Is it normal for dogs licking their paws non stop.?

Question

My 3 yr old dog is a small breed half Bijon and half pikingnese. He is constantly licking his paws and all over his body . I thought only cats are supose t do that. Is it normal? Thanks for answering my question.

Answer 1

If this is a constant thing, bring him to the Vet. Sometimes they have pain or allergies or skin irratation from food. It can also be something emotional.

Answer 2

My Jack Russell does that especially when he's nervous which is 95% of the time or when we ignore him. He licks all the hair off. We went to the Vet many times to see if it was something else but everything is normal.

If your dog is constantly licking, biting and chewing herself or pulling her fur out, the first thing to do is visit your veterinarian. These are often signs of health conditions that need medical attention. Pain and discomfort from more serious problems, as well as from minor skin conditions, can cause a dog to chew herself, so please, do not try to diagnose the problem yourself. See your vet.

Usually when the ailment troubling your dog goes away, so does the self mutilating behavior. Sometimes the behavior continues as a habit even though the health problem is long gone.

Many dogs have excess nervous energy and no where to vent the stress, so they develop a habit or pastime of licking themselves raw. Other dogs actually learn this behavior because their owners make such a fuss over them whenever they indulge in such activities. It doesn't take long for Rover to realize this is quick and easy way to gain instant attention and affection.

The key to stopping this self mutilation habit is distraction - giving the dog something else to do and not unintentionally rewarding the dog. First, be sure to provide your dog with plenty of opportunity to run, play, exercise and vent her energy. A well exercised, trained and happy dog is not likely to have to relieve stress or entertain herself by self mutilation.

Answer 3

Health department codes ban all except actual service dogs from food sale, preparation and serving establishments. If you see one in violation, report them. It annoys the crap out of me here when I see people sneaking their purse dogs into the grocery section of Wal Mart - and not all the employees do a damn thing about it. Leaving dog in a car? OH HELL NO. And I do mean NEVER. In many states it's illegal, and constitutes cruelty. Out here (AZ) it could be a death sentence, even in winter. If a pet owner is going somewhere they can't take their pet, the pet should be at home. As for places like Home Depot and Petsmart that allow dogs where there are no health considerations - not being mean - that's not the pet owner's problem. If you have a phobia of dogs, I'd suggest you get treatment for it. There are plenty of pet friendly places you'd be shutting yourself out of otherwise. And since service dogs are allowed everywhere and true service animals are essential to some people just getting around, it's all the more places you can legitimately run into dogs. There's no surefire way to avoid all dogs in public places - but you sure CAN report food establishments that are in violation of the law. And IMO, you should.

Answer 4

No, this is not normal. I had a cocker spaniel who would actually lick her left paw until it bled. After many allergy tests at the vet, we found out she was hyper-sensitive to most foods. The only dog food she could tolerate were those with a venison base. Try switching food, and good luck with your pup!

Answer 5

Constant licking can be allergies or a behavioral problem.
My mom's shitzu does this, it was a combination of allergies and not getting enough attention. Drives my mom nuts. He's on some type of allergy meds, but he also started doing it because his former owner was too busy for him. (so the vet thinks)

Answer 6

My dog does this all the time to keep herself clean.

If your dog seems to be doing this for an unreasonable amount of time, try taking her to the vet. She may have something stuck in them that got stuck in her paws.

Answer 7

My dog has allergies. She licks her paws pretty much raw everytime pollen in the air. Our vet gave us medication for it. Get it checked out.

Answer 8

my dog did that...her name is Mandi, She is a basset Hound....its because she is allergic to fleas....and she is also allergic to flea meds, does your dogs paws swell up after he-she licks them for awhile?? if so thats probly whats going on. I use this stuff called Hot Spot on her paws...she doesnt like it cuz it has a pain killer and it kinda stings at first...but it helps her alot...hope that helps..you can get the hot spot stuff at petco, a vets office or at like a feed store.

Answer 9

I have never seen a dog constantly lick there paws unless there is something in it. Have you checked? Mabey the shampoo you use is irratating to him. (her)

Answer 10

Excessive grooming is a sign of stress in an animal. I would check with the vet.