Licking Paws--WHY?

[Karla]

Our 3 year old Cairn, Lola, has been constantly licking her paws. The paws look fine (nothing unusual--no fur missing or anything), but she is always licking them. Any ideas?

[Angieh]

Allergies? Irritants from the grass or road? Nervous behavior? It could be any of these things or something else. One of my cairns, Benny, has allergies that cause him to lick his feet.

[BetsyNoodle]

Allergies caused Murphy, our sweet rescue Cairn, to lick his paws. It started out slowly but gradually progressed to itching in all four paws, groin, trunk, and face. He was painstakingly tested for food allergies and is not food-allergic. The dermatologist thinks it is likely seasonal allergens that are specific to are locale. Apparently, he had no allergies when he lived 260 miles away with his former family.

Gracie, our black Lab, also licked her feet and was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, as well. Both of them are on meds and are doing fine.

[Murphy's Mom]

Our Miss Murphy licks her paws; she has allergies. Some days are a little worse than others but still not enough to warrant meds.

[jimnconnie]

Paw licking is an indication of allergies, as the others have said,and it can really be hard to track down the culprit. Anything from food (wheat is a common cause), molds (indoors or out), airborne particles (furnace & A/C), to chemicals (in your carpet or yard) can be the cause. If the problem worsens, testing can be done, but it is a long & costly process. How long has Lola been doing this, and have there been any changes in her environment (indoors or out)?

Jim