• My dog is 13 yrs old and he’s always had an issue with his feet being very sensitive, doesn’t like for anyone to touch them and absolutely HATES getting his toe nails clipped. He tends to lick his feet until they are soaking wet and then rips hair out with his teeth, we’ve asked our vet if there was something wrong and really couldn’t get any answers. I wonder if he has an allergy to the carpet or something. This has been going on for years now and I’m not sure what I can do to help relieve his irritation on his feet

  Hi Brianna,
  There can be many causes for your dog to not like having his feet touched. The chewing at his feet can be related to allergies and if he licks he can irritate them and lead to possible infection. The pain in his feet would make him want his feet touched even less. There are positive training methods that can be used to get him more comfortable with his feet being handled to help with nail trims. Also, I understand your frustration at not having answers when this had been asked about in the past. Often times, it will take diagnostics and trials to determine the cause of him chewing on his feet and to determine the best way to limit this. I recommend calling a veterinarian for an exam and having a discussion about what he is going through. Ensure to let them know what food he is eating, any treats he receives, about his exercise regimen, and bathing regimen. The veterinarian will also need to know any medications he is taking and what you have tried in the past.

Answered by:

John Smith, DVM
Veterinarian

Dr. John Smith is a graduate of LSU, Class of 1998. He has over 10 years of experience...

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Allergies