Anyone use povidone iodine?

[Alex]

Duncan has been licking his feet quite a bit for the last several months. We've thoroughly examined his paws and have found no 'damage' and they don't appear to be painful. But he licks them often enough where we are a little concerned.  Since he's white, all of the licking has started to turn his feet reddish and I feel like I read somewhere that means there's yeast in his foot fur?

Anyway, I read the article below and it mentioned using a foot bath with diluted povidone iodine. Has anyone ever heard of or used this?

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/25...

[Donna K & Quincy]

Iodine will sting terribly if there happens to be any open wound plus it will stain his fur. You could just try wiping his feet with a damp cloth when he comes in from outside, he could be picking up something that is irritating him. I would be more inclined to use vinegar or Epsom salts to soak his feet. Good luck I hope you find a solution.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I had not heard of this, but a little research told me it's Betadine.

Paw licking is the most common sign of inhalant (also known as seasonal or environmental) allergies in dogs. The red coloring is due to the moisture from the dog licking along with the saliva; if there is yeast present, that's where it's coming from; it can lead to moist dermatitis, aka "hot spots". There are several different ways to alleviate the itching that is causing the dog to lick his paws, but it won't stop the allergic response if that's what's causing the itching/licking.

Here is some information: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...

(BTW, the website and the source that you posted have been discredited many, many times; the information is not based in fact or science.http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/mercola.html  http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2012/04/more-misleading-and-unethical-adve...) 

[F, Calla & Luca]

As Karen has noted povidone iodine is also known as Betadine. It is basically a surgical scrub and widely used. I wouldn't use it as a dog paw soak without good reason though.