Why Your Dog’s Paws Are Turning Brown: Frequently Asked Questions
If your white dog’s paws are turning brown, it’s most likely due to excessive paw licking. The most common causes of excessive paw licking in dogs include food and environmental allergies, injuries, yeast and bacterial infections, parasites, and arthritis. Additionally, some pups may also be excessively licking their paws due to behavioral problems, such as stress, anxiety, and boredom.
How is the specific cause of pododermatitis diagnosed?
Diagnosis is based on medical history and clinical signs as well as skin cytology, skin scrapings, and hair pluckings. Cytology is used to look for the presence or absence of inflammatory cells, as well as bacteria, yeast, and parasites. Skin scrapings and hair pluckings evaluate for parasites including demodex mites. Additional tests may include bacterial and fungal cultures, biopsies, blood and urine tests, hypoallergenic food trials, and radiographs.
Some of the specific causes of pododermatitis include:
Symptoms of pododermatitis The inflammation may be limited to the feet, with no other areas affected. Unfortunately, inflammation leads to redness and an itchy sensation in the feet. Your dog may start licking and/or chewing his feet, nails and even foot pads. Excessive licking and chewing may result in secondary infections which cause even more itch, as well as an abnormal odor. Other changes that may occur include:
Pododermatitis is an inflammation and/or infection of the foot. It is not a specific disease but rather a descriptive condition that can result from a number of medical problems. Because the prognosis and treatment can vary greatly, depending on the underlying problem, your veterinarian will likely run a thorough checkup to locate the cause. Causes of pododermatitis may include1:
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian — they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.
If an allergy is suspected there may be a need for a more complete workup including allergy tests. biopsies and surgical exploration may be required too. Treatment of pododermatitis Treatment of pododermatitis is variable because it really depends on the underlying cause. Without question, treatment should be as focused as possible to enhance the results and improve the prognosis for recovery. Combinations of therapy are often required.
Systemic (internal) antibiotics or antifungals can be used to treat secondary infections and may require 3-6 weeks or more of treatment. Topical agents may be used but will usually not afford much improvement on their own and will need to be combined with other drugs2. Prognosis of pododermatitis Early and specific treatment will improve the likelihood of a positive outcome for your dog. Chronic inflammation that causes scarring will make the treatment more difficult and increase the likelihood of recurrence. Prevention of pododermatiis Regular inspection of the feet is important. It is also helpful to shave the feet between the toes (particularly for long-haired dogs). Prompt veterinary attention is important to prevent chronic damage. Questions to ask your veterinarian
Dog Paw Problems: 7 Most Common Issues and What to Do About Them
Saliva staining develops when an area of fur is constantly licked, chewed or nibbled, causing it to turn red, pink, brown or orange. It usually indicates an underlying problem such as:
Saliva staining can be seen anywhere on the body, but is most common in-between the toes, and on the feet/legs.
Saliva staining around the mouth is slightly different because it’s usually caused by drooling and isn’t often a problem. However, if your dog suddenly develops staining around their mouth when they didn’t used to, you should check their teeth, lips and skin, and contact your vet for advice if you notice anything unusual such as bad breath, a skin problem or dental disease.
It’s not advisable to just wipe saliva staining away, instead your dog will need treatment for the underlying cause. Follow the links above for more information on the specific causes.
Tear staining looks very much like saliva staining, but is caused by overflowing tears. In many dogs, tear staining isn’t an issue, but it’s always sensible to have it checked by your vet because it can be a symptom of an underlying problem with the eyes (especially if it’s developed suddenly).
Contact your vet for advice if you notice saliva staining anywhere on your dog, most of the underlying causes are much easier to treat if they’re caught early.