Question:
my 11month old beagle has started to chew on his feet to the point they are red and dripping wet. I am concerned that he will hurt himself. I haven't figured out if it is due to his existing anxiety issues(we have been working on those) or bordom. It is really bad if we leave (even for 10 minutes) but he does it even if we are home. I have given him lots of different chewtoys and if i see him doing it I will bring him one.We have been to the vet and he is perfectly healthy. A friend suggested I spray his feet with "bitter apple" but I thought I would check it out before I put anything on him. does anyone have any suggestions?

Answer:
Maybe it's allergies--food or environmental. There are certain times of the year where some of our dogs' feet itch and they lick and chew on them. They're reacting to a grass pollen. I've also heard of dogs that are allergic to wool fibers from carpets. And, of course, food allergies can make for an itchy dog.

Has your vet done any kind of allergy screening?

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is there alot of salt on the ground when you take him for walks make sure to clean off the pads and keep the moist

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My lab does this as well. We think it is due to allergies, but we know pretty well that it isn't food, so we think it is environmental.

What are you feeding him?, because food allergies are the easiest to control...

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Bitter apple does work with most dogs, but if the problem is anxiety or boredom (as this usually is the case with foot biters - sort of like how we humans chew our fingernails), prohibiting him from releasing his frustration will make the problem worse.

Why is he bored or anxious, is the first question you should be asking yourself. The second being "What can we do about it". You've mentioned that you've been working on it. Can you tell us what you've done so far (and how he's reacted), and maybe we can help further?

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if his paws are red and irritated from all the licking, it may really STING if you spray bitter apple on them - I wouldn't recommend it. you should really see a vet to try and rule out an allergy before assuming it's just behavioral (anxiety or boredom).

what are you feeding him?

Answer:
Why is he bored or anxious, Can you tell us what you've done so far (and how he's reacted)[/quote]

He has eperation anxiety so we have been putting him in a kennel with a kong full of treats plenty of toys, we had to remove his bedding cause he was eating it and I havent thought of anything safe to replace it with, we leave for short periods at a time or we get gramma to watch him. we take him with us when we can but if anyone from our family isn't there he cries and shakes the whole time. He is a "snuggle junkie" and loves attention and when he can't get it he chew on what ever he can find (kids toys, his toys, he's not fussy) including his feet. He is being fed nutrience dog food and when we took him to the vet she didn't think there was any sign of irritation.

Answer:
Originally Posted by jessi76
if his paws are red and irritated from all the licking, it may really STING if you spray bitter apple on them - I wouldn't recommend it. you should really see a vet to try and rule out an allergy before assuming it's just behavioral (anxiety or boredom).

I agree. Bitter apple would sting like madness on raw skin.

Nutrience isn't the best food for allergies. You might want to check out Natural Balance. They're a good place to start.
www.naturalbalanceinc.com

Answer:
I'm not at ALL convinved this is allergy related, and switching the food could cause more stress (or any change in daily routine/environment can create stress), which of course will likely make the problem worse.

Though I do agree that the food isn't the best of qualities, maybe dealing with the immediate issue at hand would give you an idea as to whether or not to switch.

And I agree on the bitter apple. If the skin is irritated, it will sting, and cause possible further trauma (bad assosication).

Answer:
For me, this part tells us it's allergies:

but he does it even if we are home.


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Nervous dogs will be nervous dogs, no matter where you are. Seperation anxiety is a symptom of a problem heightened when you go away. Stress doesn't suddenly leave because someone came home, and I don't think seperation anxiety is this dog's problem at all (though obviously leaving the dog at home alone, will intensify it's insrcurities).

It's possible that it's allergies, but in my experience, and based on what you've said in this thread, I'd bet money that it's not. Especially since it's been said that this dog is a "snuggle junkie".

Answer:
Thank you everyone. when he was at the vet she thought if it was an alergy it would affect more than just his paws( I'm sorry I didn't mention it is only his front ones) I think it is probably due to his stress and continue to try to help him with that but I will definatley watch for salt as well because that may be a possibility because of all of the melting ice right now..

Answer:
Originally Posted by 4leggedfriends
Thank you everyone. when he was at the vet she thought if it was an alergy it would affect more than just his paws( I'm sorry I didn't mention it is only his front ones) I think it is probably due to his stress and continue to try to help him with that but I will definatley watch for salt as well because that may be a possibility because of all of the melting ice right now..

Oh, the ice could do it. But again, since he's only chewing the front paws, and there's no sign of skin irritation (aside from the redness caused by, assumingly, the chewing), this again leads me to believe that it's neither allergies nor salt, and the cause again is stress.

Do you have professional help? As for the anxiety, there are many people here (including myself) who can help you try to figure out what exactly is causing it and how to fix it, but professional help is always best (and will be reccommended by most of us here as well). Especially in situations like this where the dog is feeling some sort of nervous instability at all times (and not just when you're away), it's very difficult to assess the situation without complete details about your dogs routines and home (pack) structure.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Spirit

Do you have professional help? As for the anxiety, there are many people here (including myself) who can help you try to figure out what exactly is causing it and how to fix it.

No, I don't have the $$$ for professional help so I have been researching on line for any info I can find and any help I can get would be appreciated.

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I thank everyone for their ideas. If anyone has any suggestions on how to help him with his anxiety I would appreciate it. I am concerned he will eventually hurt himself.

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Hi - I have a dog that does this and I was told it was allergies and she doesn't have any other symptoms. I guess different vets have different opinions.

I did a food switch and things seem to be better but she still has one foot that bothers her - could be house dust I guess but in the spring and summer her allergies get really bad and all four feet usually get red and irritated. Then she sits and licks all of them.

If it is anxiety I'm not sure how to help.

I also think the bitter apple would sting. I wash my dogs feet with a medicated soap and use an anti-itch spray called Wham that I got from a local pet store. It has aloe and tea tree oil and helps to soothe the skin.

Good luck - I hope you can figure out what is bothering him!

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