It is not uncommon for a dog to lick its paws on occasion. For example, a dog licks his paws a lot before going to sleep after going for a walk and his paws, specifically his feet, have become dirty or give off a particularly interesting odor
But an insistent licking focused on one leg or more than one indicates the presence of a problem, which may be physical or psychological, as we will see in this article on our site about why my dog licks his pawsIt is necessary to go to the veterinarian to obtain an accurate diagnosis and the corresponding treatment.
My dog licks his paws compulsively
If our dog licks his paws non-stop, our first step should be carefully examine the area towards which he is directing his licked. Normally, it is usually the skin between the fingers, especially the front legs. Being an area in continuous contact with the ground, there may have been a wound or a thorn, splinter or similar. In that case, if it is a minor injury, we can disinfect it at home and check that it is progressing well.
If there is a foreign body lodged, if we see it clearly, we can remove it with tweezers and then clean the area. If we do not succeed or the wound is serious, we must go to the veterinarian. But there are other causes of this paw licking, such as atopic dermatitis, pododermatitis or interdigital cysts, as well as psychological problems.
In order to heal your pet, you may find this other article on our site on Dog Wounds - First Aid useful.
Causes of paw licking in dogs
To find out why our dog licks his paws, you have to go to the vet. It is important to tackle the problem early because, otherwise, we will see that the dog licks its paws and gets injuries as a result of that excessive licking This situation can complicate the picture with infections. Behind the licking of paws in dogs, we highlight the following physical disorders, since we contemplate the psychological ones in another section:
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Atopic dermatitis: this is an allergic reaction that triggers itching, which e
