Are you noticing some unusual attitude in your puppy? Does your dog keep munching his paws?
Well, there can be numerous explanations for why your dogs do so. Here are some of the probable justifications:
- Allergy
Like humans, dogs also get adapted to some allergies. It can be due to dust, food, or pollen grains. If he gets prone to any allergy, he’s most likely to lick, bite, and chew his paw due to itching. Take him to the vet instantly.
- Parasites
Your dog might have some parasites residing in its paws. As dogs run around outside, (God knows where they’ve been) they may get exposed to parasites like mange or fleas. These parasites make your dog’s paws very prickly. You can remove them gently with the help of tweezers or take your pet to the vet for medication.
- Anxiety and stress
Your dog might be chewing his paws because of stress and anxiety. Anxiety is difficult to interpret. To treat this problem, take your dog outside for a walk and give him special goodies.
- Infection
If you notice redness, greasy furlough (discharge), swelling (and in some cases discoloration in nails) in your dog’s paw, and also if he’s deliberately chewing and licking it, he most conceivably has an infection. He would be in distress and severe itching. It can be a fungal or bacterial infection that’s common in dogs.
- Issues in Nails
Sometimes, your dogs might be facing some dilemmas with their nails. His nails might be ingrown. It is caused when the nails are not garnished properly and cause pain in the dog’s paw. So he can start chewing his paw in discomfort. Long and torn nails can also be one of the other reasons for your dog to chew his paw. It happens when your dog’s long nail gets in contact with the rough ground that pushes the nail upward toward the toenail junction or gets injured, resulting in pain. Get your dog’s nails trimmed to evade this issue. And it’s reasonable to get him treated by the veterinarian.
- Dermatitis
Dermatitis is a skin condition that causes drastic itching in the skin. This skin ailment is also common in humans caused by allergies or fungus. Food, trees, insects, weeds, mold, dust, chemicals, can initiate dermatitis. To treat your dog’s dermatitis, use fish oil, antihistamines, or oral antibiotics.
- Injury
Another reason for your dog to nibble his paw is that your dog might be injured. Injuries can be caused by miscellaneous reasons like cuts, bee stings, or a stone/thorn stuck between his paws. To deal with his injury, give him first aid by tidying the wound first and then see what’s wrong with the paws. If you can’t comprehend it, then take him to the vet.
Final thoughts
Dogs are such playful animals. Since they walk and run mostly, it’s easy for them to get injuries, infections, allergies, parasites, and other nail problems.
If you want to avoid these issues, clean your dog’s paws thoroughly with water, a wet towel, and antibacterial wipes as soon as he comes home.
