Why is my dog excessively licking paws, panting, and has bad breath?

Question

Hi i have a 6 year old female golden retriever. 2 months ago she started licking 1 paw and now excessively licks all 4. We have visited the vets 3 times now and she has been on antibiotics/steroids and shampoo. Nothing is stopping her from licking and she is becoming to tired and fed up within her self. Her breath has started to smell really bad too and she is panting a lot all of the time. When she licks her paws it is suddenly, as though something is on her but she doesn’t have flees. Thanks. Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Female | spayed | 6 years and 1 month old | 70 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

The continued licking could be several things including allergies to fleas, skin mites, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. The panting could be due to many things but an endocrine disease may be causing the skin issues and the panting. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the licking should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Continue to have Pipa wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Why is my dog excessively licking paws, panting, and has bad breath?

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