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Sudden Excessive Paw Licking (added photos).....


Kat's Dogs
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Just yesterday Dazzle started licking her front paws. I checked to see if anything looked wrong but it all looked good. I saw her lick her paws some more that night but I didn't really think much of it.

 

Today (just a few minutes ago) I looked over and she was licking her front paws again - they are soaking wet - I mean REALLY wet, she has been licking for awhile. She keeps trying to lick them again. I don't see anything wrong, and because it came on so fast, I didn't think it could really be allergies (also when our shih tzu had allergies she licked all four paws, not just two).

 

It is just freaking me out how wet her front paws are. Not just the bottom, the whole paw. Could it be that she is bored? (we just finished a training session about an half hour ago :rolleyes: ) Allergies? Something else I can't see?? :confused: Whatta ya think?

 

I don't know if this is at all relevant but she has also licked her butt a few times today.

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Hmmm, not sure, but I wouldn't let her keep doing it. She could cause herself problems (plus unsightly colored fur). Is it both paws? If so then I wouldn't think she has something stuck in it. If one paw, there might be something in there, see if she's concentrating on one spot or not - even though she's getting the whole paw wet.

 

The only searches I pulled up were allergies or boredom - beyond the obvious cut or splinter.

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Kat, could she be hurting from walking on hot pavement? Even if no blisters have appeared, could she have burned her paws?! I don't know how hot it's where you live, but it's prety toasty in the entire US.

Just an idea, since mine had this problem yesterday, I discovered that after our Sunday play time at the park, his paws had suffered some damage and he was licking them and even limping on his back leg. He was fine by yesterday afternoon.

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Last week it was really hot (90 - 100) but now it is back to normal (70) and she doesn't really do ANY walking on pavement. We walked on the side walk to the park (VERY short walk) about 3 days ago. We went to Agility class last night but we only did work on 3 12" jumps - so no big equipment. I have been careful after all the talk about dogs burning their paws - so, sure enough, she doesn't have any burns or sore paws from the heat.

 

She is still doing it BTW. Now it is just her right front paw but she tries to lick the the top AND bottom of the paw. She isn't limping, and I still don't see anything wrong. I don't think she is bored - we worked on some tricks for awhile but she stopped so that she could lick it. I am trying to stop her, but everytime I look at her it is like she has a fresh coat of dog slime on it! :rolleyes:

 

I still have no idea what is going on....

For some reason I am more worried about this then I was when she pooped out a worm. :eek:

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Kat, I don't think your Dazzle is bored ! Dylan obsessively started licking his foot once and I couldn't see anything at first either. I was terrified he was going to turn into a dog that eats his own tail On further inspection I saw that he had actually split his pad where his dew claw is very slightly. He stopped licking after a while though - ie; that same evening. If she does it for more than an evening, I would go to the vet. Let us know how she does.

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Like the others - I'd be pretty sure it's not boredom, with your dogs!!

 

Sounds like some sort of pain response to me - but I'd also be trying to stop it becoming a habit.

 

Do you have any foxtails or other grass seeds in your area? If it's like here, some of those seeds can be very small, but can burrow in, and migrate.

 

Any pink coloration on the hair?

 

Fungal infection? Insect bite/sting?

 

Just some random thoughts. I would probably be checking with the vet - but then you know I'm a worry wart, and my vet's best friend!!

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I put bitter apple on her paw - she stopped licking - but she did try a few times first, of course then she starts spitting and shaking her head in disgust. :rolleyes:

 

I looked really close and it looked like there may be a little bite or scratch, but then again I might be expecting to see something soooooo...

I will see how she is in the morning; see if I see that scratch - when my brain is working again. :D

 

Barb,

Not really any foxtails that I know of...

I don't see any pink color (other then the pink on her pads), or swelling.

I doubt something fungal, she has really clean feet! I will look into that a bit more though. Could be a bite (or sting). We have some bees and mosquitoes around this time of year - that is a good possibility.

 

If she is still doing lots of licking I see about calling the vet.

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We went upstairs tonight to go to bed and Daz ran into her crate as usual (she gets some treats every time she goes in - so she LOVES it :rolleyes: ). I went to the bathroom, and when I came back she was in her crate licking her paws again.

 

I was going to go and get some more bitter apple but decided that I should and try to find the scratch I mentioned earlier. Well, I found it - and some other scabs. I don't know if the scabs are just what she did to herself or what caused the licking in the first place. There are scabs only on one side of the "big pad" on each front paw. They are really little.

 

pictures:

347773443%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3257%3E234%3E5%3A%3A%3EWSNRCG%3D32339%3B8698%3B48nu0mrj

347773443%7Ffp357%3Enu%3D3257%3E234%3E5%3A%3A%3EWSNRCG%3D32339%3B86885%3A3nu0mrj

 

On one paw (second picture), the scabs look a bit oozy (is that a word?) - I would think just because she is licking them.

 

So.....is this nothing to worry about?

Should I be doing something to help them heal?

Could it be something worse?

Are they the cause of the licking?

Are they just the result of the licking?

Are they even relevant to the licking?!?!? :D

 

Any ideas....

I am still pretty worried :D ? I will be gone quite awhile tomorrow, but could take her with me if it is cool enough outside.

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Kat, poor Dazzle ! That looks really sore. I really don't think that would be caused by her licking but I have absolutely no authority to back that statement up ! I would guess that whatever has been irritating her has gotten to her and gotten worse. I would imagine that if she has been licking at this for a while, she is probably a bit distressed. Can you not get her to the vet today ( sorry, big time difference here, but you know what I mean ! ) I'm like Barb, HUGE worry wart and I'm fortunate that my vet is only 15 minutes walk away. I have actually left home at 8:45 am and called him from around the corner to see if it was ok to drop in - he opens at 9:00 :rolleyes: Keep us updated.

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Kat, sorry, me again with the burns: that's how my dog's paws looked Monday after he played on hot sand at the park the day before. It wasn't pavement, as I first wrote. It was dirt and sand, but got realy hot. I thought since he was in the water most of the time, he was ok, but kindda forgot about the walk from the pound to the car.

At least put some Neosporin on it, to avoid any infections and help healing.

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I have a female Border Collie that has episodes of obsessively licking her right front leg. She has a script for generic prozac which I start giving her as soon as I see signs of licking in that area. I give it to her for a few weeks at a time and she will stop licking for a few months.

The generic medication is inexpensive and works well.

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Anda, you just reminded me of something else we did that might have done it:

 

On Saturday we went to the beach (mostly big rocks and then some sand in the water). It wasn't hot though, actually it was pretty cool (about 60 degrees). I like the burn idea but it just isn't that hot here yet so I can't see where she would have gotten a burn from... But maybe something else got to her at the beach (a rock or shell might have scratched, then she played in the water, then got sand all in it, and so on).

 

Sadly, the vet right by the house (that nice 15 minute walk :D ) is really bad - I just don't like it at all. But we do have a GREAT vet - she is just not close. :rolleyes: I will put Neosporin on it now. It is still early and I haven't seen her licking it yet - maybe she won't at all today, maybe she will, I will have to just wait and see. We can hope it was just a one night thing.

 

If it gets worse a call to the vet is in order.

I will let you know how she is later.

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Just a thought... my dogs LOVE Neosporin. :rolleyes: They will seek me out and lick me if I have it on me somewhere. I swear they will come find me in another room as if the smell carries through the house or something. Same with the generic brand of stuff I keep in my car. So if you don't want her licking, make sure she does not find the stuff tasty first. :D

 

Allie

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Kat, you're right, she might have cut herself on some rocks, might not have been burns, just rough surface.

 

My dog got addicted to Neosporin and another ointment after his paw cut in May. Now every time my husband or I put it on ourselves, he checks his paws first, to make sure it's not on him, then comes and tries to lick it off us. He's so funny when he checks his own paws :rolleyes:

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YAYYYYYYYYY!!!

good news! :rolleyes::D

 

1. She hates neosporin! Yay!

2. She hasn't licked her paws AT ALL today! (and I haven't put anything yucky on them today either). Yay!

3. The scabs look WAY better then they did before. Yay!!!!

 

So I think she will be alright. Of course I will keep a close eye on them for infection until she is 100% better, but she is in the clear.

 

I think that it was the sand and rocks at the beach - but I guess we will never really know for sure will we? Thank you EVERYONE for your help, and comfort.

 

And Tammy, I LOVE that picture of Tiga too! Sooo cute!

 

I am really happy now that I know she is OK. Can't stop smiling. :D Thanks again everyone.

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