Licking paws?

[shake42d0wn]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here, sorry to jump right in with questions but I'm worried about my girly! My pup is just about a year old now, she is a Cavalier/Bichon mix. For the past couple months she has been licking her belly and paws, starting with her belly and her back feet and now moving on to her front feet. She looks goofy now because she's licked her paws down to the skin in certain spots. I know Bichons are prone to allergies so I told my Mom we should switch her food (she is on Nutrena now). We have some Wellness Lamb & Rice in the mail now, so I hope that will help.

I told my parents she needs to get fixed because I'm sure that's a huge part of why she's doing this, they said they know she needs to be and they don't have any plans on breeding her, my Mom is just really scared that something will go wrong while she's in surgery...she is terrified of losing her! She's the sweetest dog we've ever had and everyone in my family is incredibly attached to her (especially my Mom) so I understand why she's worried, but I can't seem to convince her that this is a very normal surgery and although there is always a risk, the good outweighs the bad.

We bought her an e-collar today and she hates it...the lady at the pet store also told my Mom she probably needs to get fixed so hopefully hearing it from someone besides me will help lol.

My question is, is there anything else this could be? She definitely seems to be itchy, her legs look itchy but I'm not sure if it's because she's biting them. She is still young so she is crated when we leave or no one is around to watch her, but most of the time someone is home and she is out of her crate. I don't think it's an attention issue. I've seen her do it right in front of me (so has my Mom) even while she's got a bone next to her to chew on. I think my poor girl is just itchy and hormonal! At least I hope that's what it is. Any thoughts? I'm home from college for the summer but moving back soon so any way I could motivate my parents to fix her (or show them that the risks are quite low) before I leave would be great!

Thanks all, can't wait to start posting here more, seems like a nice group of people.

Oh and thread is worthless without pictures right?? Heres my girl:

[Giselle]

1) Yes, she needs to be fixed. Unless your dog is actively being show in dog shows or will become a FANTASTIC working dog, you should fix your dog. Millions and millions and millions of dogs are fixed safely every year. It is a very very very safe procedure. Puppies as young as 8 weeks get fixed. Your girl will endure a safe spay.

2) It's probably allergies. Contrary to popular belief, most allergies are NOT nutritional. Most dogs are allergic to dust and pollen and such in the environment. These are the most common allergens, NOT food allergies. To help with enviro-allergies, you'd be best off getting an air filter and placing it near where the dog spends most of its time. It is also beneficial to talk to your vet to see what kind of medications s/he recommends.

[shake42d0wn]

Ahh that is interesting that it could be environmental allergies, because for some reason even the hoomans have seemed to have worse allergies here in IL than we did in MI. Hmmm.

She's been to the vet for it but they just said to give her more excersize? She gets walked several times a day and like I said, someones usually here so she gets lots of attention - somehow I don't believe it's an excersize issue.

I've been volunteering at the humane society since I was 13 so I definitely know first hand the pain that irresponsible breeding causes. We are definitely not breeding her and she never goes outside alone, so I'm not worried about her getting into trouble for now - the only thing holding us back is that my mom is so worried about her (and even so, she's pretty much agreed to do it, she's just putting it off). We've always had our pets fixed as soon as we got them or as puppies, so I dunno why she is so worried about this one - I think she said it was because she's the first female dog we've had to have fixed. We've always had male dogs before Baby so I think she's worried about the surgery being more complicated.

[Karen]

Tell your mom that the longer she waits to spay this baby, the more chance there is for her to develop certain medical problems, like pyometra for example, as well as some special health risks throughout her life. Mammary cancer, unwanted pregnancies, ovarian cysts and cancer, etc. The sooner she is spayed the better.

I think the people who said "more exercise" may have thought it was because she is bored, but I would guess allergies as well. What food does she get? Allergies can be food-related, or environmental or both - and I say that as a human who has both kinds of allergies!

And I just want to say she's adorable! With those big brown eyes, I'd bet she is spoiled rotten! Who could resist that look?

[Giselle]

Thousands of female dogs are spayed yearly. It's a very very safe procedure, especially with today's technology. Just tell your mom that she is much better off spaying now than later. The benefits far outweigh the negatives, and it's never good to procrastinate!

Ask your vet to test for environmental allergies. If she's licking her paws, the skin between her toes will probably be red. Your vet should be able to wipe a slide on the irritated skin and be able to detect if it's a bacterial issue. If it is, it suggests an environmental allergy because allergies overwork the immune system and allow naturally occurring bacteria to flourish. Other tell-tale signs of allergies are hot spots, smelly ears, flaky skin and bad coat, and hairless and irritated patches. If your vet doesn't know how to test for these things (some don't), you may be better off finding a veterinary dermatologist. The money is well worth it because the dermatologist will give you a definitive answer!

[Jakesmom]

The feet and tummy licking are probably allergies, and she might have some infection (quite commonly goes along with allergies). You could try malaseb medicated wipes on her feet and belly--I have used them with good result for my cocker.

Good Luck.

Jake's mom

[Ginger's Mom]

I have nothing useful to offer as far as advise, other than have another vet check her for allergies, which has already been said. However, I did want to say, she is adorable. It's no wonder your mom is so worried about such a little cutie-pie. But just makes sure she knows that she is taking more medical risks with his cutie by not having her spayed then she would be by having her spayed.

[gardengirl]

My boy is licking and biting at his feet, too, and he's never done this before so we (the vet and I) are guessing allergies. He may be walking on weeds or stuff that is causing the irritation. She gave us an antihistamine and recommended I wipe off his feet with a warm washcloth after we have been walking to remove any irritants. Maybe this would help your dog with his feet, at least. It seems to be helping Bailey somewhat.

[bckrazy]

I'm sorry to hear about Baby's itchiness. She is super-duper cute! xD What an awesome mix, she must be the sweetest.

Honestly... Nutrena doesn't seem to be the best food, being that it's top ingredients are poultry by-product and wheat. Regardless of whether or not her allergies are food related, a kibble upgrade is a REALLY good idea, and it can only help her current situation. Gonzo used to get itchy, red paws every spring, but he hasn't had any allergy issues since switching to Raw. I do feel that diet can play a huge part in a dog's ability to fight off illness. Was your Vet implying that she itches out of boredom? Yeesh. I would seek a second opinion, fast.

The Wellness is a big upgrade... I might even get the Fish & Sweet Potato formula, just to rule out food allergies. I do hope the new food helps her feel better. Giselle gave you some really good ideas, too!

[Medusa]

I had a peke-a-poo who licked her front paws incessantly, to the point where she caused huge blisters, sometimes as big as a silver dollar, that my vet instructed me to soak in Epsom salts to get them to break open. She always felt so much better after they were open; then I'd bandage them and she tear the bandage off w/in minutes. LOL We never knew for sure what caused it; my vet thought possibly lawn treatment chemicals but since she licked only her front paws instead of all of them, he admitted that might not have been the reason. She lived to be 18 1/2 and it wasn't until she was 14 1/2 that the licking stopped but that's also when we bought a new home and we didn't use lawn chemicals there because we had much more property to treat. Good luck w/this. My dog's paws got pretty sore and I hope that isn't the case w/your dog.

[pomtzu]

First of all, let me say that Baby is just adorable. By all means, have her spayed to save her from potential serious health issues as she gets older. It's perfectly safe and she will be bouncing around within a few days after it's done - just as if nothing ever happened.
As for the licking - can't say for sure, but it sounds like seasonal allergies. I don't know where you live, but here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., this is the time of year when my dogs start experiencing the "itchies" more than what they have the rest of the year. I add Omega 3 fish oil to their meals year round and it helps to some degree, but doesn't eliminate the problem. Some find oatmeal baths to be helpful, but that never had much of an effect on my fur kids. Without extensive and expensive allergy testing, it's difficult to say exactly what the culprit is that causes this problem. Antihistimines such as Benedryl can be given with some success, but be sure to check doseage with your vet. When all else fails, they can get a steroid injection, but these are very potent and should only be given as a last resort for severe itching. Please stay away from oral steroids given on a regular basis as these can cause serious health issues. Years ago I took my 2 Lhasas to a vet that prescribed steroids to be taken daily. As a result they both developed diabetis (just one of the possible consequences of taking steroids for an extended period of time). And unfortunately this vet did not know how to properly manage diabetis either, so both dogs had other problems that developed because of this in spite of being on insulin every day.
Don't know if this helps any, but at least you might have some idea of what's going on with Ms Lickey Pup. Then again, maybe she just likes to lick - I also had one like that - I always said he had a foot fettish! Good Luck!