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My bulldog constantly licks his paws. What can I do for allergies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Basset Hound | Male | neutered | 1 year and 8 months old | 49 lbs

My dog licks his paws constantly. I have tried giving him Benadryl (at the suggestion of the people that we adopted him from because they said it worked) and also putting socks on his feet at night with medicine on his paws (The medicine was hydrocortisone cream) he is on a very high quality grain-free diet (taste of the wild) I have taken him to several vets, two actually, and they all say the same thing. "You have a bulldog. He has allergies. It's just something you're going to hv to deal with

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 16th, 2020

It is true that Bulldogs are prone to allergies, but they can be treated with medication like Apoquel or Cytopoint. I'd have him seen by a vet to discuss using one of those medications for him. I hope this helps!

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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
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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My 1 year old french bulldog consistently is licking an chewing on his paws often through the day I catch him and during the middle of night. His paws are red. I have checked them and cleaned them.
This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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I have a French Bulldog that has the itchy scratches, he chews on his feet. I have bathed him in your shampoo and no releaf what do recommend
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for envir
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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My dog is getting quite old but about 4 or more years ago she started licking her feet constantly. To the point where she would make them raw and hairless. We tell her to stop constantly but she does it again after 5 minutes. If we use treatments lik
Yes, you can speak to Lola's vet about medication. Typically this paw licking is a sign of allergies, and this can be treated with something like Apoquel or Cytopoint. Make an appointment with her vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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For years, my dog has licked the pads of her paws raw. This year it has been the worst. We had to have her on antibiotics recently because one got infected. She also was prescribed steroids. She has been taking Apoquel for years but is there anythi
If this is related to allergies, you may want to consider allergy testing. This can be intradermal or blood testing. Once her allergies are known, she is given a special serum to help modify her immune system's response. This therapy has about an 80% success rate. I recommend to discuss this option with your veterinarian. Protect the paws from trauma (you may consider dog booties) and have her examined as much as needed. An elizabethan collar will also help prevent licking which can make things worse. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pug mix Bailey has allergies that cause her to always scratch her paws. I make sure they stay clean when she comes inside and I've been giving her Vetoquinol with Omega 3 but doesn't seem to help. I've been spraying her paws with a mixture of Epso
You could talk to your vet about trying an allergy medication called Apoquel or Cytopoint. Apoquel is an oral medication and Cytopoint is an injection administered every 4 - 8 weeks. Both medications do great job of controlling allergies in dogs.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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French bull dog has been licking bare his top of his paw and do not know what is causing it. Do not know if it’s the weather change. But his diet hasn’t changed. Giving him benadryl and scheduling a appointment.
Ouch! That is definitely a sore spot that should be seen by your vet. Yeast, bacterial, allergies (which weather changes can trigger), growths, and more can all be possible causes for a sore like that. In addition to trying the benadryl and having a veterinary appointment, I would also place an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Travis to prevent him from licking it and causing more irritation.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I was recently given a 4/5 yr old English Bulldog. Was told he had skin allergies. I gave him a bath with medicated shampoo and put some coconut oil on his skin. In between his paws were pretty raw when I first got him, but they look much better now.
If the lesions don't completely resolve then he should be examined by a vet. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, and/or a corticosteroid to help treat. You could also soak his paws in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hercules is a recuse. I took him to a vet about 3 weeks ago has been on meds ever since but I feel like the meds aren’t doing much for him anymore like they did in the beginning what else can I do to help him?
Poor guy! I can certainly see a good bit of inflammation in between Hercules' toes. I assume (given this appearance and being a Frenchie) that your vet discussed the likelihood of allergies causing these issues. The challenge is that allergies cannot be managed with a one-size-fits-all approach, as what works for one dog may not do the trick for Hercules. There are numerous medications available like Apoquel, Cytopoint, or allergy injections that can help with the long term management of allergies. However, if a skin infection is also present, they won't work, as the infection would need to be managed first. I think you should schedule a recheck appointment for Hercules with your vet to assess his feet and to make sure he doesn't also have a skin infection. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar (cone) to prevent him from licking at his feet, as this will only exacerbate the issue. You can also try Epsom salt foot soaks twice a day, as this may temporarily minimize his discomfort. I
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
good morning, both of my adult golden retrievers are licking their paws ,is there something i can put on the paws to help ? thanks
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Licking of the paws is a common sign of allergies. Topical medications are not recommended because the animals will lick it off and it isn't effective. You can soak the paws in Epsom salts or wipe them down after coming in from outside in case they lick them because of contact with the grass or being wet. Or use a medicated shampoo(see link). If it is an allergy I would recommend a diet change-change the meat protein. I do not recommend grain-free diets in goldens right now. Chicken is the most common allergen. I would consider an antihistamine (see link). If that doesn't help they need to see your Vet to have the feet examined to check for infection. I like cytopoint for foot licking over apoquel. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27307 https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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