Constant canine foot chewing can be either a medical or behavioral problem. If your dog chews its feet constantly, first make sure there is nothing stuck in the foot, such as burrs or thorns. Take an incessant foot chewer to the veterinarian for diagnosis before embarking on any self-treatment. Depending on the source of the problem, treatment may mean courses of short or long-term medication, or environmental changes.
-
Allergies
-
Allergies, including flea allergy dermatitis, are a primary cause of foot chewing. Besides the chewing, signs include red, raw pads, hot spots and scratching. The veterinarian will conduct skin or blood tests to determine what is causing the reaction. Treatment may include anti-inflammatories and steroids, as well as antibiotics if the feet are infected. For flea allergies, topical flea products kill the fleas and their eggs and stop the allergic reactions.
Anxiety
-
For some dogs, foot chewing results from psychological difficulties, including anxiety. Such dogs will self-mutilate and might chew on their sides as well as their feet. If the veterinarian thinks this is the problem, she may prescribe an anti-anxiety medication, such as Paxil or a generic formulation. Depending on the results, the dog may be weaned off the medication or remain it on long-term.
Yeast Infections
-
People get athlete's foot. Dogs may have a similar condition, a yeast infection on the foot and pads, of which chewing is a symptom. The veterinarian takes a skin sample from the pad for testing. If the test comes back positive for yeast, anti-fungal medications will usually alleviate the problem.
Sprays
-
For mild foot chewing with no medical cause, spraying a bitter but benign substance on the feet may break the cycle with a few treatments.. Purchase a spray such as Bitter Apple at the pet store, or make up a mix of water and hot pepper sauce to spray on the feet several times a day.
-