1st May 2006

My dog, Sam, keeps biting his own feet for no apparent reason. Someone told me that it is possible for dogs to get athlete’s foot. Is this true and, if so, how do I treat it?

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Question:

My dog, Sam, keeps biting his own feet for no apparent reason. Someone told me that it is possible for dogs to get athlete’s foot. Is this true and, if so, how do I treat it? If not, what could be causing him to bite his feet?

Answer:

Dogs can get an infection of the feet and other areas of skin caused by the yeast, malassezia. This is not dissimilar to the fungus that causes athlete’s foot in humans. The treatment for this infection involves anti-fungal washes or, in severe cases, anti-fungal tablets. Other causes for foot-chewing in dogs include allergies, parasites such as mites and bacterial infections, so an examination at your veterinary surgery would be helpful here, to obtain a diagnosis.