Billy - Paw chewing

[Jan/Billy]

For the past week or so Billy has been chewing his paws  

I've had a good look at his paws & can't feel or see anything wrong. If he's not pulling his fur out of his paws (ouch!) he is chewing his claws   He appears to be chomping on his claws the most. They have now become quite sharp & hurt like mad if he scratches you.

Any ideas what this can be??  


Thanks

[Joelf]

Has Billy been through anything on his walk that might have perhaps irritated his paws,Jan? I know one or two other COLer's have had problems with nettles on their dogs paws; also I have heard that rape-seed can sometimes irritate.

Our first lab,Stella, had bitten terrible places on her front paws when we first got her; she was a rescue from Battersea & they thought the chewed paws were due to her boredom & stress at being kennelled. I know Billy isn't kennelled but could it be a sign of some sort of stress? (Just thinking aloud, really )

Hope you can sort it out 

[hamfam]

Could be mites, Thornits powder is known to cure foot nibbling if due to mites or fungal infection, i have read that non-perfumed athletes foot powder can also be used

[Nicola]

Alfie will sometimes bite at his paws and chew on his claws after a walk, I usually think it's because he's run through nettles or been haring through the gorse bushes or something. He doesn't tend to do it for prolonged periods though and he doesn't pull out his fur, I'd be a bit concerned at that tbh    I would get him checked out at the vet if he keeps doing it Jan, they can take skin and hair samples to test for mites etc. and if a physical cause is ruled out then it is likely to be stress related.

[Jan/Billy]

To be honest it could be anything you've suggested . It's possible he's trodden on something , billy being billy is could very well be stressed  & I suppose he could have mites  
 I'll have to do process of illimination. Will frontline kill the mites???

[Jan/Billy]

and he doesn't pull out his fur, I'd be a bit concerned at that tbh    

He just pulls at the fur & then I see his mouth moving as though he's managed to pull some out & is eating it. I don't actually find any fur though.

[*Jay*]

Try bathing his paws after each walk - Vegas was doing something similar a few weeks back and he stopped it within a couple of days. I had to take him tpo the vets last week as he started doing it again with vengeance and it turned out he had an infected pressure sore on his foot, poor lad. But if Billy is doing it to all 4 feet its either going to be something like nettles etc or mites. I don't think Frontline kills mites but you could get seleen or hexocil shampoo to wash his feet in.

[Jan/Billy]

Try bathing his paws after each walk - Vegas was doing something similar a few weeks back and he stopped it within a couple of days. I had to take him tpo the vets last week as he started doing it again with vengeance and it turned out he had an infected pressure sore on his foot, poor lad. But if Billy is doing it to all 4 feet its either going to be something like nettles etc or mites. I don't think Frontline kills mites but you could get seleen or hexocil shampoo to wash his feet in.

It's mainly his front paws , very occassionally his back paws.

Will the shampoo kill the mites? 

[Alpha]

it could well be grass seed they are a b***** as they work their way into the skin...ouch!

[*Jay*]

Will the shampoo kill the mites? 

Yep

[Helen]

if it's after a walk i would try 1/2 a piriton and stand him in a bath of warm water and bicarb soda - this helps with jarv's nettle stings, and won't hurt if it's anything else but nettles

[Jan/Billy]

if it's after a walk i would try 1/2 a piriton and stand him in a bath of warm water and bicarb soda - this helps with jarv's nettle stings, and won't hurt if it's anything else but nettles

cheers 


It's not afetr a walk, it's anytime really 

[hamfam]

Frontline wont touch mites, just fleas and ticks

Stronghold treats fleas and mange so may be of more use

I would try the simple things first - the piriton and bicarb will rule out reaction to nettles etc then i would try thornits that will take care of mites and fungal infections, try each for a few days and if no improvement then i think its time to add to the vets retirement fund

[Jan/Billy]

then i think its time to add to the vets retirement fund

 

[*Jay*]

Has he been scratching his ears at all Jan? I'm just thinking that if he had ear mites then he might be transferring them to his paws