Dog Licking Paws
by Any
(Jacksonville, FL)
Reader Question: Hi, I have a female pitbull that I found on the side of the road about 2 years ago. She has been a great dog since, and healthy.
Just about a week ago I started to notice that she was having sores appear on the the sides of her feet..it looks like how a Shar-Pei's dog skin would look..all her legs have this red wrinkled appearance to it. She has open sores on the bottom of her paws!! And she is now licking everywhere and sometimes she shakes as if she is cold! I've given her many baths and an aspirin for the pain. I'm going to take her to the vet as soon as i can! but if there anything you could help me with to at least control it please let me know. Thank you
Editor Answer: Thank you for your question. The sudden appearance of sores on dog paws and around the feet along with the progressive loss of hair represents an inflammatory response due to some type of allergy or possible parasitic or viral infection. These sores usually develop over time into clinical lesions. Secondary bacterial infections are certain to develop if the condition is left untreated.
Unfortunately, a confirmatory diagnosis and the recommendation of a specific treatment for the dog paw licking and sores is only possible after a detailed clinical examination by a veterinarian and laboratory tests, if required. Thus, we recommend that you see a veterinarian immediately.
At home, you can only
provide first aid. In the mean time you can try and use a mild antiseptic solution for cleaning the sores and then apply a remedy to cure symptoms associated with the lesions.
Aspirin is a NSAID, i.e. Non Steroid Anti Inflammatory Drug, a salicyclate drug. It is used as an analgesic, anti pyretic (for fever) and as an anti inflammatory drug. Aspirin is a preferred treatmentfor generalized problems such as fever, but not for dog skin conditions. For dog skin problems, topical preparations containing anti inflammatory agents are most effective. We don't believe aspirin would be therapeutically effective for skin problems.
In severe cases, dog paws and the area around the feet should be treated separately, as histologically (e.g; anatomy) both of these areas of a dog's body are formed by different tissues.
For the paws and lesions, after cleaning the sores with a cleansing agent such as
Clenzor, apply a quality natural remedy such as
PawPaw to the sores on the paws. For the skin areas around the feet, consider a natural skin remedy that is made for the skin such as
Skin and Coat Tonic.
These remedies do not require any prescription and can be an effective way to help with the symptoms. In order to prevent your dog from licking the sores and lesions, use an adjustable collar such as the
Pet Botanics E-Collars.
Remember that this mode of treatment is meant to control symptoms only, you must consult veterinarian for specific treatment of the dog paw and skin condition itself.