by Cassie
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Paw Chewing
by Cassie
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
DISCUSSION:
Instead of medicine, have you tried taking away a food or treat that you give regularly? Could be an alergy. Also could be a parasite problem, which can manifest itself in skin problems. Got to the advertiser section and call the 800# for a little info on this, and get in touch with me if you like.
Isabel
Cassie: My little Pete chews on his paws too. I have been told it could be allergies and some have told me it is a nervous condition. I'm not sure what causes it, but he just sits and licks and chews his little paws alot. It sometimes seems to go in spells where he will quit for a while and at other times he will be really bad about chewing. Anyone have an answer to this problem? Belle
Belle
Rastus started licking and chewing his paws when he was about 12 years old, and they became really badly stained. The vet said it was probably his way of dealing with arthritic pain. If I'd known about bitter apple spray then I might have tried it. Instead I used a water spray with a few drops of some of the soothing essential oils (chamomile and lavender) to massage his paws and joints - it lessened but didn't stop the licking.
Deanna (Moose & Squirrel)
Sugar Bear does this all the time and she has for five years now! She is especially attached to her front and hind right feet. She does this more now than usual. It is the time of year, when the Grass allergies are highest. She does not lick them until they bleed or anything like that. Therefore, the Vet said it was better to just wash her feet three to four times a day with soap and water. We tried cortisone and it did not seem to matter much. I think now it has become a compulsive habit of hers plus the grass allergies. Good luck. (P.S. she likes to lick our feet too!!!)
Zee
ELlie has just started that and my other two used to. It was food allergies and/or the preservatives, etc. causing it. I've been concentrating so hard on GaddyByrd's allergies, that I've not paid enough attention to Ellie's possible allergies and her responses to certain foods. Two of mine have grass allergies also, but I'm inclined to think that mold from the ground outside could also be a factor. You know, we didn't seem to have these problems before we had so many different chemicals around everywhere.....the carpets (dyes, etc), fumes, chemicals on the grass, etc. So many people have allergic reactions now, too.
annehudson
ELlie has just started that and my other two used to. It was food allergies and/or the preservatives, etc. causing it. I've been concentrating so hard on GaddyByrd's allergies, that I've not paid enough attention to Ellie's possible allergies and her responses to certain foods. Two of mine have grass allergies also, but I'm inclined to think that mold from the ground outside could also be a factor. You know, we didn't seem to have these problems before we had so many different chemicals around everywhere.....the carpets (dyes, etc), fumes, chemicals on the grass, etc. So many people have allergic reactions now, too.
annehudson
I have a ten year old rescue male, Hampton. This is my first time on MalteseOnly, and I am sure glad I found this place.
Hampton chews his feet until it makes us totally crazy! I have tried everything I can think of. The other posts said something about grass and other allergies. I have eliminated all the allergies we have found (by getting rid of foods, carpet, etc), but can't get rid of the yard he loves to play in (he is in the house most of time). I was wondering - has anyone tried allergy mdication? We had to put him on that for the first couple of months to allow his hair to grow back, then took him off. Now he chews his paws raw. Any comments? Suggestions?
Gigi and Hampton
Hi everyone, my son has allergies and although we try to keep him from the things that aggravate the symptoms the most, there are things we have no control over. All the pollen in the air whether its grass, tree, flowers, mold, or any other thing has one thing in common, When the wind stops blowing it falls to the ground. Since our babies love to be outside to play, these things are aggravating the symptoms on their feet and its not just when playing in the grass, its also when you take them for a walk. This is a radical suggestion but maybe if you rinse their feet off everytime they go outside that would help. It would also narrow the field down to food or the chemicals you wash the floor or carpet with.
eva
Paw chewing is a sign of allergies. Had a lhasa who was allergic. Had him tested. Even tried to desensitize him to no avail. It got worse. He was all his life on prednisone and antihistamines, on some periods also needed antibiotics because his skin all over got so bad. Then he got diabetic (probably from the prednisone) and was on insulin for a few years. The prednisone also lowers their immune system. At some point, his immune system was so low that he got mites (something supposedly only puppys are gettting). So we had to stop the prednisone to get rid of the mites. The vet said there is nothing out to cure allergies. A lot of dogs are allergic nowadays. I think it comes from the inbreeding and I think it's hereditary. I hope my little "Alex" won't get allergies. I was afraid to get another dog because of that.
Janine
Lucy just started doing this about a month ago. I'm glad I read this. I had no idea it could be allergy related. She also chews on her toenails. We'll be sitting on the couch reading or watching T.V. and we'll hear this click, click, click. It's Lucy chewing her nails. I play with her constantly and take her almost everywhere with me so I don't think it is an emotional thing. She does go for walks everyday but we rarely let her on any grass. I guess I'll do a little research on the ingredients in her food.
DeeDee
I have a new pup ( almost 10 months) and I read in a Maltese book that if they get in the habbit of it they can chew them untill they bleed. I don't know how to stop the habbit, but I recomend just taking his foot out of his mouth whenever you see him biting it. That's what I do and now he only does it like once every other week, but I stop him.
Anne
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Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advise.