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Is my dog's constant paw licking and gnawing a sign of allergies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Schnauzer | Male | 6 years and 6 months old | 16 lbs

Rusty will be laying down and just licking and gnawing at his paws for minutes at a time. Is this normal?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 7th, 2019

Hello. This may be an indication that Rusty has allergies. Sometimes all the symptoms you see are licking the paws. He may also have some nail bed disease, or he just may be a fastidious groomer. If he is not causing any sores on his feet, or loss of hair, or you are not particularly bothered by the behavior ( he does not keep you up at night licking his feet ), then a couple of minutes of grooming the feet just may be his own particular trait. If it does become excessive, see your vet who will determine if any treatment is necessary. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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