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Obsessive Licking Of Paws


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Hi everyone,

Nibbler has an obession with licking her paws and it's driving me crazy.She is constantly doing it all the time and when I tell her to stop she does for about a minute then starts again.I'm always yelling at her(not the best training method I know :kissbetter: ) but my voice can't take much more of it. I've heard they do it because they're bored and it's just something to do.Is that right?

She even does it after a good bout of exercise too.

Does anyone have any training tips or ideas I can use to make her stop all together?

Thanks :hug:

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Hi there,

Paw licking can be a boredom-based and/or compulsive behaviour but it can also be related to pain. I have seen paw licking manifest in dogs with arthritis or other types of pain. In this case the paw licking is almost a displacement behaviour (?) or perhaps the dog finds it soothing.

Might be worth exploring the cause more extensively...

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maybe she has a dermititis rash/allergy.. ask the vet to do swab and wash the area in SALINE. there is also a spray called "stop chew" or somethin like that. as long as the dog hasnt got an open wound,spray it on the area and it shld prevent her from licking..hope this helps

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Guest rhapsodical78
Hi everyone,

Nibbler has an obession with licking her paws and it's driving me crazy.She is constantly doing it all the time and when I tell her to stop she does for about a minute then starts again.I'm always yelling at her(not the best training method I know :kissbetter: ) but my voice can't take much more of it. I've heard they do it because they're bored and it's just something to do.Is that right?

She even does it after a good bout of exercise too.

Does anyone have any training tips or ideas I can use to make her stop all together?

Thanks :hug:

I'd check out potential allergies first of all. Some dogs are allergic to grass.

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Hi there,

Paw licking can be a boredom-based and/or compulsive behaviour but it can also be related to pain. I have seen paw licking manifest in dogs with arthritis or other types of pain. In this case the paw licking is almost a displacement behaviour (?) or perhaps the dog finds it soothing.

Might be worth exploring the cause more extensively...

I'm pretty sure it's a compulsive behaviour.Definitely not pain or boredom.

What's displacement behaviour?

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maybe she has a dermititis rash/allergy.. ask the vet to do swab and wash the area in SALINE. there is also a spray called "stop chew" or somethin like that. as long as the dog hasnt got an open wound,spray it on the area and it shld prevent her from licking..hope this helps

I was thinking of stop chew aswell.I can't see any signs of rash or allergy.She licks the top and the bottom of her paws as well as her hind paws too.

Could she have a rash that's not visible?

Edited by luvabull
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I was a vet nurse for 15 years. My advice to you would be to go see your vet asap. Yes, especially as you have a British Bull Terrier the root cause of the problem could be obsessive compulsive/anxiety related. However, it could also be something as simple as a mild skin infection or something more serious. It may be something called inter-digital dermatitis. It can have a fungal origin, an auto-immune (allergic) origin, all sorts. Many many things. I suggest the best way is to go and see a doggy health professional to get a clear pic of what is going on. Don't waste time trying to figure out if it is behavioural or not at this stage cos even if it is, the licking will have caused skin trauma and secondary problems. Really, a vet is absolutely the best person to give you advice in this instance, the sooner the better :kissbetter:

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I was a vet nurse for 15 years. My advice to you would be to go see your vet asap. Yes, especially as you have a British Bull Terrier the root cause of the problem could be obsessive compulsive/anxiety related. However, it could also be something as simple as a mild skin infection or something more serious. It may be something called inter-digital dermatitis. It can have a fungal origin, an auto-immune (allergic) origin, all sorts. Many many things. I suggest the best way is to go and see a doggy health professional to get a clear pic of what is going on. Don't waste time trying to figure out if it is behavioural or not at this stage cos even if it is, the licking will have caused skin trauma and secondary problems. Really, a vet is absolutely the best person to give you advice in this instance, the sooner the better :hug:

Thanks for the info Arya :kissbetter:

By the way, my lot are American Pitbulls :laugh:

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Obsessive paw licking can also be the result of DIET.

Certain ingredients in a dogs' diet can expell certain toxins that release through the pores in the skin and cause irritation.

It's well documented that when dogs change from Complete food to BARF, paw licking starts, as the old Toxins start being expelled completely from th dogs' body.

It also causes ganky eyes too (another port for Toxin release)

HTH

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Obsessive paw licking can also be the result of DIET.

Certain ingredients in a dogs' diet can expell certain toxins that release through the pores in the skin and cause irritation.

It's well documented that when dogs change from Complete food to BARF, paw licking starts, as the old Toxins start being expelled completely from th dogs' body.

It also causes ganky eyes too (another port for Toxin release)

HTH

Barf or otherwise, inter-digital licking won't be solved by any amount of food once fungi or bacteria set in. Hence the need for a visit to a vet!!! :kissbetter:

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Yep its a visit to the vet IMO. Our yellow boy has a scratching, chewing thing happening and has had for about 3 years. Vet can't find the cause, diet, grasses, any number of possibilities but we have go give him a tablet every three or four days and it keeps it at bay.

Check your yard for plants that are known to irritate dogs and cats, I really only know some of their common names but things like - creeping jesus, olive oil plant, even pattersons curse can irritate.

We have trid stop chew and other products but nothing works.

Good luck

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My border always licks and chews between his pads. I could not and cannot see anything, but after a vet visit there is a fungal infection that itches him, and of course, licking it makes it worse as it keeps it damp. I need to wash his feet in Malaseb every day for a week and it goes away, but it does come back so I just need to keep washing his feet. It will never go away completely, I just have to manage it. From what you're saying I think that this is the case. Vet visit will confirm and you can manage it from there.

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Another vote for an allergy.

Minka has atopic dermatisis, and you can get tablets from the vet.

Minka likes to bite them, and when you tell her off she just starts licking them, as if to say "I wasn't biting my paws, honest, I was only licking!"

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Obsessive paw licking can also be the result of DIET.

Certain ingredients in a dogs' diet can expell certain toxins that release through the pores in the skin and cause irritation.

It's well documented that when dogs change from Complete food to BARF, paw licking starts, as the old Toxins start being expelled completely from th dogs' body.

It also causes ganky eyes too (another port for Toxin release)

HTH

Barf or otherwise, inter-digital licking won't be solved by any amount of food once fungi or bacteria set in. Hence the need for a visit to a vet!!! :cry:

Did I say otherwise :rofl:

I was simply trying to help the OP by giving another possible reason for the behaviour.

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