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My dog smells bad, itches, and licks paws. Could it be allergies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 15 lbs

My dog is always smelly. He itches a lot and licks his feet. He has had this for awhile thinking it was normal but now I think he may have some kind of skin disorder?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 26th, 2019

Hello, thank you for your question about Brownie. Based on the photos you've attached and the symptoms that you describe I would be concerned that Brownie has allergies. Allergies can be secondary to food or the environment, among other things. Often when dogs have bad allergies and they lick and chew alot they can develop secondary bacterial skin infections, which could explain the odor that you are noticing. Since this has been going on for a while and has not improved I would recommend having Brownie evaluated by a veterinarian. They can perform an examination and discuss the need for any additional skin testing such as skin scrapes, impression smears, etc. Depending on the findings of these tests they can then determine the appropriate treatment for Brownie. Hope this helps, good luck!

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