Itchy paws

[WetDog]

My boy has always had problems with biting his paws, once got to the stage of bleeding because he gnawed at them so much. I've taken him to the vets many times but they can't pin point the cause. I'm not rolling in money so vet bills can't be taken lightly. (42kgs of doggo = big vet bill).
At one point i thought it may be dust or cut grass allergies, but nothing really fits his symptoms 100%

Now he is developing lumps on his toes. About a cm wide, hairless, mainly white unless he bites them. Wondering if its related, or not.

Has anyone had this experience? Or knows anything that could help?

 

[Bloodwolf]

What kind of environment do you live in?

 

[dartel]

Sounds like a lick granuloma. My boy has struggled with them on his wrists and/or ankles most of his life, he apparently has sensitive skin. They start as any kind of simple irritation, be it environmental or simply him leaving saliva in his fur after a good chew session on a toy. The irritation causes further licking, which opens a wound, which causes further licking, which... becomes a self perpetuating cycle.

When he was younger the vet tried out steroidal anti-inflammatories, they helped some but have the nasty side effect of inconsistency issues which caused him to start peeing indoors a lot, so we stopped trying that. The last time he had a flare up the vet tried a new canine anti-itch medication which worked wonders. I don't recall the name of it.

The internet will recommend benadryl, which may help a little, but dogs don't have histamine so an antihistamine isn't effective in to the extent that it is for humans. They need a different anti-itch treatment.

 

[Strayward]

Sorry to hear your doggo is unwell. Allergies are one of the most common causes of itchy paws, and are a lifelong battle. The sores could be cysts or furuncles, often associated to chronic allergies, especially in dogs with short fur.
Since the bumps are new, perhaps consider getting them checked by a vet to get a better idea what they are? If costs are a concern, newfangled anti-itch medication probably won't be an option for such a big guy. However, topical treatments and/or foot baths with the right products probably wouldn't be so expensive and would probably be helpful for the longer term.

 

[WetDog]

What kind of environment do you live in?

On the edge of a small town near the countryside

Sounds like a lick granuloma. My boy has struggled with them on his wrists and/or ankles most of his life, he apparently has sensitive skin. They start as any kind of simple irritation, be it environmental or simply him leaving saliva in his fur after a good chew session on a toy. The irritation causes further licking, which opens a wound, which causes further licking, which... becomes a self perpetuating cycle.

When he was younger the vet tried out steroidal anti-inflammatories, they helped some but have the nasty side effect of inconsistency issues which caused him to start peeing indoors a lot, so we stopped trying that. The last time he had a flare up the vet tried a new canine anti-itch medication which worked wonders. I don't recall the name of it.

The internet will recommend benadryl, which may help a little, but dogs don't have histamine so an antihistamine isn't effective in to the extent that it is for humans. They need a different anti-itch treatment.

What you have just said may have hit the nail on the head, I'll have a look into some anti-itch stuff. Thank you for the suggestion!

Sorry to hear your doggo is unwell. Allergies are one of the most common causes of itchy paws, and are a lifelong battle. The sores could be cysts or furuncles, often associated to chronic allergies, especially in dogs with short fur.
Since the bumps are new, perhaps consider getting them checked by a vet to get a better idea what they are? If costs are a concern, newfangled anti-itch medication probably won't be an option for such a big guy. However, topical treatments and/or foot baths with the right products probably wouldn't be so expensive and would probably be helpful for the longer term.

I'll have a look into anti itch treatments, but if they are too costly i'll see what foot baths and what not that could be helpful Thank you

 

[HappyLV]

we have a daily cleaning of paws....especially after each good outdoor play time...we use mild soap and water on feet daily...and iodine in two forms...a few times a week or daily if needed....

2% iodine tincture...we mix in water to form a paw soak....the color of the water should be that of ice tea...

povidone iodine...doesn’t need to be mixed with water

we use one or the other...in each case we start with cleaned and dried paws...then soak each paw to get completely wet with solution...then rub in between each pad making sure the solution has saturated the paw....should take 15-30 seconds ...then just wipe off excess....no need to rise or anything....just wipe off the paw so it’s not dripping everywhere..

that’s it....for us it stops paw chewing in it tracks very fast....

 

[WetDog]

Turns out his paw chewing and licking was because he had a combination of joint pains and pollen allergy.

I started him on both joint supplements and antihistamines which has worked wonders. The brands i use are NutrutionZoo Glucosamine tablets and Zesty Paws Aller-Immune bites.

I highly recommend to anyone who owns a large breed dog to consider getting them on joint supplements once they have finished growing

 

[HappyLV]

Turns out his paw chewing and licking was because he had a combination of joint pains and pollen allergy.

I started him on both joint supplements and antihistamines which has worked wonders. The brands i use are NutrutionZoo Glucosamine tablets and Zesty Paws Aller-Immune bites.

I highly recommend to anyone who owns a large breed dog to consider getting them on joint supplements once they have finished growing

1 daily cleaning will remove pollen and other things that can cause irritation....no pills needed


2 glucosamine can come from food....just one chicken foot contains about 400 mg of glucosamine....no pills needed

 

[WetDog]

1 daily cleaning will remove pollen and other things that can cause irritation....no pills needed


2 glucosamine can come from food....just one chicken foot contains about 400 mg of glucosamine....no pills needed

1, My boy won't let anyone touch his feet due to the pain they used to cause him. So daily cleaning is just not a possibility without traumatizing him more and getting bitten in the process. He's not a small dog, you can't just force something to happen if he says no.
Pollen allergies don't just effect the paws. Yes that is where it all started when i first posted this thread, but it's wide spread. They cause fur loss, dry skin, scabbing, runny nose and more. So if i would end up having to dunk his entire body and insides daily...
AntiHistermines and immunity boosters help tackle the allergy and so far has worked wonders with no side affects.

2, Glucosmine alone won't help a dog that can barely move. His condition rapidly deteriorated over a matter of months to the point where he could no longer go for walkies or play, i had to carry him up steps, every movement was painful for him. You need a combination of Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Boswellia and Curcumin to reduce inflammation, lubricates joints and repaired cartilage. With these pills he is acting like a puppy again. He's able to run around and play with other dogs.

These pills were recommend by a vet. And so far have done amazing things for him. So i won't be stopping or changing treatment

 

[HappyLV]

1, My boy won't let anyone touch his feet due to the pain they used to cause him. So daily cleaning is just not a possibility without traumatizing him more and getting bitten in the process. He's not a small dog, you can't just force something to happen if he says no.
Pollen allergies don't just effect the paws. Yes that is where it all started when i first posted this thread, but it's wide spread. They cause fur loss, dry skin, scabbing, runny nose and more. So if i would end up having to dunk his entire body and insides daily...
AntiHistermines and immunity boosters help tackle the allergy and so far has worked wonders with no side affects.

2, Glucosmine alone won't help a dog that can barely move. His condition rapidly deteriorated over a matter of months to the point where he could no longer go for walkies or play, i had to carry him up steps, every movement was painful for him. You need a combination of Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Boswellia and Curcumin to reduce inflammation, lubricates joints and repaired cartilage. With these pills he is acting like a puppy again. He's able to run around and play with other dogs.

These pills were recommend by a vet. And so far have done amazing things for him. So i won't be stopping or changing treatment

That’s great....whatever works for you is fine with me....none of my reply‘s here recommend anything...I stated what works for us in both reply’s...whoever reads this can make up their own mind on what options they want to use and what’s best for them...

i will say this, glucosamine and chondroitin are both found in animal bones and joint areas...chicken feet is one example of where to get these nutrients...these are definitely for joint health

boswellia and curcumin both come from plants...the most credible research I could fine is on curcumin....and the conclusion for curcumin.....

“The US government has supported US$150 million in research into curcumin through the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, and no support has been found for curcumin as a medical treatment.[3][25] Curcumin has been identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a "fake cancer 'cure'".[26]”

again, none of my reply’s recommend anything and I didn’t and wouldn’t say stop doing what you feel is working for your situation, wishing you and your happiness and great health

 

[pes]

My boy has always had problems with biting his paws, once got to the stage of bleeding because he gnawed at them so much. I've taken him to the vets many times but they can't pin point the cause. I'm not rolling in money so vet bills can't be taken lightly. (42kgs of doggo = big vet bill).
At one point i thought it may be dust or cut grass allergies, but nothing really fits his symptoms 100%

Now he is developing lumps on his toes. About a cm wide, hairless, mainly white unless he bites them. Wondering if its related, or not.

Has anyone had this experience? Or knows anything that could help?

One dog I knew had this problem because of what kind of dog food he was eating. Probably allergic reaction to something in it.