15 yr old Aussie obsessively chew and lick

Question
We have a wonderful 15 year old Australian Shepherd who has started to obsessively lick his front paws and our bedspread. He has bed privileges.  This only began about 2 months ago and only happens for about a half hour each night when he first curls up at the foot of the bed.  Could this be an allergy or what?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer

Hi Robert,

The first step would be to check the her paws, make sure there are no irritations or crusty skin on the pads or between her toes, and that none of her nails are cracked. Are there any irregular lumps or bumps deep between the toes or foot pads? It can be helpful to trim the hair between her pads if it's long. Once your dog checks out okay, then you'd need to consider behavioral issues, or the possibility of an allergy. I would think if she had an allergy, she'd be licking her paws more often, not just when she's "winding down" at the foot of your bed.

Dogs can develop habits of licking themselves, which are hard to break if it goes on long enough. For really persistent licking habits that cause hair loss and the skin to become raw and inflamed, medication may be helpful in stopping the habit. If your dog's licking isn't as bad as that, sternly telling her "NO Lick!" each time she starts licking, paired with giving her an appropriate toy to chew on, could be enough to get her to stop. You need to be as persistent in telling your dog to stop, as she is in wanting to lick.

If the licking just doesn't stop, then it's a good idea to have her examined by your vet. When licking present in the absence of any noticeable problems on the feet or toes, the cause can be caused by an inhalant, contact, or food allergy. It's also possible that arthritis or other painful "interior" conditions causing pain in the area without visible infection, etc. on the foot.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti