Dog Constantly Licking and Biting his Paws

Dog Constantly Licking and Biting his Paws

by Jordan
(Manchester, England)

I have a 2 year old staffordshire bull terrier. He is constantly licking and biting his paws to the extent he limps at times. I have taken him to 2 different vets both of which gave him steroids to try and break the habit, but as soon as he comes out of them it just returns.

I have now changed his dry food to one of which is recommended to help with skin irritations but this also does not seem to help. The latest thing I have tried is products from the herbal vet company, a spray and a cream. This does improve at times but he is still licking and biting his paws which is causing him to limp due to sore paws.

I have seen on various sites that Benadryl may help?? Will this help him? Is it safe to give to dogs? If so how much should he have? Anything that will help me to help him would be much appreciated.

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Dog Constantly Licking and Biting his Paws

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Feb 07, 2011
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Constant Licking
by: Site Editor

Hi, Jordan,

Did your vets find out exactly what caused your dog to lick and bite constantly? I think getting a definite diagnosis is the first step. Just using steroids to stop the habit and not addressing the underlying root cause cannot solve the problem. Besides, using steroids too much is not good for your dog.

You said you changed your dog food to one recommended for skin irritations. Is the food all natural? And, since many dogs lick incessantly because they are allergic to some foods, it may be a good idea to get your dog tested for food allergy. Some dogs may be allergic to very common food ingredients such as beef, chicken, etc.

There are other possible reasons for constant licking - see this page on Lick Granuloma.

As regards Benadryl, it is an antihistamine for allergies, but it works best in preventing allergy symptoms but not so effective in reducing the severity of symptoms once they have already set in - see this page on Benadryl for Dogs.

The most important thing to do, therefore, is to ask your vet to do more tests to find out the root cause of the licking and biting, before trying different meds.

Good luck!

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