Boxer licks feet all the time

Question
My parent's own a 3-year old boxer and are heavy smokers. My mom said that their dog has been licking her paws a lot. She spoke with the vet and the vet said she might have allergies. I told my mom she is probably allergic to the smoke. My mom has been giving her oatmeal baths, which has been helping somewhat. What else can they do?

Answer
Yes, foot licking generally is related to allergies. Dogs can be allergic to absolutely anything; it might be the cigarette smoke, but it might not. (I would tell my parents the same thing, though, in a effort to get them to quit smoking*G*).

The only possible solution would be to have the dog allergy-tested in an effort to determine the source(s) of the problem so that they could hopefully be eliminated. This could be food-related or environmental, or both. If a dog is allergic to one thing, it is often allergic to other things, too.

Since the baths seem to be helping, it sounds like the problem is environmental. I would be tempted to bathe the dog more frequently; I know some dogs have to be bathed daily to help remove the allergens from their coats.