Does your Goldendoodle lick his paws? Most dogs do. It’s normal for a dog to lick his paws, and this is rarely is cause for concern. But what if your Goldendoodle won’t stop licking his paws? This could indicate an underlying health issue that needs to be treated.
Normal reasons for a dog to lick his paws
Nails are too long
Some dogs lick or chew at their paws if their nails grow too long. Be sure to clip your dog’s nails often. Taking your dog on a walk every day is good for his health and it helps keep his nails trim.
The fur between his toes is too long
Regular grooming keeps your Goldendoodle’s coat healthy and looking its best. It also prevents the fur between his toes and the pads of his feet from getting overgrown. If this fur gets too long it can collect dirt and debris and irritate your dog.
Paws are dirty
The main reason your dog licks his paws is for normal self-grooming. This is especially true if it’s snowy, rainy, muddy, or otherwise mucky outside.
Be careful about letting your Goldendoodle lick his paws if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, however. Chemicals used for de-icing and melting snow can stick to your dogs paws and make him sick if he ingests them.
If your dog only licks his paws occasionally and his paws look normal and healthy, you can just ignore this habit.
Concerning reasons your dog licks his paws
If your dog isn’t licking his paws clean, he’s more than likely licking them out of discomfort. Biting insects, pain from an injury, irritation from a thorn or a splinter, or emotional distress can all cause your dog to lick his paws too much.
This becomes a problem when your dog doesn’t stop licking, or it turns to biting, gnawing, and chewing. Over time this can lead to sores and secondary infections.
Injury
Your dog may have a cut, a bite from another animal, or a thorn, splinter or foreign object stuck in his paw.
Parasite
Fleas and ticks can cause your pet discomfort, and cause him to lick, bite, or chew his paws.
Skin problems
Your dog may lick his paws because of dry, itchy, or irritated skin. This can result from too frequent washings, harsh chemicals in shampoo, or some other skin condition. You may notice your dog chewing his paws as well as other parts of his body.
Stress
Some dogs lick their paws due to stress, boredom, or emotional problems.
Abnormal growth
Your dog may develop a growth or a cyst in his paw.
Allergies
A dog can have a bad reaction to a new dog food, or maybe they eat something that they’re not supposed to eat. Allergic reactions can cause your dog to bite, lick, and chew at his paws.
Illness
Illnesses or health problems such as arthritis can cause your dog to bite and lick his paws.
How to help your dog
If your Goldendoodle won’t stop biting or licking his paws, take a closer look at his paw.
If your dog’s paw appears to be healthy you can try changing your dog’s food, extra grooming, try a new shampoo, or less frequent bathing to see if that helps the problem.
Examine your dog’s paw for cuts, abrasions, fleas, ticks, tenderness, swelling, inflammation, redness, open wounds, sores, etc. If you notice these symptoms, talk to your dog’s vet.