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My dog won't stop licking his paw until it's red. What's the cause?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

My dog keeps licking the same spot on his left paw. It is starting to turn red from him licking. It’s has been 24 hours. I don’t see anything on it or between his toes. Should I immediately be worried or see if he stops?

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on July 25th, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. Other things are of course possible including licking due to pain for any reason. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Tomasz Wnuk

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 25th, 2020

    There is probably skin inflammation from an allergic reaction on that paw. Romeo by continuous licking and chewing is making the inflammation worse and the skin may be getting infected too. The first thing you need to do is to stop your dog from licking the paw. You can use a head cone or you can put a bandage on the leg. You should clean the paw in antiseptic solution twice daily. If after 2-3 days the skin is still red and Romeo wants to lick it, you will need to take him to your local vets for a check.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 17th, 2016

    Poor Bruno! Licking the paw usually means that it is itchy, and can be caused by allergies (environmental, food, insect), an infection, or a foreign body such as a grass seed or foxtail. I would recommend taking Bruno into the vet tomorrow for an exam. The cause of the licking has to be diagnosed in order to treat it appropriately, and your vet is the best person do this. Once the cause is found, the vet can prescribe a treatment for him.

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