Ways to Stop Your Dog s Paw Licking for Good Proven tips, tricks and strategies to bring relief to your canine companion
Table of Contents Introduction 18 tips, tricks and strategies More on Psychological Scratching Is your dog s licking and scratching all night driving you insane? 1
Introduction If your dog refuses to stop licking his paws, you are not alone! This is a very common complaint from dog owners, and if left untreated it can lead to serious skin problems due to the damage caused by self-trauma. The first thing you ll want to do is Identify and eliminate the primary cause where possible: This is often the most difficult task! Some causes may be immediately evident, such as a grass awn stuck between the toes. Others, however, may require the help of your veterinarian. Allergic conditions, for instance, may require an extensive diagnostic work. Here are 18 different tactics you can try to eliminate your dog s paw licking. Don t try them all at once or you won t know which one worked. Use a systematic approach and keep good notes so you know what was effective and what wasn t. Due to the large number of possible causes, it can be difficult to immediately recognize why your dog is licking his paws all the time; however, as a general guide: If he is licking just one of his paws, or just both front paws, check for evidence of damaged. skin or an embedded foreign body. If neither is present, the cause is likely psychological. If he is licking all of his paws, likely there is some environmental reason for this. 2
18 tips, tricks and strategies 1. If fleas are the issue you ll need to begin a flea control regimen for your pooch, your house, and your yard. Since these are a very common cause of paw licking you may want to institute a flea control regime, even if you don t see any actual fleas. 2. Stop the itchiness If his paw licking is due to environmental causes like allergies, breaking the itch-scratch cycle can go a long way to resolving the problem. Although there are various prescription medications that your veterinarian can prescribe for this, you may wish to try a more natural, chemical-free approach. There are numerous products that can help. One excellent remedy is Itchin For Relief which has a unique blend of ingredients to soothe itchy skin, and reduce inflammation. 3. Boot Up Covering your dog's paws with dog booties might be a solution to the problem, and at the very least it will give irritation or lesions a chance to heal which you get to the core problem. Using a shea butter Paw Rub underneath the booties can protect, heal, and soothe the heat of itching. 3
4. Is your dog's discomfort all in his mind? Canine behavior modification therapy with a trained dog behaviorist may be an option if your pup's licking problems are diagnosed to be psychological. While this treatment takes time, patience, and consistency to work, behavior therapy alone has been shown to be effective in some dogs. Additionally, your paw licking pooch may need more exercise, extra training, or another dog for companionship to keep her mind active. Your behaviorist may suggest adding anti-anxiety medications to the treatment plan however, an all-natural dog relaxer administered orally twice a day, can calm and relax your dog and keep her mind off the itching without any of the side effects of drugs. See below for more information on Psychological Scratching. 5. Distract your dog Many dogs forget about their discomfort when they are playing, eating or chewing. Distraction is an excellent method. So give your dog a full schedule of bone chewing, game playing and toys to occupy their time. We have had success putting all natural peanut butter into a hollow toy (like a Kong). And if you freeze it it lasts even longer! 6. Ditch the collar and get a harness instead Dogs that pull on the leash could get nerve damage. The neck supplies nerves to the extremities and if impinged, cause discomfort or pain. Also, don t use a retractable leash, as the jerk back of the leash could cause tension. 4
7. Treat skin damage Excessive licking can lead to skin damage.this in itself is enough of a problem, but additionally it can continue the cycle of itching and licking, so it s important to do whatever possible to allow the skin to heal. Often this involves antibiotic therapy, although some minor cases may resolve themselves once the itchiness is treated. 8. Health check If your dog s constant licking persists, or if open wounds develop, your veterinarian should rule out underlying health problems, such as skin infections or entrapped foreign material. 9. Exercise your pet more Dogs love to go out for walks. Exercise will get your pets mind off the itch. Your pet s body will release endorphins when he/she exercise. Endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body and act as analgesics which means they diminish the perception of pain. 10. Change your pet s diet Cut out the carbohydrates and try a grain free food based on a higher protein, simple carbohydrate diet. 5
11. Supplements Most dogs don t get enough fatty acids in their food and it can affect their mood, their blood chemistry and skin health. Try fish oil capsules 1000 mg, once a day for an average sized dog. FOOTBATHS 12. Baking Soda Keep a bucket of water and baking soda by the door. When your dog comes in from a walk, put his paws, one at a time, in the bucket and swish them around. This helps to remove allergens and helps to soothe irritated skin. One or two tablespoons per gallon should suffice. 13. Chamomile Break out the tea bags! Chamomile is very soothing and Just make a cup of tea, let it cool and swish your dog's feet in it. 14. Epsom salt will help to disinfect the itchy area. It contains sodium chloride, potassium and nitrates that can aid in restoring the natural balance of bacteria on a dog s skin. Salt can also raise the ph level of your dog s skin, which may help regulate normal bacterial ratios. Don t rinse your dog s feet after any of these footbaths. 6
15. Antihistamines don t normally work in discouraging paw licking. However, they may help to calm or make your dog sleepy. This is useful if your dog has worked himself into a frenzy. Be sure to ask your veterinarian for the appropriate dose and frequency. 16. Oatmeal Shampoos are very useful if the problem is itch related. Make sure it is a colloidal oatmeal shampoo. Oat extracts won t help. 17. Wipe away the itch anti-bacterial wipes that contain colloidal silver may help keep down chances of infection -- particularly during the wetter months when your dog s feet get wet outside creating an environment where bacteria can thrive. 18. Antidepressants if you think your dog has an obsessive compulsive behavior your vet might prescribe an antidepreesant. The most commons ones approved for dogs are clomipramine and Fluoxetine. 7
Bonus Article #1 MORE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCRATCHING It can be difficult to manage these cases of apparent psychological scratching. If, after a thorough investigation, you feel that your dog's itch is in fact psychological, you will need to relieve anything that's bothering your dog while you redirect his self mutilating behavior. There are several things you can do to help him. Every time he licks his paws, interrupt him and Mental stimulation and some exercise has been divert his attention. Watch him constantly so as shown to reduce the likelihood of these behaviors soon as he does lick, you can give him an developing. Also, early obedience training will give alternative behavior, such as chewing a peanut him a good repertoire of acceptable behaviors, butter filled Kong. 2so he's less likely to develop compulsive behaviors. If your vet feels your dog has an anxiety problem, she may prescribe a course of antianxiety treatment. This can make it easier for him to learn new behaviors without the added burden of feeling stressed. However, we recommend a natural solution first. You can purchase an all-natural herbal product like Sleepytime Tonic without a prescription and it works wonders. Helps to calm your dog so you can both 3get some rest. 8
Treat any irritation in the skin that has developed from his constant scratching. Wash him in an oatmeal shampoo like Comfy Dog; its colloidal oatmeal will ease his itch and reduce inflammation. You can, if you wish, follow it up with Deep Conditioning Treatment so the skin doesn t become dry. 4if he has small patches where he constantly itches, a spray with will soothe his irritated skin. Psychological scratching can be difficult to diagnose, and difficult to manage. It's important that it's diagnosed early; the sooner you start treatment, the better the chance for a happy outcome for you and your dog. 9
Bonus Article #2 Is your dog s licking and scratching all night driving you insane? It s been a long day at work. You ve enjoyed unwinding with your favorite television show, and it s time to catch up on some much needed sleep. Turning the lights out, you roll over and close your eyes with a sigh. Then, it starts. Your dog is itchy, and you can hear him scratching at himself. In the quiet of the night, it s the only sound you can hear, and it s so loud! There s no way you ll get to sleep while he s constantly licking his skin and paws. You need to work out how to soothe your dog s skin and help him settle at bedtime, or you ll both be tired and cranky in the morning. Here is a 3 tiered approach so both you and your dog can get some rest. 10
1. Calm Down Before bedtime, or in the middle of the night when your dog wakes you up, give your canine companion some Sleepytime Tonic He will happily swallow this honey flavored liquid, but if not, pop a few drops on his favorite treat and offer him that. This tonic contains specially formulated herbs and Bach Flower Remedies to calm your dog and help him to relax. At the same time, Liquorice and Blue Flag safely and effectively relieve his itch. Because of its rapid action, you can expect him to calm down and start to relax in about 20 minutes. 2. Stop that Itch Your dog won t stop scratching while he is still itchy. Grab your bottle of an anti itch spray, part his fur and spray it directly onto his skin. There s no need to wet his coat, you can apply it while he is still dry. This makes it perfect for using just before bed. This fast acting formula contains oat kernel extract, neem extract, aloe and calendula. These gentle, all natural ingredients will soothe his itch, cool his red inflamed skin and stop the irritation that keeps you both up all night. 11
3. Hands on Soothing Brush your dog with a soft bristled brush. Gentle strokes over his entire body will relax him and he ll be dozing in no time. Think about trying Tellington Touch this technique involves moving your fingertips in small circles all over your dog s body. It is designed to calm him down, and it may also break the itch-scratch cycle that is distressing for both of you. RECAP As soon as your dog wakes you, give your dog the Sleepytime Tonic so this natural remedy gets into her system and starts taking effect. Then spray an anti itch spray, like Itchin For Relief, on the areas your dog is scratching/licking most. Finally, brush your dog. Many dogs find this very calming and it will give the Sleepytime Tonic and anti itch spray some time to work their magic. After about 10 minutes your dog should be good to go for at least a few hours. 12
Get to the Bottom of the Itch There is always a reason for a dog s itching and scratching, and an important part of managing his condition is working out what is causing it. Sleep deprivation is torture, especially when your work colleagues are relying on you in the morning. It s not fun for your dog either. Take the time to calm him down and soothe his itch before you both go to bed, and you ll enjoy sweet dreams the whole night through. SPECIAL OFFER Paw Licking Prevention Rolodex If you d like more information on the products that we recommended throughout this ebook, just click here and we ll email that out to you asap along with a 25% promo code you can use toward those products to help relieve your dog s itchy paws. 13
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