Bite and chew on his/her paws?

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin has a weird habit of biting or chewing on his back paws a couple of times a day. I don't think he used to do this, it seems to have started in the last few months. I wouldn't worry too much, except it causes the hair in his paws to matt pretty badly, and it's hard to comb them out when they are between his toes! He is also a pretty big scratcher, but I can't tell if it's a normal amount or not... as It's been years and years since my last dog. 

Does your dog scratch a lot? Does he bite his feet? Could this be a bigger problem? 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

The advice that we have gotten for this (thus far) is when they come in from their potty (particular the morning dew potty) wipe his feet off with a baby wipe. Then give him benedryl. We just went from 2 up to 3, 25 mgtablets per day and it has pretty much done the trick. The formula is from what they told me 1/2 mg per lb, 2 to 3 times per day.

We have an appointment on July 1st and will be addressing it more as to if we need to pursue any allergy testing or if we just continue in this manner. Watch the paw pads closely to make sure they aren't getting red and irritated or anything from the chewing.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This post strikes fear in my heart because that was the first sign of Jack's allergies, the biting, licking & chewing at the paws. It's the most common symptom of allergies in dogs. Adding the scratching into the equation...I really hope it isn't allergies.
If you look at the fur between the pads and it's reddish, that's another sign. That was the first thing my vet noticed when I first adopted Jack and brought him in.
In addition to wiping his feet, it helps to just wipe them down period when they come in from outside, if the itching has anything to do with pollen. I can't remember if Darwin's getting evening primrose oil capsules or not, but if he isn't, try giving him one 500 mg EPO capsule once a day. That helps a lot.

[shelly]

Camilla - Tori licks her paws sometimes, but she hates walking on wet ground (after or during rain),. I will pay more attention on when she does this again. Has Darwin ever done this before? Do you think allergies would start now?

Karen - does the dosage go by weight? I don't think Tori has allergies, but her latest bout with the sneezing/snorting thing has me thinking... she's on antibiotic now, and only heard her snort, after chewing a nylabone a bit last night. But I'm just worried that if she starts in again.. it has to be something.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The 500 mg. per day dosage seems to be good for all size doodles, from the feedback I've gotten from the DK members who're using it. Jack is actually allowed up to 1500 mg. per day (He's 86 lbs) but rarely takes more than one capsule. It's only Omega 6 fatty acid in the form of GLA, harmless & usually beneficial for skin & coats even in the dogs who don't have any allergies.
I don't think the sneezing/snorting thing has to do with allergies. I asked about it in our A.D. support group, and I don't think it corresponded with any of our dogs' symptoms. But EPO won't hurt if you want to try it. A very few dogs do get some loose stools with added fatty acids, but that's more common with fish oil than the EPO.
To answer one of your questions to Camilla, allergies in dogs most often show up between 1-3 years old.

[shelly]

Thanks Karen! I'm assuming it's safe for Tori - even with her pork induced Pancreatitis... Very interesting about the 1-3 year allergy time block! Thanks again for your expert advice... and to Camilla - I've learned something from YOUR post! Hope Darwin is ok!!!

[Camilla and Darwin]

The fur would be red? Because some of the fur between his paw pads is kind of a rusty color, i thought it just just be his coloring. His paw pads don't look irritated at all. He also licks his chest and front paws quite a bit, but mostly the biting is restricted to his back paws. I do give him an EPO capsule every day, which has helped with the scratching, although it has gotten worse in the past few months. I think I'll go get some baby wipes or something to wipe his paws when he gets in. Our apt lawn just started being watered 3 months ago, so perhaps that is what could be causing the irritation? Except he doesn't just do it when he's coming in from outside.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is such a thing as contact dermatitis in dogs, but it doesn't usually work the way you're describing. It usually involves a rash in areas where the dog comes into contact with the allergen, and it doesn't cause generalized itching, it's only in the spots where the rash is. It also usually involves skin, not the paw pads. Try wiping his paws and see if that helps.
I thought the rusty fur between Jack's pads was just his coloring, too. But it wasn't. The pads themselves wouldn't be irritated, but over time, he lost fur from his feet & caused himself infections on the tops of his paws from the constant biting and licking.
The thing is, if a dog does have a mild seasonal allergy, let's say to a certain kind of grass, it's the pollen from the grass that he's breathing in the air that's causing the itching. He could never set foot on the grass itself, or even go near it (pollen travels hundreds of miles), and it would still make him itchy. And when the grass is done pollinating for the season, the symptoms go away, assuming the dog is only allergic to that one thing.
Check this website and see if there is a high pollen count in your area right now. I use this constantly.
http://www.pollen.com/allergy-weather-forecast.asp
Camilla, I really hope this isn't it, but even if it is, most of the time, the dogs are nowhere near as bad off as Jack. They're itchy for a few weeks once or twice a year and then they're fine. So don't worry, but if it continues, maybe see the vet. Just make sure he understands that Darwin's symptoms seem to be seasonal & try to get something for the itching; don't let him give you Rx food, lol.

[Camilla and Darwin]

no way would I let him give me RX food. :-) We will definitely get wipes for his paws, and even though we live by grass, could it help if we stop taking him out on it as much? If that doesn't help, we'll give him medicine and see if the symptoms are still around after the season is over.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wouldn't stop taking him out as much. That's a pleasure in his life, and they have to be dogs. With Jack, we always consider quality of life when making decisions for his treatment.
Wipe him down when he comes in, wash his food & water bowls frequently, and let him be a dog. Brushing helps when they're itchy, but I know you already keep Darwin brushed, lol. I used to use an OTC cortisone spray on Jack's feet, but knock on wood, since he's been on the immunotherapy he hasn't needed it. I used to use it on my other dogs for mild seasonal itching.
I did notice that the pollen counts are much higher in Utah than they are in my area right now, so it's a possibility.

[Lauria Orr]

Is the lawn being treated with any fertilizers or chemicals of any kind? That may be another potential irritant or allergen.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I know that's a common belief, but lawn chemicals aren't allergens. In fact, when dogs are tested for environmental allergies, they don't even test for chemicals, fertilizers, etc. Those things may be irritants, but they don't cause systemic allergies and wouldn't cause generalized itching.

[Lauria Orr]

Actually, they can be irritants and/or allergens. Check with a Dermatologist, Allergist/Immunologist.