Chewing,biting,licking paws alot! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Lana · 02-07-2005, 03:44 PM

hi, our 5 year old yorkie is constantly chewing, biting and licking his feet. we have gone to countless vets, changed food many times and are thinking about allergy testing. it so stressful to see him so uncomfortable. any advice?

Prissy012899 · 02-07-2005, 04:45 PM

It does sound like possible allergies.. some people will switch to the duck and potato food.. A lot of companies are coming out with foods that are very simple and limited. So if it is an allergy to food should do the trick.. The biggest allergens in food are Wheat, corn, soy and by products so read the food labels.. might give you a clue.
I'm sure there will be some other great advice too.
Let us know how it goes.

debi_s · 02-08-2005, 04:42 AM

My first Yorkie did the same thing. It is maddening to watch. We also switched foods a few times....did not really help. He would just work and work until he got to the other dog's bowl and eat the same old foods. Our vet had suggested allergies too (which is why we tried different foods)..He eventually got a big 'open area' on the top of one foot...I cut all the hair off his feet so I could clean and put medicine on it....(shaved feet also keep out ALOT of grass)...after shaving his feet and keeping them cut he did not lick as much. I thought he may have had allergies to some of the pollens in the grass and yard.

Ringo · 02-08-2005, 05:36 AM

Have you tried feeding him Innova? If not....maybe it's worth a try. Give it time though.

Believe it or not many dogs are more allergic to beef, eggs and lamb. You may have to play around with different foods to find the culprit.

Choose a product on this page to view the ingredients:
http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=inn-home

Then check here to find a supplier in your area:
http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=stores-tab

gopheraj · 02-08-2005, 04:45 PM

Could be something in your carpet - cleaner or spray - or a spray in the yard or fertilizer.

Bentley'sMom · 02-08-2005, 04:52 PM

A good food to try is California Natural. It only has 3 primary ingredients and can be a good one for dogs battling allergies.

schatzie · 02-08-2005, 05:57 PM

Lana, I hope you find the culprit to what is giving your little one allergy symptoms. He is 5 years old you mentioned? Is this something he just started or has he been affected by this for awhile now?

So far Schatzie doesn't have this problem, but Annabelle my Schnauzer has what is called Schnauzer Comedo Syndrome (acne down her back) and it makes her absolutley miserable. She has been affected since she turned a year old and is now 4. It breaks our hearts to see her feeling so miserable no matter what treatment we give her. So, I can relate to watching your little guy suffer with feeling itchy/uncomfortable.

I do hope he feels better soon.

TinkerToy · 02-08-2005, 06:20 PM

I always thought that if dogs did that then it was allergies. When I first got Tinker I was still living at my parents house, and they had this really fine grass. Everytime Tinker would come in from playing outside she would that. What it turned out to be was the grass scratching her. I don't know if you let your little one play outside, but it could be that. It also could be your carpet if you have it. One more thing it could be is pollen. I don't know how pollen is where you are, but just a little gets on Tinker's paws and she goes nuts. If this behavior continues I would make sure to use a damp cloth to whip of paws before you let your little one inside, or you could try a little Benadryl. Benedryl is a life saver. I would ask your vet first to give you the correct dosage, but don't be afraid to use it it is very hard to overdose if you have common sense. Hope this helps.

Lana · 02-09-2005, 08:19 AM

thank you all for your replys. we took 'eddie" our yorkie to a dog dermotoligist yesterday - he took a blood test for allergies and prescribed him temoral.it has some kind of a antihistimine and a little steroid in it which we are not crazy about - but at this point we dont know what else to do. eddie has had this itching issue sionce he was about 1 and half years old. we have hardwood floors. but we noticed his chewing his paws has gotten worse since recently that weve been taking him to our office. we take him to go to the bathroom to two specific spots where there are dandelions - and now we are thinking maybe hes allergic to those - so we are not going to take to those spots and we are trying solid gold food - hund n flocken- to see if this helps. i hope so. we will post his photo soon - hes very cute, everyone says hes the biggest yorkie they ever seen - hes 13.6 pounds and tall.

Skippy's Mom · 04-01-2005, 10:00 AM

Our Skippy just started licking his right rear paw yesterday. He now has an open sore-just a tiny one. I thought maybe his paws were dry-nothing new going on, just took him for a long walk the other day- first one since weather got nicer. I don't think it's an allergy, but my husband and I are planning on giving him his bath tonight so maybe that will help.

spydergurl · 04-01-2005, 02:29 PM

My Chewie (6 years old) chews her feet a lot, and always has. The vet says it's allergies, and gave her some pills (can't remember the name) and it made her too sleepy. So, I stopped the pills. He also said to wash off her feet when she comes in after being outside, but she goes out so many times a day, that would be impossible. So, I just let her chew her feet. It has slowed up a little over the years, and if I see her doing it, I just sidetrack her with a bone or a toy. Also, to the one that said her yoirkie is the biggest she's ever seen....my Chewie is 18 lbs! The doctor put her on a diet and said she has to lose 10 lbs! She would disappear if she lost that much! She looks a little chunky, but not that much!

Passionfruition · 04-01-2005, 02:34 PM

My uncle's yorkie gets allergy shots at the vet every month. Our pup gets allergies from time to time and our vet tells us to give him a 1/2 dose of children's benedryl every 5 hours for a day or two and it does wonders.

Renae · 09-19-2008, 10:51 PM

Our Annie has been constantly licking all four paws for about 2 months now. She now has four "bald" paws. A friend told us this could be allergies, so today we bought duck/potato food for her. She's usually a picky eater, but fortunately she gobbled this down--we're hoping that the new food will do the trick.

02-07-2005, 03:44 PM	#1
Lana YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: los angeles Posts: 5	Chewing,biting,licking paws alot! hi, our 5 year old yorkie is constantly chewing, biting and licking his feet. we have gone to countless vets, changed food many times and are thinking about allergy testing. it so stressful to see him so uncomfortable. any advice?

02-07-2005, 04:45 PM	#2
Prissy012899 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northeast Georgia Posts: 244	It does sound like possible allergies.. some people will switch to the duck and potato food.. A lot of companies are coming out with foods that are very simple and limited. So if it is an allergy to food should do the trick.. The biggest allergens in food are Wheat, corn, soy and by products so read the food labels.. might give you a clue. I'm sure there will be some other great advice too. Let us know how it goes. __________________

02-08-2005, 05:36 AM	#4
Ringo Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 193	Have you tried feeding him Innova? If not....maybe it's worth a try. Give it time though. Believe it or not many dogs are more allergic to beef, eggs and lamb. You may have to play around with different foods to find the culprit. Choose a product on this page to view the ingredients: http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=inn-home Then check here to find a supplier in your area: http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=stores-tab Last edited by Ringo; 02-08-2005 at 05:41 AM.

02-08-2005, 05:57 PM	#7
schatzie *Moderator Emeritus* Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tontitown Arkansas Posts: 4,909	Lana, I hope you find the culprit to what is giving your little one allergy symptoms. He is 5 years old you mentioned? Is this something he just started or has he been affected by this for awhile now? So far Schatzie doesn't have this problem, but Annabelle my Schnauzer has what is called Schnauzer Comedo Syndrome (acne down her back) and it makes her absolutley miserable. She has been affected since she turned a year old and is now 4. It breaks our hearts to see her feeling so miserable no matter what treatment we give her. So, I can relate to watching your little guy suffer with feeling itchy/uncomfortable. I do hope he feels better soon. __________________ ~~~~ Schatzie and Ransom ~~~~

02-08-2005, 06:20 PM	#8
TinkerToy Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Austin,TX Posts: 76	This happened to me I always thought that if dogs did that then it was allergies. When I first got Tinker I was still living at my parents house, and they had this really fine grass. Everytime Tinker would come in from playing outside she would that. What it turned out to be was the grass scratching her. I don't know if you let your little one play outside, but it could be that. It also could be your carpet if you have it. One more thing it could be is pollen. I don't know how pollen is where you are, but just a little gets on Tinker's paws and she goes nuts. If this behavior continues I would make sure to use a damp cloth to whip of paws before you let your little one inside, or you could try a little Benadryl. Benedryl is a life saver. I would ask your vet first to give you the correct dosage, but don't be afraid to use it it is very hard to overdose if you have common sense. Hope this helps.

02-08-2005, 04:42 AM	#3
debi_s YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 309	My first Yorkie did the same thing. It is maddening to watch. We also switched foods a few times....did not really help. He would just work and work until he got to the other dog's bowl and eat the same old foods. Our vet had suggested allergies too (which is why we tried different foods)..He eventually got a big 'open area' on the top of one foot...I cut all the hair off his feet so I could clean and put medicine on it....(shaved feet also keep out ALOT of grass)...after shaving his feet and keeping them cut he did not lick as much. I thought he may have had allergies to some of the pollens in the grass and yard.

02-08-2005, 04:45 PM	#5
gopheraj Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 65	Could be something in your carpet - cleaner or spray - or a spray in the yard or fertilizer.

02-08-2005, 04:52 PM	#6
Bentley'sMom YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 299	A good food to try is California Natural. It only has 3 primary ingredients and can be a good one for dogs battling allergies.

02-09-2005, 08:19 AM	#9
Lana YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: los angeles Posts: 5	biting paws thank you all for your replys. we took 'eddie" our yorkie to a dog dermotoligist yesterday - he took a blood test for allergies and prescribed him temoral.it has some kind of a antihistimine and a little steroid in it which we are not crazy about - but at this point we dont know what else to do. eddie has had this itching issue sionce he was about 1 and half years old. we have hardwood floors. but we noticed his chewing his paws has gotten worse since recently that weve been taking him to our office. we take him to go to the bathroom to two specific spots where there are dandelions - and now we are thinking maybe hes allergic to those - so we are not going to take to those spots and we are trying solid gold food - hund n flocken- to see if this helps. i hope so. we will post his photo soon - hes very cute, everyone says hes the biggest yorkie they ever seen - hes 13.6 pounds and tall.

04-01-2005, 10:00 AM	#10
Skippy's Mom Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 159	My dog too Our Skippy just started licking his right rear paw yesterday. He now has an open sore-just a tiny one. I thought maybe his paws were dry-nothing new going on, just took him for a long walk the other day- first one since weather got nicer. I don't think it's an allergy, but my husband and I are planning on giving him his bath tonight so maybe that will help.

04-01-2005, 02:29 PM	#11
spydergurl YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 508	My Chewie (6 years old) chews her feet a lot, and always has. The vet says it's allergies, and gave her some pills (can't remember the name) and it made her too sleepy. So, I stopped the pills. He also said to wash off her feet when she comes in after being outside, but she goes out so many times a day, that would be impossible. So, I just let her chew her feet. It has slowed up a little over the years, and if I see her doing it, I just sidetrack her with a bone or a toy. Also, to the one that said her yoirkie is the biggest she's ever seen....my Chewie is 18 lbs! The doctor put her on a diet and said she has to lose 10 lbs! She would disappear if she lost that much! She looks a little chunky, but not that much!

04-01-2005, 02:34 PM	#12
Passionfruition Proud of my Sully! Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: beautiful CHARLESTON, S.C. Posts: 5,434	My uncle's yorkie gets allergy shots at the vet every month. Our pup gets allergies from time to time and our vet tells us to give him a 1/2 dose of children's benedryl every 5 hours for a day or two and it does wonders. __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - I love my Sully (the Wonderdog!)

09-19-2008, 10:51 PM	#13
Renae YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: seattle washington king Posts: 2	licking paws Our Annie has been constantly licking all four paws for about 2 months now. She now has four "bald" paws. A friend told us this could be allergies, so today we bought duck/potato food for her. She's usually a picky eater, but fortunately she gobbled this down--we're hoping that the new food will do the trick.