# Eating her own feet



## daveknight1979 (Sep 15, 2009)

Hi. I have a 16th month old springer spaniel bitch. She has various quirks, but the latest is odd, worrying, and a little annoying. She has started to lick her back paw pads constantly, and sometimes starts to bite and nibble them causing redness that looks really sore. I'm worried something is wrong with her as this is a new development, and also, as she is walked daily around the local woods and fields, I'm worried about infection, especially as she loves nothing more than a muddy puddle or drainage ditch! It may involve a vet visit, but as money is tight at the moment I thort I'd pick peoples brains on here. It's almost impossible to get her to stop barring physically stopping her, which occasionally leads to her growling at us. Any help would be wonderful. Thanks in advance. Dave.


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

Have you checked for lodged grass seeds?


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## tafwoc (Nov 12, 2009)

The red maybe caused by a skin reaction, not to her licking, but because she has come in contact with chemicals. My dogs some times get it when i go through particular fields. They chew and lick their feet. 

Or it may just be a habit like my collie gets, she sits there with her leg in her mouth, and just falls asleep like that.


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## james1 (Sep 21, 2008)

Both my springers do this and can lead to bleeding, invariably is due to wet paws causing them to itch, dry them off after each walk and trim the hairs of the pads down - but be careful not to snip any skin!!

If shes been doing it for a while youll probably need some anti fungal shampoo from the vets - malaseb is the usual. If it continues later in the year ask for a prescription and buy it online its a lot cheaper.

It could be an anal glad issue also but if she not scratching her bum it just a case of athelets foot (fungal infection)


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## huskiesaregreat (Sep 24, 2009)

you could get her some booties for protecting her feet, if you are worried that she has chewed away the protective layers of her feet


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

hey, dave! :--)

as *champers* pointed-out in post #2, this may be an infection, an irritant, grass-awns lodged under the skin or between the toes, OR... it could be fungal, bacterail infXn secindary to her apparently near-compulsive licking, or a number of other things.

Q - do U have an elizabethan collar AKA cone? 
if so, i would put it on her 24-7, and WATCH to be sure it actually *prevents* her from chewing / licking her feet, whilst planning for a vet-visit ASAP.

if the cone does NOT prevent her reaching her feet + licking / chewing, a taste-deterrent is the next choice - 
my preference would be  Absorbine-Jr.  the long-time horse liniment, which tastes TERRIBLE + will keep her tongue + teeth off.

but she really, really needs to be seen by a vet... this could be a simple thing, like a grass-awn, but after it has CHEWED * ITS * WAY up from her foot, it can exit anywhere... with a draining abscess and a hole from her foot to ____ the exit opening, and a potential massive infection... she could lose a toe, or even her leg, or her life.

little things are best addressed while still small... 
all my best, i hope it is simple! 
--- terry


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

get a v et to testher for Malezzia which is a type of yeast infection-quite common in dogs


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## qweetcher (Jan 3, 2010)

Above is really good advice. I would definitely get her checked by the vet asap. If there's nothing physically wrong dogs can chew themselves out of habit or because they are stressed. My golden retriever started chewing her tail after we moved house. A couple of sessions wearing the head cone thingy stopped the behaviour.


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

It's very common for spaniels to chew at their feet. We used to dogsit a springer and she'd do it every time she came to stay with us. We worked out it was because we used Shake N Vac on the carpets, as soon as we stopped, she stopped bothering her feet and seemed happier.

Have you started using anything different on your carpets/floors?


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## daveknight1979 (Sep 15, 2009)

Thank you all for your responses. She doesn't do it constantly and only ocassionaly bites them making them sore. We have had a good inspection and can't see anything. While watching her it kinda looked like she was pulling at the hairs between her pads so we are gonna try and trim them. Also, we have been using a diff shampoo as they had run out of the usual one we use so we will swap back and see if that helps. Thanks again. Dave.


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## lovespringerspaniels.com (May 6, 2009)

Hi there
All my springers have done this at some point, it is usually a sore knuckle or something lodged in between the pads. Check in between the pads and if there is nothing there it may be a sore knuckle.

If it persists you may want to try her on glucosamine to help relieve achy joints. The stuff from Holland and Barratt is just as good and cheaper. 

I run about 30 miles a week and take my springer with me, so he gets achy paws alot so we share the glucosamine every day to help our achy joints

good luck


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## Plabebob (Nov 30, 2009)

My friend's Boxer has a dust mite allergy & chews his feet leaving big sore read patches between his toes. Could be this, could be something else - I would get to the vet asap!


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## daveknight1979 (Sep 15, 2009)

had another look today, and it appears there is a lump on the pad she keeps licking, and on that lump is a small scap from where she has nibbled it. it doesnt look sore, and for the brief moment she allowed me to touch it, she didnt seem to bothered. unfortunately, Deefer is of the disposition that as soon as she thinks your up to something, you have no chance of getting a look lol. thanks again for the advice.


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