Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?: Dogs and other animals are gregarious creatures that enjoy various activity levels and behaviors. A paw chew is one of those events that may sometimes scare pet owners. They are right, of course, especially when pet owners find excessive and repulsive or consistent paw chewing unusual, which is why they are worried. So in this post, we will discuss in detail related to “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”, what are the reasons behind excessive chewing, when to see a veterinarian, and what treatment.
“Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”, Dog’s paw chewing is typically among dog behavior events since there are times a pup will be just caressing its paw at the level of pulling the leg gently. On a rare occasion, some dogs may stretch to the point of chewing on their paws, they do so to clean that area of the body, which is almost impossible for them.
It is also typical for dogs, when they become part and parcel of their lives, to use their mouths, that is, mouth tissues to chew upon them, which mostly corresponds to how comfortable they feel at the time of chewing. However, very often, the realization of what might be a true logical reason for paw chewing becomes an immediately chronic problem.
When to be worried about “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”
When deciding if your dog’s pawing chewing is something you need to fret over, consider how often the behavior occurs and its severity. According to some experts, a bit of paw chewing may not cause alarm — especially if your dog is otherwise healthy and happy. But, if the behavior is regular or intense or your dog seems to be getting upset; then you really should look it over.
Indicators of Concern “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”
- Over-Grooming: If a dog licks its paws enough to do visible harm (e.g., wear the hair down on top) or induce bleeding, this is over-grooming and outside the bounds of regular grooming behavior.
- Inflammation and Swelling: If your pet’s paws have become red, swollen, or shown any other signs of inflammation it can be a tell-tale sign that there is something medically wrong.
- Changes in Behavior: If chewing occurs associated with increased irritability or lethargy, these are signs that chewing could be due to pain and discomfort.
Causes of “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”
Some of the main causes of “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?” excessively are due to some underlying health problems like allergies, injuries or pain, parasites, dermatitis, and behavioral issues.
Allergies
“Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?” is one of the main common causes of allergies. Dogs might react, as well as humans, to food or pollen and other indoor/outdoor allergens. Some of the ingredients can be classified either as seasonal allergies i.e. pollen or food allergies respectively. Dog allergies cause the following symptoms: Other than itchy skin and redness that dogs have, their dogs want to stop or at least reduce their discomfort by gnawing their feet.
Parasites
The other most common culprits of “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?” are fleas, ticks, and mites. Thereby, fleas cause itchiness and general disturbance among cats, a situation that can only get worse if not timely checked. They may be adhering to a flea prevention routine, but just a few fleas causing itching while residing in the den of their dog becomes too much. They infest with mites i.e. the ones that cause mange. These may be parasites that give fleas skin infection and irritation, which makes it boil for dogs and they become itchy thereby causing the animal to chew.
Injuries or General Pain
If your dog is hurting from itchy paws along with other signs, they might be treating bacterial and fungal issues of various infections. A wound injury is most often caused due to a cut or scratch if it is not treated seriously, it may become infected. Moreover, the itch is a consequence of a sore paw, which forces the dog to incessantly chew or lick the site for relief.
Dermatitis
Dermatitis is a medical term for the inflammation of the skin and stems from various reasons such as asthma, irritants, and infectious processes. For instance, dogs might experience contact dermatitis from irritants like chemical substances or plants. The inflammation or swelling in turn makes the dog feel itchy and chews parts of its body, to find relief.
Pododermatitis is described as a condition when there is inflammation of the paws, which is going to affect the beds on and between the toes as well as the paw pads. Signs of pododermatitis are as follows – redness, swelling, and the pets licking or chewing their footsteps. Bacterial and yeast infections, allergies, and other imbalances are responsible for this condition. Alternatively, for most cases, Addressing the systemic root and a course of topical or oral antibiotics may be prescribed if the cause of the infection is the main issue as well as the medical program for allergy (to help), might be used in addition to wound support.
Behavioral Issue
Then the soreness of paws can also be a result of a behavioral thing rather than a physical one. Dogs can lick those areas due to several reasons, such as their natural reflexes, behavioral problems, or anxiety. Dogs, just like people, indulge in paw chewing to de-stress like a person may nibble his/her nails to relax when he/she is (or not) bored.
Dogs with separation anxiety or who are naturally anxious may chew their paws compulsively. An example of signs and symptoms relevant to anxiety include restlessness, panting, pacing, and lip licking. Behavior modification and incorporating activities into the dog’s daily life that mentally challenge them may be effective for anxiety-related chewing behaviors.
Arthritis
If they reside in the house, then either one of these things may be happening or all are: Pain if dogs chew their paws, place discomfort. This might be something minor, for example, the fact that a thorn or glass piece has impaled the paw or it could be the more long-lasting kind of issues such as arthritis. Chewing is the reaction dogs have to pain or discomfort that they are experiencing, thus they try to adjust to it
Nail or Grooming Issue
Nail or Grooming Problems Torn Nails, long nails snagging and breaking all the time, which is annoying and can be painful for your dog, can cause matting of the toes and between them, leading to your dog suffering and ending up chewing on his poor paws. Grooming problems Any licking, biting, or limping Treating these conditions typically requires a good nail trim, and above all removing any mats or tangles, as this contributes to the pain that leads to over-grooming.
When your dog is feeling pain, they may start eating their paws if there are cuts, growths, or arthritis. Mutations that make a dog develop a limb abnormality will trigger the dog to bite and lick its paw too. The symptoms of the main body touching are limping, swelling, tenderness, and visible wounds. Everything from dealing with the said condition, from the medications aimed at pain control to the surgical removal if the basis is growths, or even to prescribe only joint supplements in the case of arthritis.
Treatment for “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”
“Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”, dogs that are chewing their paws too much can be a source of great distress for both pets and owners. It is often an indication of a deeper issue that needs to be addressed and corrected. Treating this behavior effectively is a multi-stepped process, beginning with a veterinary evaluation and extending to specific treatments as well as management strategies. In this article, we will review a plan of approach with steps to address paw chewing, examine the treatment modalities that you could use, and find out how you prevent as well as manage it.
Veterinary Examination
Assess your dog first and do not make any moves to stop a dog from chewing on his paws before examination with the vet. If your dog is having health problems, a veterinarian can do a thorough check to diagnose any medical issues such as infections or allergies and the presence of parasites. Skin scrapes or blood tests may be ordered by your vet in order correctly to identify what are irritating paws. Making the correct initial diagnosis is crucial to setting up an accurate treatment program.
Allergy Management
If it is determined that your dog’s paw chewing is a symptom of allergies, the management of these allergies is paramount. Should your dog be diagnosed with allergies, then consider any dietary changes recommended by the vet or get allergy testing done to zero in on the allergen. Some of the common interventions are food elimination or modifying the environment. Your vet may also recommend antihistamines and other medications that are necessary to prevent allergic responses.
Parasite Control
Common paw chewing culprits: Parasites — Demodex mite, flea or tick infestation. Keeping your dog on a consistent flea and tick prevention regimen can help avoid problems that result from this. Reduced burden of itching and misery requires regular checks, timely treatment for any parasitic infections and creature ease. If parasites are detected, keep them treatable using appropriate drugs.
Treatment for Infections
If infections are adding to the paw chewing of your dog, then antibiotics or antifungal medications might be needed. To make certain that the infection is eliminated, it is important to complete the administered course of treatment. This, in turn, can mean repeat infections leading to ongoing suffering for your dog.
Behavioral Solutions
If it is behavioral, then the trigger event causing stress or boredom needs to be fixed. Exercising your dog more, using mental toys and games to keep them entertained as well as working on their anxiety so that they no longer feel the need to whine are some ways in which you can control this habit. If the behavior is stress- or boredom-induced, then the use of targeted behavioral techniques and environmental enrichment can help curb compulsive behaviors.
Conclusion
Dogs may excessively chew their paws due to itchy skin, or because they are in pain somewhere else on their body that might radiate down to the paw. A little licking is normal, but persistent chewing can indicate discomfort or a more serious underlying issue. An understanding of “Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws?”, what causes sensitive skin, and how to properly treat it including medical treatments, grooming care, and behavioral management can help in easing paw chewing of dogs. If you are not quite sure why your dog instantly starts paw chewing and doesn’t know what to do, consulting the vet is always at the top of any list when it comes to health as well.
