If you’ve ever been subjected to the cringeworthy, repetitive, “schlurp… schlurp…” sound of a dog obsessively licking their paws, you’ll know that recurrent paw licking can be an annoying problem for owners as well as pets!

Here, we’ll dig into some common causes of paw irritation in dogs.

Why does my dog lick their paws?

Some degree of paw licking is normal in pets, allowing them to clean off substances caught in their fur or between their toes.

However, if your pet is licking frequently at their paws, it may indicate an underlying problem. Signs that your dog is licking at their paws excessively can include:

• Your pet developing pink-brown saliva staining of the fur between their toes
• Your pet developing red skin irritation between their toes or underneath their paws
• Your pet being difficult to distract from the paw licking activity

What are some common causes of problematic paw licking?

• Allergies

This is the most common cause of excessive paw licking in dogs and can be secondary to atopy (environmental allergies), contact allergies or food allergies. Pets with underlying allergies are also more prone to developing secondary skin infections that can rapidly worsen their problem.

• Claw issues, foreign bodies, or other injuries

If your pet is focusing on a particular area of one paw, it’s a good idea to check the area for any issues such as broken claws, lumps, or wounds that could indicate that something is stuck in their skin (like glass or a grass seed).

• Behavioural

If we rule out other medical issues, we may diagnose behavioural paw licking secondary to issues such as anxiety or an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

If you notice that your pet appears to be licking at their paws a lot, we’d recommend a prompt check-up with our skin-savvy vets. We’ll nail that paw irritation in no time!