How Can You Stop Your Dog from Licking Their Paws?

Dogs love to lick on and chew things. Your fingers, a toy, the corner of a pillow, a stick they found, even themselves. In fact, sometimes they love it a little too much, and it causes a problem.

In the past, I wrote about excessive licking in dogs – what causes it, why they do it, what it means, and why it can be a problem. For the part, that post was focused on licking other things, like the floors, the walls, or you. I did briefly mention the side effects of licking at themselves too much, but it wasn't the focus of the post.

Today, I wanted to talk a little more about self-licking. Sometimes, dogs end up seemingly fixated on licking themselves, particularly their paws. This can cause a bunch of issues, but the most common are "lick granulomas", which is just a fancy name for an open sore caused by excessive licking. It can also cause infections in cuts and scrapes they get naturally, and irritate other problems, making it take longer to heal.

While a little licking and chewing at their feet can be grooming, excessive licking can cause all sorts of issues. Obviously, if it's causing problems, you want it to stop. The question is, how? I'll get to that, but there's some ground to cover first.

Why Dogs are Licking Their Paws

To solve a problem, you first need to know what is causing the problem. What causes a dog to lick their paws excessively?

Grooming

The first option is grooming, and it's probably the least likely cause on this list, just because it generally won't be excessive. Grooming is just how they clean their feet, getting bits of dirt off of their toes and working out sand from in between them.

Excessive grooming can happen, but it's generally caused by something else, like some of the other options we'll get to later.

Injuries

Probably the most common cause of excessive foot licking, by far, is injuries. If they stepped on excessively hot pavement and burned a paw pad, if they stepped on a thorny plant and got a sticker in their paw, if they cut their paw on something rough or sharp outside, if they got stung or bit by an insect, it doesn't really matter.

What matters is that their foot hurts or is irritated, and they don't have very many ways to deal with that. The best option their furry little minds can think of is to soothe it with licking, so lick they do.

The problem, of course, is that licking isn't actually going to solve any of those issues. Worse, it's just as likely to keep irritating them, and their dirty little mouths can even cause an infection.

Injuries can range from small irritations that will heal in a day or two to serious problems that need a vet trip. It depends on the scope of the injury and the likelihood of infection, so make sure to check their paws!

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is the fancy medical word for skin irritation and inflammation. If you ever get a rash from poison ivy or an allergy, that's dermatitis. Dogs can get dermatitis from bacterial issues, from allergic reactions, and even from food sensitivities.

They can also develop it because of chemicals on the ground they walk on – it can be especially common in winter due to road treatments and other chemicals, or when lawn treatments or pesticides are used – and can even be caused by plants they walk on.

Fortunately, while this can be annoying to diagnose, it's relatively easy to treat. The trick is figuring out what is causing it specifically and avoiding letting your fur baby walk on whatever it is.

Parasites

Another semi-common cause is parasites. In particular, fleas and mange mites can cause your fur baby to be very itchy, especially around the paws.

Obviously, parasites are a known and solvable issue, so if they're what's causing excessive licking, it's a quick treatment away from relief.

Generalized Pain

One of the more difficult to address causes of excessive licking is very similar to the first: pain, and an attempt to soothe that pain. The trouble is, what happens if the pain is internal? Something like a fractured or broken toe would be obvious and solvable, but something like arthritis or a slowly growing tumor might not be obvious without testing.

This cause generally requires diagnosis and treatment from a vet, so if you've ruled out all of the easier causes, you will have to bring them in.

Behavioral Issues

This is one of the major elements I focused on in the previous post I linked up at the start. Behavioral issues, ranging from compulsive behaviors to boredom or anxiety, can cause your pup to lick at themselves just out of a need for stimulation.

Sometimes, this might be treatable with medications, while other times, it might mean you need to give them something to redirect their behavior or keep them entertained. It depends on what kind of behavioral issue is cropping up, really.

Other Health Problems

Sometimes, if your pooch has another health issue, they might be sore or stressed or irritated in ways they don't know how to express, so they lick to try to soothe themselves. Things like yeast infections, bacterial infections, and other illnesses can all cause this behavior.

Generally speaking, you'll notice other behavioral issues as well if this is the case, like lethargy, a lack of appetite, odd-colored stool, and so on. As you might expect, it's time to talk to a vet if your doggo is sick.

How to Get Your Dog to Stop Excessively Licking Their Paws

Now that you have some idea of why your pup is licking at their paws constantly, how do you solve the problem?

Step 1: Diagnose the Cause

The first thing you need to do is figure out which of the causes above is the one that's occurring.

Generally speaking, the first step is to look at their paws and see if there are signs of injury or irritation. If it's a surface-level injury or signs of topical irritation, it's easier to solve than if it's arthritis, a behavioral issue, or something more internal.

If you can't figure out what the cause is, it might be time to talk to your vet. As long as they aren't licking themselves raw and bloody, it probably isn't emergency vet material, but a regular vet visit isn't a bad idea.

Step 2: Treat the Cause

Once you have identified the cause, treat it if you can.

• If it's an injury and it's minor, see if it needs antiseptic or just cleaning and bandaging.

• If it's an injury and more major, have the vet handle it as necessary.

• If it's an infection, medication may be provided to deal with it.

• If it's inflammation or irritation, soothing creams and potentially steroids can be used.

• If it's pain or behavioral-related, talk to your vet about what may be necessary.

• If it's parasites, antiparasitic medications are easily accessible.

• If it's boredom, play with them more or give them an outlet when you're not available.

All but the most serious causes can be handled either at home, with over-the-counter treatments, or with a phone or video call with a vet to diagnose and prescribe something. The most serious issues need a vet examination and potentially other tests, like blood tests, to figure it out.

In rare cases, other kinds of treatments may be necessary. For example, if they end up having a cyst or small tumor, it may need surgery to remove.

Sometimes, irritated skin won't heal on its own, and cryotherapy may be necessary to remove it and start from a fresh wound for healing. And, of course, sometimes all you need is an anti-itch cream.

Step 3: Prevent the Licking

While you're waiting for a treatment to work, you'll want to do what you can to prevent your pup from continuing to lick at their paws and making the problem worse.

For temporary, short-term, day or two healing, an e-collar can be perfectly effective. If all you need to do is stop them from licking long enough for some irritation to heal, that's a fine option.

You might also consider something like dog booties or other foot coverings. You want something they can't easily pull off, and that won't hinder their ability to move around.

And, of course, you want something that isn't going to irritate their feet. Fortunately, there are a lot of potential products out there you can use.

In more extreme circumstances, you might need some kind of treatment that makes their feet taste bad to them, so they stop because it's gross. Bitter apple or citrus juices can do the trick, though something too strong might make their life unpleasant even when they aren't licking.

Be careful not to use these kinds of treatments on open wounds or irritated skin, as it can be painful for them.

Step 4: Remove External Factors

External causes of excessive licking generally come down to things like a food allergy, an irritation due to a chemical you're using somewhere inside or outside the home, or just boredom or anxiety.

You can try to remove these as factors.

• Change their food if a food irritation may be causing the problem.

• Remove plants from places they walk – or take them to other places to walk – to avoid irritation.

• Give them more things to do to alleviate their boredom or separation anxiety.

You won't always be able to fully control the environment and keep them from stepping in something that irritates their feet, but as long as you have ways to deal with it before they lick themselves raw, you're ahead of the curve.

Step 5: Paw Cleaning and Paw Balm

Two things worth mentioning as additional options are paw balms and paw cleaning.

Paw cleaning is a simple, but sometimes annoying, habit you'll need to get into. Basically, just keep a bit of water and a towel near the door.

Whenever they go outside, whether you're just letting them run around the yard, or you're taking them for a walk, or they've been out with you shopping or to the vet, make the entryway a checkpoint.

All you need to do is give their paws a quick rinse and wipe down. This helps remove anything, like chemical residues and dirt, that could irritate their paws.

Even if they aren't irritated right away, that irritation can develop later in the day as the residue lingers, and then comes the licking. Dealing with it right away is a great option.

The downside is that it's just One More Thing You Have To Do when you get home with your pup, and it's a hard habit to build and keep. Once you get it going, though, it's not too bad.

The second is a paw balm. There are a variety of kinds of paw balms – we sell three – but they all serve more or less the same purpose.

They help keep your dog's paws supple, soft, and healthy. They're often hydrating and moisturizing to prevent dry and cracked skin. T

hey can provide a small barrier against chemicals and residues, though hot pavement will still burn. They can even help speed up healing when your pup ends up with an irritation or inflammation.

Once the problem has been solved and the causes have been addressed, you should be good to go. It's fairly rare for excessive licking to be any sort of emergency, and if it is, you'll definitely notice other signs, whether it's bleeding, serious behavior changes, or something worse.

Have you ever experienced a dog that wouldn't stop licking their paws, seemingly no matter what you did? If so, what did the cause turn out to be, and how did you solve it? I've seen all sorts of things, but I'm curious what else may be out there.