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Here’s a breakdown of How to Stop Dog from Licking Paws Home Remedy and when to seek professional help:
Why Dogs Lick Their Paws Excessively
- Dry skin
- Injuries
- Underlying pain (arthritis, cysts, etc.)
- Anxiety or boredom
- Allergies
- Infections (bacterial or fungal)
Home Remedies
- Clean the Paws: Remove irritants with a gentle, pet-safe soap.
- Moisturize: Use pet-safe balms or coconut oil to soothe dry skin.
- Anti-Licking Aids: Try sprays or bitter bandages to discourage licking.
- Diet Changes: Switch foods if allergies are suspected.
- Chamomile Bath: Soak paws in chamomile tea to soothe irritation.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Diluted ACV can help with fungal infections.
- Protective Booties: Prevent further damage while treating the issue.
- Oatmeal Bath: Soothe itchy, dry skin.
- Medicated Shampoo: Look for itch-calming or anti-fungal options.
- Honey: Apply to wounds due to its antibacterial properties.
- Baking Soda Soak: Neutralizes irritants and reduces inflammation.
- CBD Oil: May ease inflammation and discomfort.
When to See the Vet
- Home remedies don’t work.
- Paws are red, swollen, or show signs of infection.
- Licking is accompanied by other symptoms (diarrhea, lethargy).
- You suspect severe allergies, pain, or anxiety.
Key Takeaways
- Mild paw licking is normal for grooming. Excessive licking often signals an issue.
- Home remedies can help, but don’t hesitate to consult your vet for severe cases or if you’re unsure of the cause.
- Addressing the root cause is key to stopping the licking behavior for good.
Contents
- Why Do Dogs Constantly Lick Their Paws?
- dog licking paws home remedies
- Change Your Dog’s Diet
- Give Your Doggy Chamomile Bath
- Treatment through Apple Cider Vinegar
- Protective Booties for Your Dog
- Give an Oatmeal Bath to Your Dog
- Go for a New Shampoo for Your Dog
- Treat them with the Help of Honey.
- Apply High-Quality Coconut Oil
- Give Your Dog’s Paws a Baking Soda Soak
- Rub Your Dog’s Feet with CBD Oil
- Is it Normal for Dogs to Lick Their Paws?
- When to Take Your Dog to the Vet?
Why Do Dogs Constantly Lick Their Paws?
You will see your dog licking its paws many times a day. And there is nothing to worry about because licking paws is the habit of dogs.
But the problem starts when they lick their paws excessively. There can be many reasons for excessive licking of paws. For example,
Dry Skin
In the Winter season, just like humans, dogs’ skin also gets dry. Usage of excessive harsh soaps can also dry a dog’s feet. This dryness can cause itchiness. And itchiness is caused by excessive and continuous licking of paws by dogs.
Paw Injury
If your dog’s paws suffer from a cut or scrape, injury, or foreign material, they will start licking it. If you see your dog overlicking his paws, you can look at his paws to see if he is suffering from any paw injury.
If you spot any injury, then first clean the injury with water. Then use some antibiotic ointment and apply it to the injury area.
Suffering from Ache
If your dog is suffering from problems like arthritis, wounds, cysts, or other growths, he may start licking his paws excessively to show his discomfort to you.
Anxiety Problems or Boredom
Shifting to an entirely new environment, separation anxiety, extreme boredom, any phobia, or compulsive disorder (like acral lick dermatitis and canine compulsive disorder), can cause excessive licking problems in your dog.
Allergic Reactions
Allergies reactions in dogs can be caused by many things like food, dust, pollen, grass, And fleas. And In response to these allergens, dogs lick their paws excessively.
Swelling, itching, redness, inflammation, diarrhea, and sneezing are common allergy symptoms.
Infections and Skin Problems
In wet weather, dogs are at high risk of suffering bacterial and fungal infections. These infections mainly occur in dogs’ feet. And in response, dogs start licking their paws. Some skin conditions like dermatitis also led to dogs licking their paws.
dog licking paws home remedies
If your dog is excessively licking their paws, there are a few home remedies you can try to help stop this behavior. One possible remedy is to clean your dog’s paws regularly with a gentle, pet-safe soap or cleaning solution.
This can help to remove any irritants, such as dirt, debris, or chemicals, that may be causing your dog to lick their paws. Another remedy is to apply a pet-safe moisturizer or balm to your dog’s paws, which can help to soothe irritated skin and reduce the urge to lick.
Additionally, you can try using a pet-safe anti-licking spray or bandage on your dog’s paws, which can help to discourage them from licking.
If these remedies do not help, or if your dog’s excessive paw licking is accompanied by other symptoms, such as redness, swelling, or infection, you should consult with your veterinarian for further treatment.
Change Your Dog’s Diet
If your dog starts to lick their paws excessively and is accompanied by frequent diarrhea, then your dog must have developed an allergy to their food. Some common allergens in a dog’s diet are chicken, egg, fish, grains, and dairy products.
If your dog has been eating the same diet for years or months, they might have developed allergens to some food product that is present in their diet. Dogs don’t have allergies from birth; instead, they create them over time.
So, you have to change your dog’s diet. For example, if you give your dog chicken for proteins, start giving him beef.
Changing your dog’s diet will slow down his excessive licking paws problem. Also, carefully monitor how your dogs react to newly added products in their meal.
Give Your Doggy Chamomile Bath
Herbal remedies are always preferred. So without any second thought, you can give your dog a chamomile bath for the treatment of his paw licking problem.
Chamomile is a herbal product. It has antibacterial as well as antioxidant features. Mix Chamomile with warm water and soak your dog’s feet into this for some time. Or you can also put Chamomile tea terrible directly into your paws.
This Chamomile treatment will help your dog by relieving paws licking problems, but it will also help manage anxiety problems linked with itching paws.
Treatment through Apple Cider Vinegar
Antifungal properties of Apple Cider Vinegar will help treat the excessive licking of paws if it is because of a fungal infection.
In this treatment, you have to mix vinegar and water in a ratio of 1:2, respectively. Then soak your dog’s feet into the solution for 5-10 minutes.
To get effective results, you have to do this treatment to your dog’s feet two times in one day.
Remember, this treatment is effective only if the licking problem is because of a fungal infection.
Protective Booties for Your Dog
To stop your dog from licking its paws and prevent further damage to its paws, you can use protective booties. Any remedy for treating the problem of licking feet will take some time to show results, and in the meantime, you can use these protective booties, so no further damage is done.
So, don’t forget that you have to take care of your dog’s licking problem after using these protective booties.
Give an Oatmeal Bath to Your Dog
Oatmeal helps treat dry and itchy skin as it is a natural moisturizer and has anti-inflammatory properties.
You have to mix oatmeal in warm water. And then put your doggie’s paws into the bucket of warm water for 10 minutes.
Your dog will start feeling better, and itchiness will reduce only after a few oatmeal baths like this.
Go for a New Shampoo for Your Dog
Many dog shampoos are designed in such a way that they calm the itchiness as well as treat dry and irritated skin.
Oatmeal shampoos are also present in the market for dogs. Remember not to overuse shampoo because it might cause excessive dryness to the dog’s skin. Also, always look into the shampoo ingredients before buying for your dog.
Treat them with the Help of Honey.
Honey is a natural sweetener, and it prevents the growth of bacteria because it has low pH and contains hydrogen peroxide.
If your doggy is suffering from any bacterial problem in their paws, you can apply honey onto their paws. To make sure your dog doesn’t lick the spread honey, you can use protective booties to cover the areas of paws.
Apply High-Quality Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has the natural property of moisturizing. Even humans use coconut oil as a moisturizer. So, you have to apply some coconut oil to your dog’s paws. For better results, use high-quality coconut oil.
Give Your Dog’s Paws a Baking Soda Soak
Baking soda neutralizes acidic irritants as well as they have natural anti-inflammatory properties.
To use baking soda, put half a cup of baking soda in a bucket of warm water. Put your dog’s feet into the solution for 10 minutes. Use this remedy 2 to 3 times a day for better and more effective results.
Rub Your Dog’s Feet with CBD Oil
Pet CBD oil is scientifically proven to help with irritated paws. You can directly apply vet-recommended CBD oil to your dog’s itchy paws.
Is it Normal for Dogs to Lick Their Paws?
When thinking about self-grooming animals, puppies may not be the only creatures that spring to mind. On the other hand, dogs lick their limbs, paws, and tails on a frequent basis to eliminate dirt. This is a natural, typical activity and an indication that your pet desires to be tidy.
Another reason is due to a self-rescue method. Insects, fleas, and worms may itch and scratch your dog’s entire body, especially his feet. Parasites may be the reason your dog licks his feet, particularly in hot months.
When to Take Your Dog to the Vet?
Excessive paw licking can be treated at home. But in severe cases, you have to take your dog to the vet. So, when your home remedies don’t work, take your dog immediately to the vet to treat him.
Dogs can’t talk, and through their particular reactions, they try to tell humans about their problems. How to stop a dog from licking paws home remedy can be very useful. To know the reason for excessive licking, you have to observe your dog very carefully.
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