dog chewing foot until it bleeds & blisters

Question
Hi Patti,
I have a dog that I rescued 9-1/2 months ago & today she chewed her foot whild I was at work, I came home & it was all bloody &  blistered, I gave her some benadryl hoping she'll leave it alone until I get her to the vet tomorrow, do you know why she may have done this or what I can do to try to comfort her until tomorrow?

Answer
Hi Rikki,

There are several things which cause a dog to relentlessly chew at their feet.

Itchy feet is a classic symptom of a dog suffering from an allergy. It can be anything from a food sensitivity, to something in the environment, such as pollen, dust or laundry detergent.

Arthritis or other painful "interior" conditions can cause pain in the area without visible infection. The dog's response to the discomfort or pain is to lick the foot. Eventually, a yeast or fungus infection can set in (because of the moisture) the the chewing escalates.

Sometimes there are small growths or small abscesses deep between the toes or foot pads, causing discomfort and licking.

Foot licking can be a behavioral habit that just gets out of hand. Often, when a dog is relaxing, stressed, or bored they will lick their feet. Some dogs even chew at their nails with this type of behavior.

Since your dog seems to be doing some damage, it's possible that she also has a secondary yeast or bacterial infection, which would add to her misery.

In order to treat this successfully, your vet needs to diagnose the problem, and not just treat the symptoms. If only the symptoms are addressed, the condition seem to respond to the treatment, but will return after a time.

For cases of allergy or infection, there are medications and/or dietary changes that can be help and even cure the problem. In situations where pain is the underlying cause, that should be dealt with directly to alleviate the licking. Growths or abscesses are usually treated surgically.

Good luck at the vet.
Patti