Our Bull Terrier is constantly biting her nails and paws...why?

Question

We have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (our moose!) and she is obsessed with biting at, licking or picking at her front paws and hind leg feet. Her nails are not long, but should have a trim soon before they do get long.

Question is, why is she doing this?

She is quite active (very spunky!), is 7 years old...is well-fed and groomed and loved. Our environment isn't chaotic, but our 4 year old does, at times, play hard with her. Could it be boredom? Stress? OCD? Is it time to call a vet?

Answer 1

I would recommend taking her to see a vet. The biting and licking could vey possibly be caused by a skin infection or a type of dermatitis. This is very common and fairly easy to treat once you have a correct diagnosis. My shih-tzu/Poo was doing the same thing and after having the vet do a skin test, it was found that he had allergys to dust mites. He is now on a twice daily dose of diphenhydramine(benadryl). This has completely stopped the behavior.
Dogs can have allergies to many of the same things that people do. She may have an allergy to some ingredient in her food, certain chemicals in carpeting can also be the culprit. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what the cause is and the vet may recommend doing allergy tests to determine what they may be. There is also an isolation diet that may be recommended. This is done by feeding food that doesn't have certain additives and then adding one at a time every couple of days to see if it is one certain thing that is causing the problem.
So, take her to the vet, explain what is going on and see what they recommend as a course of treatment.
It is usually safe to give your dog a dose of benadryl at home to see if this helps. This correct dose is 5ml(mg) per 10 pounds of body weight. Using the liquid mixed with a small amount of wet food works well. Just be sure to use the regular benadryl(generic is fine as long as the only ingredient is the diphenhydramine). Don't use the children's type or the ones that are mixed with other things. This should be given twice a day, every twelve hours.
Good Luck!! I hope this helps you and your pooch out.

Answer 2

Without being able to see his feet/paws to determine if any alopecia ( hair loss) or redness are present, my first instinct would to think allergies. Allergies are very common whether that be a food allergy, grass allergy, or a seasonal allergy, licking/biting at the feet is a common sign of allergies. Now, if there is any nail biting, that is something that some breeds of dogs do normally, but you can not rule that out as a part of an allergy reaction as well. You need to consider what you are feeding - Caliornia Natural is an awesome food choice that has a simple, small protein unlike protein sources found in most dog foods. Also, make sure you are not bathing her too frequently, as it can remove too much oil oil from the skin. Try bathing no more than every 2 weeks with an Oatmeal Shampoo. You can also supplement on top of food with Derm Caps which are oils to help with dry skin/hair. You can also try Benadryl - just the regular, basic Original Benadryl at 1 mg/per lb of dog weight to help combat the histamine reaction once daily. Keep in mind what you are feeding is ULTRA important. You will be amazed if you feed an ultra premium simple protein food..you will see great results with skin, ears infections, hot spots and much more! If you choose a different food, pls. choose one that has not corn anything, no beet pulp or by products! Hope this helps. You can email me if you need anything further. I really think switching her food to California Natural will do wonders, but if not, depending on the severity of her allergy, you may a steroid injection/pills for the intermin. Good Luck!!

Answer 3

Just a guess but it could be allergies. Over the years I have come in contact with many dogs of different breeds who have had allergies and do exactly what your pooch is doing. Could be from grass, chemicals on grass, or just a plain old allergy to almost anything. I would check it out with a vet for sure. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Staffies and other bully breeds seem to be naturally "bouncy" (my baby is) and need LOTS of exercise and activity both to relieve stress and to keep in shape. They're great running partners -

They are also sometimes prone to sensitive skin - especially as they age. Do her paws smell strongly of "infection?" If so, she may have hotspots or extremely sensitive skin that breaks out easily.

Consider taking her to a vet and have her tested for allergies. There may be some kind of irritant - like cleaning chemicals or grass or something else that may be causing her to itch and chew.

Answer 5

I would see a vet just to rule out allergies. Seen lots of dogs this summer who had similar symptoms and were ruled as allergies. They will ask if she does this all year round or just seasonally. They will check her ears and her stomach for any pink coloration. It could also be some of the things you mentioned above but I wouldn't rule out allergies especially since it almost harvesting time and there is a lot crap in the air right now. I am miserable right now dogs can be miserable just like us.

Answer 6

It sounds like she is exhibiting symptoms of inhalant allergies. Take her to the vet for treatment before the chewing and biting becomes an obsession.

Answer 7

It could be due to environmental allergies especially if there's any redness when you look at the skin between her toes. If it is allergies you can give her allergy medicine but you should ask you vet which one to give and at what dosage.

Answer 8

I'am not sure about your breed of dog. I have a boxer that is sensitive to the corn in dog food. She does the same thing when she eats corn and corn meal. Try asking your vet.

Answer 9

i have four pitbulls and only our youngest male does this....my boyfriend always told me they are just grooming themselves when they do this and trimming their toe nails (however we also take them to get them clipped)...as for licking her hind leg i've only seen stressed dogs do this...but it could very well be out of boredom take her for long walks to go out in the country and take her for a run with the other dogs

Answer 10

Your dogs has allergies...take her to the vet and they can give you some meds. And you can also give her children's Benedrly. I have to give this to my yorkie sometimes and it seems to help him out. I just give about .05 ml with a syringe. I've asked by vet about it and he said its ok to give him benedrly.