foot chewing

[gazeboflower]

What can I do to stop my BABY Girl from chewing her feet? She has them red and sore. Ive been using peroxide soap to heal them but she still keeps chewing. gf

[kinewah]

I had the same problem, Peroxide soap can dry out the feet and irritate more. If there is no sign of fungal or bacterial infection, it could be an anxiety issue. I got a mild sedative from the vet for night time, spent more time with my dog . I kept her on a busier and different routine and in three weeks she was cured, off the sedative and happier. I have heard that some dogs don't need the sedtive if they get a good solid routine that keeps them active.

[wvpopo]

You have probably already been told this but foot chewing is an indication of allergies. Chances are your dog is a pure bred rather than a mixed breed. A new medicine called Atopica seems to work well to alleviate allergy symptoms. I have used it on my dog and it seemed to help but because she only has one kidney and I believe that the medication may be affecting it I will discontinue use of the drug.

[QUOTE=gazeboflower;193986]What can I do to stop my BABY Girl from chewing her feet? She has them red and sore. Ive been using peroxide soap to heal them but she still keeps chewing.

[rattitude]

What can I do to stop my BABY Girl from chewing her feet? She has them red and sore. Ive been using peroxide soap to heal them but she still keeps chewing. gf

You need to get her checked out for an underlying cause which might be anything from an allergy (perhaps to something in your carpet or lawn, or to fleas) to a more serious condition. If she is chewing due to pain and irritation she won't stop until this is addressed. If the underlying cause is gone and this chewing has just become a nasty cycle then you need to look into some kind of behavior modification (i.e. reward whenever not chewing, put bitters on the foot, keep dog well occupied).

I really think you need an accurate diagnosis to get to the bottom of this.

[DrJSinghDVM]

First try clipping your dogs nails. Thats one major reason why they chew on their paws.

[MonaL]

Check and see if what you are feeding contains corn. Any culprit in the diet can cause this, but corn is a major suspect.

[oldgroomer]

What can I do to stop my BABY Girl from chewing her feet? She has them red and sore. Ive been using peroxide soap to heal them but she still keeps chewing. gf

Feet chewing is often food related. A diagnosis is often not found & you can spend $thousands while your vet or a specialist drains your bank account dry. Good health starts in the gut. If you're feedidng a bargain food or anything from the chain stores (incl petco & petsmart or esp walmart), you've been sucked in like so many others with their advertising hype & pretty bags. Unfortunately, they spend so much $ on those other things, there's nothing left for quality INSIDE the bag! You might temporarily try boiled chicken & brown rice for a few wks while you look into quality products. If the licking/chewing gets better, you'll know it's food related. However, dogs are creatures of habit so even if the source of the problem is removed, she may still do it. You will need to work on breaking her train of thought when you catch her to change her habit. You won't find quality stuff in the chain stores, or particularly at your vet. They push the "presription" diets which in my opinion are truly poisonous (toxic & carcinogenic preservaties & absolutely no meat whatsoever). Some temporarily relieve symptoms but often cause other problems; then your vet "prescribes" another formula. Check at feed stores or independent pet shops. Learn what the label/ingredient info actually means. The big companies pay big bucks to people who are adept at tricky language. If you can't pronouce it, do you really want to put it into your pet? Try www.thedogfoodproject.com". SHe has a section called "Ingredients to Avoid" It's a great aid to people who are sucked in by the hype. She lists the AAFCO description (don't get me started on what a joke that group; is!), followed by the real description of any particular ingredient. In some areas, you'll see major differences. That will help educate you in reading ingredient labels. Good luck!

[pomparadise]

What can I do to stop my BABY Girl from chewing her feet? She has them red and sore. Ive been using peroxide soap to heal them but she still keeps chewing. gf

your Baby Girl has allergies,she is itching her feet so much that they are getting sore,you need to watch her or she will start to draw blood and chew a lot of her foot off, My friend has a dog that does the same thing and she has spent a lot of money trying to find out what was wrong,and finally a specialist found that she has allergies. I hope this helps, good luck. oh and keep her feet wrapped with something and medical tape around it, they will try to chew it off at first but if you keep it on all the time they quit, or you can get those dog boots with the Velcro those work real good if the tape does not.

[lynn19]

My dog chews his feet for attention.when my grandchildren come to my house he starts chewing his feet. So before they arrive i put a pair of trainer socks over his 2 front paws with tape around them to keep them on. Problem solved.

[Novox12]

There is a good chance it is, as stated above, an allergy. More specifically a food allergy. The issue when it is a food allergy is that it is, more times than not, the protein not the grain. You can buy diets that are specific to food allergic dogs but it is better to see a vet first as these can get expensive fast. If there is an ear issue (intermittent or not) as well as the feet chewing, make sure to tell your vet and they may give you something to help with the itch. The behavior comments are correct as well and sometimes the meds given for the itch help with that also.

[meg321]

I spray "bitter apple" on her feet when I catch her...she hates it !

[catcuz]

My dog is a foot-chewer, too. Our first vet told us she was neurotic and there was nothing to do for her. She's a small Bichon Frisée and those raw feet broke our hearts. For other reasons, we changed vets when one of our cats was ill. When we brought our dog in they immediately said she had allergies - and they were right! She was given Rx Temaril. Now when she has an attack, the Temaril stops it usually within the first two days.