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My dog is licking his paws a lot. Is it allergies? What can I give?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 5 years and 11 months old | 15 lbs

hey! so for the past few weeks fonzi has been licking and nibbling his paws. all 4 of them. i don’t think it’s food allergies because he’s been eating the same one for the past 4 months. i adopted him 6 months ago so this is our first summer together so i’m wondering if it’s seasonal allergies. any recommendations of meds? benedryll?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on August 3rd, 2018

nibbling the paws can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea him with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take him to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on November 2nd, 2016

    The most common cause of licking and chewing at the paws, by far, is allergies - either an allergy to something in the environment (pollen, grass, dust mites, etc.) or a food allergy of some kind. Both of these issues can develop at any age, so even if nothing has changed, this is still the most likely problem. Some things that may be helpful would include prescription allergy medications such as Apoquel, Atopica, or prednisone; allergy testing with hyposensitization injections; or a food trial with a prescription hypoallergenic diet. I would recommend having Nugget examined by a vet as the first step - he/she can discuss these options with you in more detail and help you decide what is the best plan to start with.

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 28th, 2018

    I am sorry to hear about Daisy! One of the most common causes of licking the paws is allergies. We can sometimes get secondary infections as well such as bacteria or yeast overgrowth that can make the feet more itchy. I would recommend bringing Daisy in to her vet for them to examine her feet. They can make sure she doesn't have any issues with her toenails and check to see if it looks like she could have allergies or infection, and prescribe appropriate treatment.

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 7th, 2019

    It's most likely an allergy but skin mites should be ruled out first, you will need to take him back to your vet to get that tested. if no mites are found you should ask your vet for an allergy medication called Apoquel.

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