Why is my dog constantly licking and chewing her paws and furniture?

Question

My dog licks her feet and on occasion the furniture. She chews at and violently licks her paws. Why does she do this? Thanks! x. Pet's info: Dog | Rat Terrier | Female | spayed | 10 years and 8 months old | 20 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. This could be due to behavior, allergies, pain from arthritis or due to irritation. If you suspect she is dealing with an allergy, you can use a steroid spray on her feet such as Pramosoothe spray and apply this twice daily. You can find this spray online quite easily. If this does not help, then I would discuss arthritis treatment with a veterinarian and get a prescription for a pain medication to see if this helps with the behavior. If she continues to lick, this may be behavioral. In behavior cases, I typically recommend giving a new toy or a kong toy filled with peanut butter to distract the dog. You can also use products such as Adaptil collar and spray along with NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin to help establish a calm environment / mindset. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Why is my dog constantly licking and chewing her paws and furniture?

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