Anyone experience paw biting and chewing?

J

Jameson

New Member
Owned by
1 cocker
Hello

My 4 year old male cocker has been chewing his lower-middle front paws. He has never broken through the skin but he seems to be uncomfortable and itchy. I put socks on his paws when I catch him in action but this is not a solution. I took him to the vet and they did not have any real answers.

I am going to take him to an allergist and have them do some blood work. I am thinking he may have an allergy to something. We live in NYC and pollen is intense this year.

Has anyone ever experienced this with their cockers? Any insights or assistance would be incredibly appreciated!!

Thanks so much!
 
Could be a sign of allergies to grain. Check your food and see if there is any grains in it.. that could be the start. What shampoo do you or your groomer use? I think you are on the right track taking him in to see an allergest right away.

Cockers have allergies. We have several members here who have had dogs with severe allergies. DJ for on and Deborah also.
They will have lots to tell you
 
It could also be a yeast infection. Also when my dogs have an ear infection they will sometimes chew on their front paws. The best thing to do is have your vet check it out.
 
Our last cocker had this problem big time. Our vet failed to diagnose the problem. We tried a variety of solutions including a change in diet, medicated shampoo, but never cured the problem. Last week we got our second cocker, a retired buff mom from a very reputable breeder who has bred cockers for 35 years. She told us that most likely the problem was a yeast infection and is common in Buff Cockers. Black Cockers don't seem to have the problem and neither one of ours has it. If there is any redness in the fur around the paws or eyes then it is a yeast infection. She said that soaking the paws in a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water for 5 minutes would eliminate the yeast infection for a while. She also said that there is a product called Angel Eyes, which will not only help with the paws but also the running out of the eyes. She does not give Angel Eyes to any pregnant or nursing moms, but only because she is extremely careful about giving anything at that stage. However, she was very enthusiastic about the product otherwise. I just ordered a bottle of Angle Eyes from Amazon.com as the cocker we just adopted has had this problem in the past.

Note that we have zero experience with either the vinegar remedy or the Angle Eyes product, but this lady seems to be very expert in regards to cockers. We have learned a lot from her over the past year.
 
I am going through this issue right now...had no problems at all till my dogs were sprayed by a skunk a couple of weeks ago. The oil burned the skin,many many baths and now both are scratching and have itchy skin,the one directly sprayed also has some bumps and hair lost. After all this I think their own defense and balance on their skin has been altered,things that did not bother them now are. I am now walking them instead of them getting to run and play in the fields...it's sad but hopefully they can run and play off leash again soon.

Here are the suggestions from my Vet this week:

Pollen is at its highest in the early morning and late evening...take long walk midday if temps allow.
Give "plain" Benadryl, one pill morning and night for inflammation,redness and itchy.
Keep out of wet,tall and fresh mowed grass.
Natural medicated bath once weekly while itching and make sure to dry "completely"...damp hair plus humidity can grow bacteria quickly on skin.
Dog with itchy skin can also be sign of dry skin...put on a "grain free" fish type food,it is rich in Omega 3 and 6 for skin
Add small amount of fish oil or a Omega 3 tablet to food...start slow with this as it can cause soft stools.

I also made a bowl of betadine...mix with water till about the color of tea,I use it to wipe off paws and around face and ears when we come back inside. If it is mixed right it will not stain your hands or dog...I keep in covered container and will last several days.
My Vet said this time of year almost all these issues are environmental...especially if you are feeding the same food and had no problems in the winter. I have ordered some same brand grain free fish food for my guys but already giving some Omega 3 till it arrives. Hope some of these things will help your boy...they have made quite a difference for us in just a couple of days.

Forgot...make sure no fleas on dog,one bite can cause bumps and itching.
 
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Frankly when Farley had a yeast infection on his paws, I tried the apple cider vinegar and water on Farley's paws with totally no results. A visit to the vet, medication, and his itchyness disappeared in under 24 hours and the medication cleared the condition right up in a way the vinegar and water didn't.

I wouldn't discount your dog's ears either. Many times their ears itch and hurt but the dogs can't get to the inside of their ears so they will lick and bite on their paws in a effort to stop the pain in their ears.
 
Karen...what kind of meds did your Vet prescribe? We are not having paw licking right now but never know what could be next after this skunk ordeal.
 
I do agree that lots of times these things are all linked together ...hot spots below ears...itchy ears and paw licking. Hot spots on hips and scooting, anal glands...When you get into allergies it is so hard to pinpoint the cause and treat correctly. Hoping we are on the right track, it is hard to see your babies in discomfort.
 
Kathy,

Farley was on ketoconazole and a small dose of prednisone to help stop the itching. We started in the evening and by the next morning Farley was markedly better.
 
Thanks Karen...I will write this down,we are trying to go this route before putting on meds. Since my guys have always run in fields and grass I think that is why it did not bother them...but with the skunk spray and baths it is like their natural defense has been messed up. I hate not letting them run but I have to get everything back on track with them first. So far they are both doing better,I have my fingers crossed ;)
 
Angel Eyes is an antibiotic, I wouldn't give it on a regular basis. I would see the specialist, get your dog tested for allergies. I think Nicole even used Dr. Jean Dobbs and had her dogs tested. Deborah
also even had her dog get the allergy shot regimen.
 
Kathy I'm so sorry the skunking brought all this on. Maybe you should contact Dr. Dobbs to see what she would recommend. You do have them on Omegas don't you? I know sometimes they can upset tummies, but, they would
help with their dry skin. Even giving each of them a wild oregano or Olive Leaf Herb Capsuel might help them bring
their immunes back up where they need them to be.

I really think that if you vet can't get it under control for you Dr Dobbs is a good place to start. I think Nicole did mouth swabs and sent them in.
 
Eliminate the grains first, and also the chicken (grain fed protein). Ditto the Apple Cider vinegar. If it doesn't seem food-based, , you can test dour allergy. We would have her on short courses of prednisone to relieve symptoms while we cleared the last food out of her system.

We didn't give in to allergy testing until we had tried everything else. Veterinary dermatologists are very expensive, but the run thorough scratch tests, just like with humans. Cordelia tested positive for all sorts of things: dust mites, certain trees and grasses. So doctor made up a personalized serum for injection, which we did at home for about eighteen months. In addition, we had a topical med twice a week, and weekly perception shampoo. We're just down to the last of these now. No more rashes, no more chewing!
 
Deborah...that is amazing,I did not know that a special personalized serum could be made. I am glad to hear your little girl is doing better.

Polly...I remember Nicole testing her dogs for food types. I am pretty sure our problem is not food related as they have been eating the same thing since last fall. We are going to change to the same brand trying the fish to add more Omega's for skin. I have cut out all snacks and topper for now. I will look into the Oregano and Olive Leaf Herb Capsuels and keep Dr Dobbs in mind if these things don't solve issues. How do you contact her? You never know how lucky you are when everything is good with your dogs...but I have found it can change quickly,I have never had skin issues hit this hard and fast before. I read that skunk oil is as irritating as pepper spray so I think that their skin is just irritated from all this. I so miss watching them run and play of the evening,it was a highlight of my day :(
 
A place to start would be allergy testing. I did nutriscan for each of mine. Dr Jean Dodds has those tests contact hemopet.org. Nutriscan you can do at home, order the tests and follow the directions and send in. I had one dog that had many environmental allergies and we sought an allergist, ended up giving allergy injections. Allergies can be a cause, so can yeast. Dr Karen Becker also had something on itchy biting paws a little while back. You can find Dr Karen Becker online. Good luck, hope you get to the bottom of this.
 
Kathy I bet your problems will solve themselves. I imagine it's all the bathing you had to do. Your poor babies.

I wonder if a melatonin at night would help them relax some before bed.
 
Polly...I have never used melatonin. Do you get it at Vet or drug store? How much do you use with your boys? The Benadryl is helping with sleep the last couple of nights. Sophie's face looks lots better this evening, not as red. It's odd she does not scratch bad but has little bumps with hair lost. Cole is scratching quite a bit but I can't find one bump or red spot on him...I think his is from all the baths and Sophie's from getting direct hit of the spray in her chest and face. I hope you are right and things go back to normal soon...it worries me but I can see improvements.
 
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All the little dots on her head are bumps and hair lost...her face and nose roll is red but looks better today. I hope to never cross paths with a skunk again.
 
Poor Sophie!
You can get melatonin at any vitamin shop like GNC.. There are 3Mg chewables I would just be sure they are not sweetened with artificial sweetners. My Pepper several years ago started to be a restless sleeper. He's now up to 10mg.. I take one 10 mg one each evening myself. I by capsuels. My dogs are trained to chew the caps.. I guess Melatonin doesn't taste bad because Pep will chew it.. and if he drops it the others will chew also. It's a something we all have in our bodies and my vet
said it was okay for them to take.

Karen if their tummies are okay start them back slow on an amino acid.. it will help heal their skin

I order mine from PuritansPride.com
 
Kathy,

I'm sure your dogs skin issues are from the skunk, the bathing, and maybe the stress of going through the whole skunk experience. I'll bet this will soon resolve itself as they get back on their regular eating and bathing routines.
 
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