In most cases, this is normal behavior—dogs bite their paws to clean them, remove debris they may have picked up outside, scratch a little itch, or even out of boredom.
Redirect your pet from licking or chewing on their own skin by giving them a Kong toy, Nylabone, or other dental chew. Use physical deterrents, such as no-lick strips, E-collars, and booties to prevent your pet from continuing to lick or chew certain areas of the body.
When dogs lick their paws excessively, a build-up of porphyrins from the saliva turns the fur around the area pink or rusty red. Over time, the stains can turn a darker brown. While the staining is only unsightly, excessive licking is often a sign of an underlying medical or behavioral issue.
Chewing Several Paws
Dogs who chronically chew several paws can do this due to habit or stress, but it's also a tell-tale sign of skin allergy. In humans, allergies like hay-fever cause itchy eyes and a runny nose. In dogs allergies cause itchy skin and ears.
Dog Paw Allergies
Allergies are common and can be caused by the environment, food, or an irritant that comes into contact with your dog's skin. Redness, dark pigmentation, or brown staining on the paws from constant licking may be signs of allergies.
Repeatedly licking their paws can be a sign that they are stressed or anxious, or could suggest that they are in pain, feeling nauseous, uncomfortable or itchy."
Clean your dog's paws — For redness that may be caused by yeast infections or allergies, or for redness caused by an object that you easily removed, follow up by cleaning your dog's affected paw with a medicated shampoo and warm water.
A sad dog might show a lack of interest in activities that he or she once enjoyed such as going for walks or playing outside. They can also seem withdrawn from people including their owner. Additionally, dogs will hide or avoid people if they are physically injured.
ACV will soothe the irritation on paws that are infected by bacteria due to excessive licking and scratching. Soak the paws of your pooch in two-part water to one part Apple Cider Vinegar bath for 5 minutes. Just pat dry the paws and do not rinse them.
Is petroleum jelly safe for dog paws? Yes! We recommend a paw balm such as Paw Soother or Musher's Secret, but if you need something in a pinch, petroleum jelly works just fine.
Symptoms of a yeast infection include red, itchy skin, discolouration, and a sweet, musty odour. If a yeast infection is present in the paws (one of the most common areas), the paws will become red and itchy, and there may even be a brown discharge present in the nail beds.
Hydrocortisone cream for dogs is often used to treat the following problems: Calm irritations such as rashes and bug bites. Skin allergies.
You can apply petroleum jelly or a moisturizer just for dog paws if they seem scraped. If they're bleeding, wash the wounds, apply antibiotic ointment and bandage them carefully, leaving the toes exposed if possible. Deep wounds may require a visit to the vet.
Sudocrem. This can be used in dogs and cats in small amounts. Sudocrem contains zinc-oxide which is highly toxic to birds. Zinc-oxide is also toxic to dogs and cats if ingested in large quantities, but applying a thin layer of sudocrem to sore or irritated skin is generally safe and can be beneficial.
Biting their paws due to stress
Your dog may be secretly licking or chewing their paws if they still show signs of bleeding or soreness. For dogs with separation anxiety, it is common for them to bite their paws whilst you're not there, due to feeling anxious or stressed about being left alone.
Boredom, anxiety, and stress can cause your pup to lick their paws obsessively. They may have a favorite paw but will often lick at both front paws and sometimes their back feet for entertainment or to help them relax.
A dog with yeast infections on their paws can have red, irritated, and itchy paws. The underside of the paws, between the pads, is affected most often, but yeast can occur anywhere on the paws. Sometimes a brown discharge can be seen in the nail beds.
Nailbed infections (paronchia) – Your dog may seem to pay a lot of attention to their feet, licking or chewing at the toes or nails. If you look closely, the nailbed might seem sticky or brownish and the skin around the nail may look pink, shiny or swollen. Crusty or hairless areas around the mouth.
Signs of an infection in the paws include licking and chewing the paws, redness, swelling, pain, itching, and drainage. Typically, the skin between the toes and other skin folds is affected with itching, redness, and greasy discharge. Sometimes, brown discoloration of the nails.
Natural antiseptics include turmeric, coconut oil, aloe vera and witch hazel. For a spicy antiseptic concoction that will also help with inflammation—and prevent licking, because most dogs don't love the smell—mix turmeric from your spice cabinet with aloe vera in a 1:1 ratio and smooth it on the scrape.
Camphor is commonly found in topical pain or arthritis body rubs. Examples of some common trade names containing camphor include Carmex, Tiger Balm, Vicks VapoRub, Campho-Phenique, etc. Camphor is readily absorbed across the skin, and should never be applied to dogs or cats due to risks for poisoning.
If you find that your pup's paws are dry or cracked, you can use coconut oil to help soothe and heal them. Make sure to rub the coconut oil thoroughly into your dog's paws, or your dog will mistake this treatment for a snack and lick off all of the oil!