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Why is my dog licking her paw raw and it's red? What can I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 11 months old | 17 lbs

Aubree is been licking her right front paw alot lately sometimes it looks a little red maybe due to the licking what can i do i really cant affored more vet bill and im really scared that it might be wrong :( please help

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 14th, 2017

Excessive licking of the feet can indicate allergies, either to something in Aubrey's food or to something in the environment, like grasses and pollens. If she is licking only one specific area it can cause what is called a lick granuloma. The area becomes very red and irritated and there is hairloss present. Oftentimes dogs need antibiotics to help clear these up. If she just has generalized redness and itchiness you can try calling your vet to see if they can recommend an over the counter antihistamine for Aubrey. If this does not work there are other very effective anti itch medications, like Apoquel or Cytopoint, that may work better for her. These do however require a visit to the vet. Hope this helps.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 28th, 2018

    Licking the paws is most often a sign of an environmental allergy, especially if multiple paws are affected. You could try soaking her paws in Epsom salts and/or wiping them with a washcloth or baby wipe each times she comes in from going outside to see if it helps with comfort. If the skin in between her toes looks red or if she continues to lick excessively you should see your vet to discuss medications and treatments.

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    Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 3rd, 2017

    It looks as if Chloe’s foot is infected, likely from constantly chewing or licking at it. This is usually caused by an allergy, either to something in her food or something in the environment like grasses, trees, and pollens. Typically, to treat leasions like this, a dog will need an oral antibiotic to help clear up the infection and a medication to help stop the itch. The most common medications used to stop itch are steroids, Apoquel, and Cytopoint. You should take Chloe to the vet to have her foot problem accurately diagnosed so proper treatment can be started. In the meantime do your best to keep the feet clean and dry and prevent her from licking them as much as possible because this just exacerbates the problem. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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