Why Do Dogs Lick Their Paws and Legs?
A dog constantly licking its front legs can be a frustrating ordeal to handle. It can be hard to miss, especially if your dog makes loud licking sounds, and you are trying to finally get some sleep after a long day at work.
Perhaps you might think that a dog licking his front legs is a normal occurrence, but unlike their feline counterparts, they may not be licking to get clean. Sure, dogs do like to engage in self-grooming at times, but if your dog is constantly licking his front legs, something may be amiss.
Before just ignoring the behavior or thinking it isn’t something to be concerned about because “all dogs do it,” let’s consider a few possible reasons behind the licking.
Like humans, dogs are susceptible to allergies, too. They might occasionally sneeze (hey, their sniffer is much more attuned than ours), but more than likely, if something has irritated their system, they’re not going to be reaching for the Kleenex or rubbing at itchy eyes. They’re instead going to be licking those paws and front legs.
In dogs, excessive front leg licking can arise as a result of atopy (intolerance to environmental allergens such as pollens, molds, dust, and dust mites).
Think about if you went walking around barefoot everywhere, you’d pick up some weird things on your feet and the lower parts of the legs, too (especially if you walk in tall grass). That’s essentially what dogs do every time they leave the house. They get great smells and sights, but they also bring home whatever they’ve walked through on the day’s jaunt.
On top of being allergic to things in their environment, many dogs who are constantly licking their front legs may also be allergic to ingredients in their foods.
Solution: A trip to your vet for evaluation can give your dog some much-needed relief and a rest from having to hear your dog going at his front legs and paws non-stop.
It might be that a pill or an injection is needed to relieve the irritation on their legs and in the grand scheme of things, that’s a minor price to pay to ensure your fur baby is happy and healthy.
You don’t want to let it go on too long though because their saliva isn’t the best thing to be constantly rubbing on those legs. Especially in lighter-colored breeds, this excessive licking can lead to unsightly rusty stains on their legs.
In the worst-case scenario, some dogs may develop whats known as an “acral lick granuloma” which is quite frustrating to get under control.
If you’ve ruled out allergies, there may be a more painful reason your pup can’t quit licking those paws. Try to take a peek at those legs and see if you can find what might be bothering them. It could be a simple fix like a broken nail, or they picked up something that got stuck in their skin on their latest walk. Check for swellings, bug bites, lumps and bumps, or foreign objects embedded.
If after examination your pup is still not giving up on licking and chewing those front legs, they may have a more severe condition.
In dogs, pain in other parts of the body can manifest in the feet or legs, causing the dog to try and lick the nerve endings that are sparking to try and ease the pain. If this is the case, making a trip to your vet is a wise move.
Solution: Carefully examine your dogs front legs for signs of scrapes, bug bites or thorns. If you find nothing, your veterinarian should be able to evaluate more thoroughly and figure out if pain or discomfort is localized to the legs or somewhere else in the body such as the spine or even in the dogs mouth.
Sometimes, dogs that engage in excessive licking may be suffering from nausea, especially if such dogs are smacking their lips and drooling.
Licking may involve floors, carpets, furniture, and of course, even the dogs front legs may be involved, especially considering that they come in handy when the dog is lying down with his legs readily in front of him.
“This licking may occur often, but because it seems harmless and may only be somewhat annoying, many owners accept this unusual behavior or simply ignore it. However, some owners will inquire about it during a routine checkup and ask for advice,” says board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Valerie Tynes in an article for DVM360.
Solution: Have your dog see your vet to rule out nausea or other underlying problems such as allergies. Be ready to answer questions about your dogs diet and any other treats or medications your dog takes.
Boredom or obsessive behaviour can be the cause of the licking.
Dogs, like humans, are capable of developing compulsive behaviors and leg licking can, unfortunately, turn into one such behavior.
If they’ve been licking because of a painful bug bite or because of untreated allergies, even after those conditions have been remedied, they may have conditioned themselves to keep licking and licking and licking. Seeing a behavior specialist might be a good move if you notice your pup’s continued behavior.
You want to make sure your fur baby isn’t bored. Dogs do all kinds of things to relieve boredom from jumping on furniture and scratching where they shouldn’t to, yes, licking those front legs repeatedly.
Dogs need daily exercise, play, mental stimulation, and training. If your dog is closed all day in the yard or in a room with nothing better to do, he may find his own forms of entertainment and this may involve licking their front legs excessively.
Solution: Ensure your pup has adequate exercise and engagement throughout the day. Boredom fosters undesirable behaviors and those bad actions can snowball into even bigger problems if left unaddressed.
Anxiety and stress may play a role too. Exposure to frightening interactions with people or other animals may lead to excessive front-leg licking as a way for the dog to self-soothe himself.
Many things in our daily lives can cause anxiety and stress in dogs. From noises to changes in their environment (a baby, new pet, guests, people working in the apartment), they sure can play a number in their lives.
Solution: Make sure that your dog feels safe so provide him with an environment that is as stress-free as possible. There are a variety of calming aids for dogs that can be found over the counter. Severe cases may require prescription medications from your vet.
Frustration can cause licking too and licking those front legs may be a way the dog copes with it. The last dog I had over for boarding and training was licking her front legs over and over. The owner thought it was normal, just a little odd quirk.
A closer evaluation revealed that she often did this when a toy she was playing with on the couch fell to the ground. She also did it when she wanted something and couldnt have it, such as treats being in my treat bag or a toy being placed on a shelf. Specialized training helped this dog out and the leg licking dramatically decreased.
Solution: Implement impulse control dog training and teach your dog to better cope with frustration.
Some dogs take licking their legs to a higher level. In these dogs, the licking may have started from an itchy condition or stress and it put roots to the point of becoming very ingrained.
Solution: Seek out a behavioral specialist if after trying everything else, your pup just won’t quit licking. They may have developed a compulsion around the behavior that needs to be corrected with behavior modification.
Sometimes, dogs who love to receive attention may perform behaviors that they feel garner attention. So for instance, if your dog wants attention from you when you come home from work and you ignore him, but then when he licks his front paws, you look at him and tell him to stop, your dog may find this behavior reinforcing, so hell continue to perform it.
Solution: Ignore the leg licking behavior and work on reinforcing other more desirable behaviors.
Other than looking darker, his legs don’t seem to have undergone any changes. There is no bare skin or missing fur.
My 4-year-old dog has been constantly licking and chewing on his two front legs for almost a month now. I’m starting to wonder if his mouth or gums are bleeding since the white fur seems to be red to reddish brown.
The darkened fur can be red, tan, brown or rust colored and is caused by substances in the saliva called porphyrins. These are also found in tears and cause the staining near the corners of the eyes in some light-colored dogs.
Given what you are describing, there is not much to be worried about. As long as there is simply darkening or staining of the white fur and no loss of hair or raw or irritated skin, there is no serious problem.
The staining can be eliminated if the cause can be properly addressed or one can try using commercial or homemade bleaching solutions to restore the white color to the darkened fur.
Ways to Fix the Itch!
(Fish Oil may be one way to help!)
Once the underlying cause behind your dog’s increased licking behavior is found, treatment can begin! Luckily, there are quite a few treatments available, both natural and traditional to help break your dog’s habit, heal the underlying problem, and get him feeling better! Here are four ways you can help relieve the itch and heal your dog’s skin.
Why is my dog constantly licking his front legs?
Itching, scratching, biting, chewing. Some days your dog appears miserable as he digs at his feet, chews on his legs, or scratches endlessly at his ears. Excessive licking can be an itchy, habit-forming problem but there is relief! Learning the causes behind excessive licking and using four great methods to stop it will help your dog feel better and keep you from going crazy over the issue!