[fioca98]

Why does my shih tzu keep licking her paws? Once she starts, she keeps licking forever!

After careful inspection, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her feet.... but why does she do it? It leaves her paws soaking wet!

My dog never do this for a long time... maybe you should take him to a vet just to be sure everything is ok.

A couple of questions. How old is your dog? Is she licking all her paws, or does she focus on just one or two? How long has she been doing it? When does she do it? At certain times of the day, or is the licking at random times?

[fioca98]

Originally Posted by vetgroomer

A couple of questions. How old is your dog? Is she licking all her paws, or does she focus on just one or two? How long has she been doing it? When does she do it? At certain times of the day, or is the licking at random times?

My little shih tzu is 3 years old. She licks all her paws, and it's not at certain times... it's random... but I noticed she does it right before she falls asleep...

She would go on forever licking and chewing her feet and fall asleep with her paws wet... It's kind of funny actually, it's like a toddler sucking her thumb whilte falling asleep, but I'm worried there might be something wrong... Is a trip to the vet necessary?

I think you might be right that it's like a toddler sucking his thumb. It's possible your dog was weaned too soon, and she's developed an oral fixation or obsessive/compulsive disorder as a result. Other than the saliva stains that can develop, which are purely cosmetic, the only thing you might need to be on the lookout for are lick granulomas. These are like calluses that can develop from the constant moisture and irritation.

Do be sure you keep an eye on her feet for swelling, redness, and any odd smells that could signal the start of bacterial or fungal infections.

Sometimes using distractions, like offering a toy to chew on instead of chewing her feet, will help resolve the problem. You could also try something like Bitter Apple if you want to try and get her to stop. If all else fails, you might try an antidepressant medication from the vet, if you determine that it is obsessive/compulsive in nature.

You should take your dog to a vet, and meanwhile, try to prevent incessant licking. My friend had a Pomeranian that would often lick and gnaw on his paw for no reason, and a lot of fur began to fall off and his tiny throat would get clogged up. There might not be anything wrong with her at all, but the habit ought to be stopped!

Well, there are several causes for paw licking. Sometimes it is an allergy. Dogs also do this when there are bored. Sometimes fox tails, burrs, thorns, plants like that can get embedded in the paw.
My dog used to do this, he licked his paw until it was raw and he wouldn't walk on it. We had to go to the vet and get him a little boot until his paw healed, of course he ripped it off within the first few hours.