Chewing paws

[JB]

Louie is nearly 2 and for the last couple of weeks, he has been chewing his front two paws quite a lot. We have examined him a few times and there does not appear to be anything major there - just some dry skin and a small scab which was removed. He never cries when he is doing it and has had no problems at all walking.

The last time we had him cut we asked our groomer about it who said it was probably nothing to worry about and he was probably just doing it out of habit.

Has anyone else experienced this and lend any advice before I take him to the vet ?

[Joelf]

When we got our first lab, Stella, she had chewed her front paws quite badly.

She came from Battersea Dogs Home & was picked up by them as a stray & the Home suggested that the chewed paws were a sign of the stress & boredom she was under, being kennelled in a strange & noisy environment.

However once she had settled down with us her paws healed & she never chewed them again throughout her life so I think they were probably right!!

[Helen]

She's not walking anywhere near young nettles is she?

[Nicola]

Paw chewing can be stress related but I'd take him to the vet for a check as well, as Helen said it could be a nettle sting reaction but dogs can also get mites between their toes which cause them to itch. Has he been scratching his ears as well?

[PennyB]

They can also get yeast infections in their paws (you can use malasseb from vets for that) which may be the cause of the dry skin

[JB]

Thank you for your comments.

He does not appear stressed and I have only notice him do it over the last few weeks and there have been no major changes in circumstances I am not sure it would be through boredom.

Ok maybe it is going to a trip the vets.

[JaspersMum]

I'm no expert, but when Jasper went through a phase of chewing paws, I was advised that it can be a form of transfering pain relief to an area they can get to IYSWIM, Jasper was having some anal gland issues at the time, when that was sorted, the paw chewing stopped. He couldn't chew his glands, so chewed his feet instead.

I'd get a general check up at the vets and not concentrate soley on the paws.

[JenSam]

Sam was doing this for a couple of days and the vet thought it might have been down the grit or even just dirt outside from his walk.  She said to shower his paws when I brought him back in, rather than just drying his paws with a towel, as this just rubs the dirt into his skin causing irritation.

We've been doing this and he's stopped chewing his paws now.

[Beth]

Lucy used to chew her paws terribly, to the point of chewing the skin right off of her pads in her case it was caused by allergies. I now have her on an additive free diet and most of the time she's fine, but still relapses occasionally when stressed or at certain times of year (maybe due to types of pollen. ) 

[caro]

I'm no expert, but when Jasper went through a phase of chewing paws, I was advised that it can be a form of transfering pain relief to an area they can get to IYSWIM, Jasper was having some anal gland issues at the time, when that was sorted, the paw chewing stopped. He couldn't chew his glands, so chewed his feet instead.

I'd get a general check up at the vets and not concentrate soley on the paws.

This is exactly what our vet said when I took Fern in for the same thing!

[JB]

Actually, we had a little girl about a month ago and that's roughly how long he has been doing it for so maybe stress could be a cause. He has never shown any animosity towards her, comes to say hello to her , tries to licks her sometimes (which we try and stop - not hygenic) and hasn't sulked as he feels left out which we thought he may do.

He is due to be groomed next Fri, we will get him cut and then take him to the vet so his paws will be a lot easier to examine. He looks like a golden teddy bear at the moment.

[ludo]

Hi - I got some Thornit today for Dax's ears as a preventative - from the enclosed leaflet it seems that the ear mite can travel from the ear along the skin to the feet - it can cause severe itching to the feet particularly between the toes  it goes onto explain that tests at the vet ie: skin scrapings don't show up anything - the leaflet recommends treating the feet as well as the ears and to treat the end of long ears as well - apparently the ear mite is picked up from grass and is dropped by fox's.  You learn something every day!  Maybe it would be worth trying it?  I did Dax's front paws because he has been nibbling on them (just in case) 

[Smudgesmum]

Hi - I got some Thornit today for Dax's ears as a preventative - from the enclosed leaflet it seems that the ear mite can travel from the ear along the skin to the feet - it can cause severe itching to the feet particularly between the toes  it goes onto explain that tests at the vet ie: skin scrapings don't show up anything - the leaflet recommends treating the feet as well as the ears and to treat the end of long ears as well - apparently the ear mite is picked up from grass and is dropped by fox's.  You learn something every day!  Maybe it would be worth trying it?  I did Dax's front paws because he has been nibbling on them (just in case) 

That is so interesting , had no idea. Shall go and put some Thornits on Smudge's paws and bottom of his ears as he has been foot chewing today so worth a try especially as he has been rolling in fox poo