It is not uncommon and nothing to worry about if a dog occasionally licks its paws. However, if this behaviour occurs frequently, you must not ignore it for two reasons: licking the paws can indicate an underlying health problem, and it can lead to additional damage to the paws of the four-legged friend.
Below you will find out possible causes of your dog constantly licking its paws and what you can do about it.
As their name indicates, grass mites live primarily in grass. Their larvae can infest animals, which leads to severe itching in affected four-legged friends. Since the annoying parasites like to settle between the toes, it is not uncommon for dogs to lick their paws due to an infestation with grass mites.
Although grass mites are relatively harmless compared to other types of mites and, according to the current state of knowledge, they do not transmit any diseases, the itching they cause is extremely unpleasant.
To prevent an infestation in the summer months, we recommend the use of Bellfor anti-grass mite spray, which consists exclusively of natural ingredients and is therefore particularly kind to the skin.
Unlike you, your dog doesn't wear shoes even when outdoors. Therefore it can occur time and again that a small foreign object embeds into the skin of its paws and causes pain and itching.
In this case, your four-legged friend will naturally try to remove the foreign object or the discomfort it has caused on its paws. Therefore, if your dog is licking its paw noticeably after going for a walk, it makes sense to take a look.
In most cases, foreign objects can be easily removed with tweezers. If you are unsure, you can also ask a veterinarian for help.
In dogs with long fur, the care of the coat is often quite time-consuming. Experience has shown that many owners unfortunately neglect the hair on their dog's paws, which can sometimes lead to matting.
This can lead to inflammation and pain, which is noticeable, among other things, by the fact that your dog is constantly licking its paws. To avoid this in your long-haired four-legged friend, you should cut the fur on its paws from time to time.
It is quite normal to have small amounts of the Malassezia pachydermatis yeast on dogs' skin. As long as the immune system of your four-legged friend is intact, this does not cause any problems. In weakened animals, however, the yeast can multiply excessively and cause ear infections and itching on the paws, among other things.
If you suspect that your dog is licking its paws due to a yeast infection, you should contact a veterinarian. They can look for the possible causes and help you treat the symptoms.
In addition to yeast, a highly contagious skin fungi can sometimes be responsible for the itching of the paws.
Apart from the itching, typical signs also include circular, bald spots. Since the fungal spores can also be transmitted to humans, prompt and thorough treatment is particularly important in this case.
Experience has shown that a food intolerance can promote fungal infection in dogs. In this case, we recommend switching to our hypoallergenic insect-based dog food.
In combination with a nutritional supplement such as Bellfor Kidney Strength, the complaints and thus the resulting licking of the paws in dogs can be dealt with very quickly in this way.
Physical health problems are not always responsible for the constant licking of paws. Occasionally, this can also be triggered by excessive stress or nervousness.
Try to avoid unnecessary stress in your four-legged friend's everyday life. Usually, nervous behaviours such as excessive paw licking will then quickly subside. In stubborn cases, a dog trainer can help if necessary.
Intensive dog training such as canicross can put a lot of stress on your dog's paws, as well as wetness, cold temperatures and thawing salt in winter. Last but not least, this can also be noticed by the dog constantly licking its paws.
In order to counteract cracks and dry skin, adequate care of the dog's paws is particularly important in sports dogs and in winter.
In addition to regular cleaning, we recommend that you use our paw protection ointment for this purpose. Bellfor Paw Protection Ointment contains selected, natural ingredients such as insect fat, beeswax and cocoa butter.
Thanks to its unique formula, this high-quality care product is ideally suited for protecting your dog's paws gently, yet effectively, so that your four-legged friend can continue to enjoy walking.
As you can see, dogs can lick their paws excessively for a variety of reasons. As a dog owner, you should do something about it as soon as possible. After all, it's not uncommon for the cause to be an uncomfortable health problem.
Apart from that, excessive licking of the dog's paws often leads to skin injuries, which further aggravates the problem. In some situations it can therefore be necessary to use a pet cone for a while to prevent your dog from licking its paws.