How can I deter my dog from chewing it's paws? Started after being in dog kennel for a few days.?

Answer 1

you may consider seeing a vet. chewing of the paws is often a sign of allergy problems and if left to get worse, your dog could develop a wound, which he would continue to chew and lick at, making things worse. he may have something stuck in there (sometimes grass seeds get wedged in there). if the vet determines its none of the above, you have a behavioral problem, and your vet will have ideas on how to deter the problem! :)

Answer 2

I don't like dog kennels. I don't know how yours works, but when I worked in one I couldn't believe how they treated the animals. They would taken them out once in the morning for a walk while someone else cleaned the cages. Sometimes they didn't get all the water out of the cages before putting the dog back in. I'm guessing your dog just has sensitive paws from whatever soap they used to clean the kennels, and possible had to stand in some water, which has probably caused her paw pads to soften. Something you can do to help her out is soak her paws in epsom salts, this will get whatever irritant there is out. Make sure they are dried very well, especially between the pads. If she persists in chewing, take her to the vet, she may have a fungal infection. Good luck!

Answer 3

Since this started after being in the kennel, I would recommend checking your dog's paws for any obstructions or cracked nails, but my guess is that he picked this up from being bored in the cage at the kennel. I got my dog from a no kill shelter that he had spent a year in. He had all sorts of bad habits that I had to help him break. He chewed his paws, his tail, and had a very unique hobby that he has now stopped (so thankful for that...it was definitely not something I wanted him to do when guests were over). He was also very destructive in the beginning. He is an athletic breed and was not getting enough time outdoors before. In order to get my dog to stop chewing his tail, I tried all sorts of things. I put different deterrents on his tail and that didn't stop him. What did work, was verbally telling him no and spraying him with water when he would go after his tail(my dog doesn't like the rain, so the water worked well). I also added 1 hour everyday to his playtime outside. He quickly got over his boredom and is now a healthy dog and no longer goes after his paws or his tail. This took 2 months of stopping him every time he went after it. It was much better than my vet's advice though. They said spray it and said if he doesn't stop we will amputate his tail. Needless to say I have switched vets.

Answer 4

Was this his first experience in being boarded? That could have been traumatic for him or maybe this boarding was somehow difficult for him emotionally.

Dog owners here are the ones to look to for a medical reason that a vet can help you solve.

You can get the Bach flower essence Rescue Remedy at any good health foods store. A small bottle is around $18 with tax.
Though it is used by humans it is effective in helping animals with emotional issues too. I feel it should be in every household that has pets. It covers shock, pain, trauma and fears. It is good as an emergency remedy before you can get ahold of a vet.

You shake the bottle very well and then you can put it on the dog's fur. Use it three or four times a day for at least a week. It is totally benign and can not harm your pet.

With a dog you can put four to five drops in his water bowl. Because cats don't drink much water it is better to put it on their fur.

See if it helps the dog stop chewing. You will know fairly quickly. It is preserved in alcohol and you can keep the bottle for a few years. Then if you have any other emergency with pets you will have it on hand.

Answer 5

Inspect the paw for any injury or redness. Are you sure the dog's not chewing it's nails? Some dogs will do this.

If it were my dog, I'd call the kennel and ask if they noticed this behavior from your dog while it was there.

If you are concerned, take the dog to your vet. It could be something as simple as a reaction to anything from the detergent used in the kennel for the bedding, or the grass the dog was allowed to play on could have sprayed or treated.

I wouldn't put anything on it's paws until I got a vet check.

Answer 6

You will definitely want to take the dog to a vet just to make sure there is no medical reason for the chewing. Most likely, he started the habit from being bored. Try spraying a bitter agent on his paws, such as Bitter Apple. Make sure he has lots of appropriate chew toys available, and distract him when he starts doing it again.

Answer 7

Dogs chew their paws for several reasons - firstly he may just be bored. Give him some new toys, take him for walks, and just make sure he's not bored.

Secondly, dogs do chew their paws when they have an allergy against something. If your dog is chewing his paw raw I would definately visit the vets to ask them to rule out anything - and ask about allergies.

Answer 8

well it could be a number of things...Give your dag a good bath with a good sensitive skin type dog shampoo....check for fleas or other parasites..inspect paws for foreign bodies. if none of these helps make an appointment for the vet, i had the same problem with my dog a few weeks ago and the answer for me was pretty disgusting........dogs have anal glands that sometimes need cleaned out and if they're not it makes them either drag their but across the floor or chew their feet and legs. the vet cleaned my dogs a## and she hasn't chewed them since

Answer 9

My husband said that he had put oil of cloves on its paws to deter it, or cinnamon oil. I do not know if it works. You might also try bitter apple. I don't know for sure. The bitter apple didn't work on my Rot. but did on the Boxer.

Answer 10

Bitter Apple. If that fails, mix cayenne pepper & tobasco sauce with the bitter apple. Before you use either one, wash the paws & treat with a medicant.