We have a 4 month old pug and he tends to chew on his paws. He has been chewing on his thumbs and mostly on the front paws. His chews on his paws until they are pink and a little bit swolen.
Why is he doing this and is there any way to stop him? Will he grow out of it?
He also doesn't this do this constantly. He just does it once in a while.
Thanks.
2007-06-12 15:07:31 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
His nails are definetly not too long. I clipped them regularly.
2007-06-13 04:10:31 · update #1
Food allergies often present in the skin and coat; paws in particular. The type of cells that are in your nose and make it itch when you have an allergy, are also found in the dog's paws. He chews to scratch the itch. Pugs are notorious for having skin and coat sensitivities, anyway.
If there is nothing there I would check his diet; read your bag; corn and wheat are two of the worst offenders, also they are two of the most common ingredients in most of the grocery store brands. Get him on a quality food like Canidae or Wellness; perhaps even Wellness Fish and Sweet Potato. All are corn, wheat, and soybean free.
http://www.canidae.com/
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/wellness/dog_wellness_dry_index.html
Benadryl will relieve itching but you need to discern the underlying cause, not just dope up the dog.
2007-06-12 15:12:52 · answer #1 · answered by Karen W 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some dogs do this when they are bored, sort of like a person chewing his nails. Occasionally the paws will be itchy because of an allergy--many dogs have grass allergies, and food allergies can also cause itchy skin.
My 13 year old dog still sucks on and chews his paws and gnaws on his nails when he has nothing better to do.
I wouldn't worry about it unless your dog was seriously harming himself. If it really bothers you, there is an ointment for dogs that you can buy in pet stores (I got it at Petsmart)--it includes Lidocaine, a painkiller;cortisone, an antiinflammatory; and an antiseptic, along with something bitter-tasting to discourage chewing. I put this on my dog's paw when she cut it badly, to keep her from licking it constantly, and it worked great.
2007-06-12 15:18:12 · answer #2 · answered by Katharine M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you ruled out the possability that there may be something stuck in his foot pads, or that his nails are to long? this can cause the chewing. also he should have had his dew claws (The ones on the sides of his front feet) removed when he was little. They can get caught on things when they are outside. If he still has them you should keep them trimmed short like the toenails are.
2007-06-12 15:12:38 · answer #3 · answered by Lisa R. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you checked his paws to make sure something isn't embedded? Other than that I'm not sure why he does this. Maybe it's just his urge to chew. Try to substitute a chew toy when you catch him chewing on his paws.
2007-06-12 15:22:08 · answer #4 · answered by Sptfyr 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs can become OCD just like humans, and some are even put on prescriptions for it. Just to cover all your non-medical bases, make sure your pup is getting enough mental stimulation, excersize, play, activities, social events, etc. Then if you notice it's only during certain times, when you're not home, stressful thunderstorms, catch him doing it, tell him to stop and distract him with doing something else. Keep on it or he will fall back 10x worse. Seasonal allergies are something to think of also, it can effect redness or itchiness on pads, ears, eyes, bellies.
2007-06-12 15:17:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The most common cause of this is food allergies. Change the food, New Balance fish and potato is a good brand. He may take a few days to stop.
2007-06-12 15:13:35 · answer #6 · answered by Joanna 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of dogs that chew and scratch until it is raw or swollen usually have some type of rash. My neighbors dog did that and they found out that he was allergic to wheat. U should take him to a vet they'll know what to do.
2007-06-12 15:17:07 · answer #7 · answered by KT 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The answer about allergies is probably right on; I have a lab that has constant itching...not just food allergies but pollen, dust, etc. She gets benadryl to help control it and the ear problems too.
2007-06-12 15:21:11 · answer #8 · answered by saurus3118 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My dog does that around the beginning of Spring. It's allergies in my dog. I would make sure there's nothing in his paw first though.
2007-06-12 15:47:42 · answer #9 · answered by MemphisGal 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Food allergies. Dogs are highly allergic to grains. #1 cause of allergies in dogs.
Please look for a grain free dog food.
Google: dog + food + grain free
If you really want to make sure your dog is healthy and stays that way...
www.rawmeatybones.com
Good luck.
2007-06-12 15:15:07 · answer #10 · answered by Jocelyn7777 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋