What Does It Mean If Your Dog Licks Its Paws

If the licking is limited to one paw then this often suggests that the source of trouble is right there on the paw.

Often times excessive licking of the paws is due to one of three underlying causes. Ears can itch and or become infected runny nose and watery eyes can be present but less frequently. An older dog licking near a joint is a frequent first sign of arthritis. Why dogs lick their paws.

If you find your dog licking excessively more frequently after trips to the park or a walk around the block it s likely they have an environmental allergy. Atopy the equivalent of hay fever in people food allergies. Dogs tend to clean their paws by licking or chewing them when dirty. Allergies and parasites can cause itchy paws and aggressive licking.

Even dogs that don t do a lot of self grooming will occasionally clean their paws. A change in diet can help. To establish whether your dog has an environmental allergy it can help to rinse your dog off when returning from a walk to see if this improves their symptoms. If your dog suddenly starts licking their paws then it is usually indicative of pain or irritation especially if they are licking only one paw.

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If your dog is a fastidious groomer you may notice him licking his paws after meals while settling down for a nap or after coming in from outdoors after meals. If you notice your dog excessively licking their paws after going for a walk it may be an allergy to something in their environment grass pesticides or plants. Dogs typically lick their paws as a part of self grooming. This is considered healthy and normal.

But when your dog licks or chews too much even if their paws don t look dirty then it is time to start looking for the underlying cause for their behavior. Not only does excessive licking cause discomfort for your dog but it is often due to an underlying medical problem. Red and inflamed paw pads from excessive licking and chewing brown saliva stains on paw pads due to excessive licking shaking head and ears. Similar to felines some dogs also like to lick their paws to clean their faces.

Skin cancer and tumors in the feet can cause the pet to lick their paws to relieve the sensation caused by the disease. Symptoms of environmental allergies can include increased sneezing running eyes paw licking itchy skin and rashes. In rare cases the licking could be due to cancer.