1st May 2006

Our six-year-old Labrador bitch has started chewing her paws until they are red raw. Why is this and how can we stop her?

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Question:

Our six-year-old Labrador bitch has started chewing her paws until they are red raw. We’ve tried using a bitter spray from the vet and putting TCP and even socks on them but she still does it. Why is this and how can we stop her?

Answer:

Irritation and redness of the feet in dogs is a common presentation in small animal practice. Causes may include bacterial or yeast infections, demodex mites, skin allergy and immune-mediated disease (where the immune system becomes misdirected and attacks normal tissues within the body). Diagnostic tests may include skin scrapings for mites, tape strip examination for yeasts, allergy testing and possibly skin biopsy. You will need to take your bitch to the vet for further investigation.