17
Aug
They might have walked through a patch of dirt or if they are like my dog they have a particular aversion to dirty paws. If you notice your dog excessively licking their paws after going for a walk it may be an allergy to something in their environment grass pesticides or plants.
Look out for these signs of harmful paw licking.
What does it mean when your dog licks its paws. There can be several reasons why your dog is licking their paws. The simplest of these is that they are dirty and licking them clean is just part of their personal grooming habits. They might have walked through a patch of dirt or if they are like my dog they have a particular aversion to dirty paws.
Article continues below advertisement. If they are licking excessively or chewing their paws. Cheri Wulff Lucas a dog behavior specialist and rescuer suggests that the most common reason for dogs to lick their paws is because something is on or in them.
Maybe its just water theyre licking off orI live in California so my dogs sometimes get foxtail stuck in their paws says Lucas. Check to see if there is something stuck in your dogs paws if you see him licking them. An easy sign to miss but dogs licking paws is regularly associated with allergies.
If you notice your dog excessively licking their paws after going for a walk it may be an allergy to something in their environment grass pesticides or plants. Licking the area for a few minutes at a time is not something to be concerned about. The concern comes when your dog is excessively licking his paws to the point that they are constantly wet.
Dogs lick their paws for a number of different reasons. The most common reason is that they have some type of irritation or infection on them. Other times it may be because the dog has fleas allergies to household cleaners or even behavior problems like anxiety and boredom.
Whatever the cause might be there are many ways to treat this issue. Its totally normal for your dog to lick their paws occasionally as normal self-grooming especially after a muddy walk or whenever their paws might be dirty. However licking paws excessively is cause for concern and can indicate a number of health issues which should be addressed.
Look out for these signs of harmful paw licking. According to one theory dogs that live in packs lick each other as a sign of friendship but also to show submissiveness. Weaker dogs lick the stronger ones and show their loyalty in that way.
When your dog keeps licking its paw continuously and obsessively the body hairs in that area start falling off and exposes the skin which then becomes red and shiny. If licked further and undetected the area hardens up and sometimes the skin breaks and bleeds. These conditions are referred to as lick granulomas.