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Why is my dog biting his red, irritated paws and yelping when touched?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 11 lbs

My dog has been biting his paws non stop. Last night he was trying to itch them on the carry and he yelps if we try and touch them. We have looked at them and don’t see anything besides them being bright red and irritated. It’s like that on both of the back paws.. I have several pictures but can only attach 3 of them. What could it be?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 24th, 2020

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Panda. Poor boy! Those do look really red and irritated. Biting the paws non-stop can be a classic sign of allergies. It could also be due to an infection or injury to the paws. He should see a vet for this to get it diagnosed and treated. Tonight, try soaking his paws in an Epsom salt bath to see if that helps. Put a cone on him to keep him from biting the paws and making things worse. If you don't have one, I can put a link below on how to make one at home. I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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