My dog keeps chewing and licking his paws. Why is he doing this?

Watching a dog chew and lick at their paws over and over can be worrying, and it is a very common concern. Most often, paw chewing is a sign of itch, and allergies are a leading cause: itch is the hallmark sign of atopic dermatitis in dogs, and the paws are one of the areas it affects most. The most helpful answer on this page is still sound. Allergies, foreign material, infection, nail problems, pain and behavior are all causes a veterinarian would work through. One point worth adding is that licking is often assumed to come from boredom or anxiety, yet evidence suggests behavior changes usually follow skin disease, so itch is worth ruling out first. Chewing that starts as a response to itch can also become a habit that continues after the skin heals.

Other causes to check include painful, pus-filled bumps between the toes called interdigital furunculosis, which are usually caused by deep bacterial infection and are often linked to allergies. Burns from hot pavement and irritation from winter ice-melt chemicals are also possible. Limping, redness, blisters or crying out when the foot is pressed point toward pain or injury. For a suspected pavement burn, moving the dog off the hot surface and rinsing their feet with cool, not cold, water helps, and ice should not be used. A veterinarian can examine the paws, look for secondary infection and build a plan that brings real relief, so scheduling a visit is a great next step toward comfortable feet.