Isabel964 Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 (edited) My Westie is 10 months old and she chews her paws. I check all the time and make sure there is nothing in there like prickles, or grass or anything to irritate her, but she chews and chews. I bought the bitter spray and really soaked her paws in it, but she still chews them! Why is she chewing them? Its as if they are itchy but I can not see why. Its only the front ones They are going red from the saliva and I worry about her developing sores on them if this continues. I'd be very grateful for any advice. Edited March 16, 2006 by Sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Myschafis~ Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 (edited) A behavourilist will come in here soon Edited March 16, 2006 by mickatie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 (edited) . Edited May 8, 2009 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KismetKat Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 my dog grooms her front claws - but only occasionally. She's like a kid biting her fingernails I don't worry as there is no irritation and she only does it sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wazzat Xolo Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 My Westie is 10 months old and she chews her paws. I check all the time and make sure there is nothing in there like prickles, or grass or anything to irritate her, but she chews and chews.I bought the botter spray and really soaked her paws in it, but she still chews them! Why is she chewing them? Its as if they are itchy but I can not see why. Its only the front ones They are going red from the saliva and I worry about her developing sores on them if this continues. I'd be very grateful for any advice. Hello I really sympathise with you it is awful to watch them chew and not stop,despite all your efforts. I had a small dog that was contstntly chewing his feet, it was after I got him back from a "home" where he was supposed to be looked after!!!! ( LOng Story!!) anyway after many vet visits, clonicalm was the original answer, and then it returned after a few months skin scapings ( for mites) were next and blood tests. I also had him desexed, which helps in the case of demodectic mite. I have some articles if you are interested, PM me and I can give you my email addy. Other skin allergies, such as food, or dust are possible, and flea allergies. A secondary Bacterial infection skin infection, hormonal disorders or mite infestation are more likely in older animals, but can happen. In the vets final opinion of my dog he stated that the dog had a behaviour problem and the Clonicalm helped, he still chews his feet but not to the stage they are bad its just a nervous thing now. Have you been to the vet ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Our dog went through a stage of chewing his feet. Is there any smell to the paws? You could try wetting the paws and then rubbing in some "Malaseb Medicated Foam" (available at pet shops and vets) for about 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. If there is any bacteria or micro-organisms on the paws then this should help clear them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 I would stick some chilli on them but i could be wrong... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Please don't do this!!! Westies are prone to allergies and you could hurt him badly and damage your relationship if you put chili on his feet!!! You will need to be able to bath, and apply other medications to him with out fuss. allergies are hard work. Please consult your vet and talk about getting a referral to a dermatologist. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 There have been several previous postings on chewing feet problems, so if you do a search here you will find the threads. Some suggestions include malaseb, ban itch, woolwash, listerine etc etc. If however the chewing has been going on for a long time and the feet are red raw then you should seek vet help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Have you checked in between her toes? Are they red or even slighty pink, if so, she may have an allergy... Perhaps take her to the vet just to be sure, that all is OK... I use malaseb to bathe Ollie's paws when they use fertiliser at the park where we walk, as he get red, itchy paws and tends to chew them... Good luck Jodie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 What is her diet? She may be allergic to something there - many dogs constantly chew or lick because of what they are eating. If she is getting dry food, does it contain wheat, soy or corn? These are common allergens in people as well as dogs. Soy is especially toxic. Dogs do not need grains. Are there any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives? Ethoxyquin? BHA? Any chemicals can upset an immune system that is trying to cope with an allergy - just puts more strain on it. Try some cold-pressed flaxseed oil each day to provide lots of omega-3s to help itc hy skin - works very well with terriers! Also a single zinc tablet each day should make a huge difference. It is very helpful with all sorts of skin irritations, even flea allergies. (They even put zinc oxide in "Curash" baby powder for nappy rash) Try these measures first, before resorting to any chemicals - sounds like her system is already overloaded. As skin problems usually indicate something is wrong with the system, try to treat the whole dog before the symptom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagsalot Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Riley chews his paws. Vet said he's got the equivilent of excema (sp) on his paws which itches so he licks them. That and a bit of anxiety. We got some tablets which cleared up his feet and he's stopped licking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katetk Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 I would try some malesab as suggested leave on for 10 or so minutes and rinse and DRY well. Check out your garden too - although if it was something like that you would think it would be all paws? Is she stressed at all? What is her diet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 This could be a psychological problem rather than a physical one, anxiety and boredom are two things which can trigger this sort of obsessive behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InspectorRex Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Westies are prone to an inherited condition called Atopic Dermatitis or Atopy. Ethical Westies breeders know all about this and are doing their best to breed it out of their lines. Your puppy needs to be referred to a Veterinary Dermatologist for intradermal skin testing . without knowing what allergens set your dog off you are only playing a guessing game.A local Vet is not qualified to do this form of testing. Both Zayda and I have had to go through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Have a look under the recent thread on Grass Allergy for a reply by Rappie who is a vet, he has mentioned in this and a previous post that I had read that he is happy for people from DOL to pm him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ci Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Have you been to the vet to make sure she doesn't have an allergy? Mine do this when their allergies play up and I have herbs for my two which work wonders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnauzer Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Apart from the obvious allergies, make sure you are grooming your dogs feet properly. Most terriers will chew at their feet if they have any knots between/above the toes. Cut/brush them out. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabel964 Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 Thank you verymuch. You are so terrific. To answer a few questions: She is fed Innova, so there is nothing bad in that that I know of. I think its top quality food. She also sometimes get raw minces lamb or beef - just a bit. She is not stressed and has no anxiety. She is a very well tempered dog, well adjusted, thrilled with life and loves her sister (a kelpie). She has very regular exercise and is very regularly groomed. Her feet are not red raw. Its not gone that far. There is not much in the garden but I will check out the thread on grasses. I am persisting with the bitter spray and it seems to have slowered the chewing down I will try the Malaseb foam too. I will get the cold-pressed flaxseed oil and the zinc tablets after talking it over with my vet, and I will a bsolutely look into Atopic Dermatitis or Atopy. Plus I will look into the taking her off Innova and onto food for sensitve skin if the sensitive skin food is better than the innova (I think the innova is pretty good). I'll let you know how this goes. Many thanks! Any more suggestions or PMs are always welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westielover Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Sky - try washing her feet in 'sapoderm' soap - especially if she has been running around on grass. I use it on one of my westies and it works brilliantly. Also - in winter time - be sure to dry your westies feet after a run/walk in the park. I find wet grass in winter time to be a nuisance for westies feet. I tend to walk them on the footpaths after work during winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Definately look into atopy... it usually starts showing signs at around 6 months. It isn't a nice thing for any dog to have and the sooner you see a dermatologist, the sooner you can take steps to get it under control... It may be a food allergy... Spartan chewed his feet as well as had a bad scratching problem - turned out he was allergic to chicken... I had to change his diet a couple of times in order to find the real problem and this takes time and patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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