief from these signs. It might be a good idea to talk to your veterinarian about trying some of these medications.
Dec. 24, 2017
Was this question and answer helpful?
Mini Bernedoodle
Georgia
2 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Licking Paws
Itching Ears
Pawing At Face
Chewing Paws
Redness Between Pads
My dog keeps chewing and licking her paws a lot, and by the pads of her feet have become very red. She never used to do this,and now she won't stop.She used to itch her ears more so we gave her ear medicine
and then it stopped but now she is biting and licking hers paws as well as scratching her ears and face.
Norwegian Elkhound Australian Shepard
Hondo
3 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Pad Chewing
HThis is fairly new and seems to be something he does when he is bored. I was at the vet a few months ago and blood tests and fecal tests were good. He's walked and I try to give him ropes, but it's seems like anxious behavior (he has bad seperation anxiety). I don't believe this is environmental or diet related because it's winter in ND and he's been on the same food since being full grown. He nibbles at them but not to the point where his pads are raw. He does have long hair between pads and I was wondering if he does this to prevent that matting up. If this is the case should I even stop him?
Chihuahua
lana
4 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Sneezing
Pawing At Face
Chewing Paws
Scratching Ear
Shaking And Tilting Head
Redness Between Paws
My dog chews and licks at her paws constantly. They are turning red in between each of her paws. She’s been shaking her head continuously even after we recently took her to the vet and got treated for an “ear infection”. She goes through phases where she sneezes nonstop. I dont know what’s wrong and I looked it up her symptoms and it appears it may be a problem due to foxtails getting lodged into her body. I don’t know what to do, surgery is going to be expensive but I hate seeing her suffer.
bishon
chuck
3 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Chewing Paws, Licking Paws.
Chewing his feet alot. Even at night. We have changed food. soaked his feet. used sprays to stop him chewing and these donot work. and his feet are raw because he chews them so much.
