Why Does My Dog Keep Licking Its Paws? A Burlington Vet on Fall Allergies

A dog owner from the Aldershot end of Burlington calls the front desk on a grey September morning. Her Lab kept her up half the night, working at his front paws.

The fur between his toes has gone rusty-brown from the licking. Nothing has changed at home, she says, and that is exactly what worries her.

We hear a version of this call every fall on Brant Street. The leaves turn, the ragweed lets go across Halton, and the paw-licking begins.

Licking or chewing the paws is one of the recognized signs of environmental allergy, or atopy, in dogs, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, which notes that itching is the most typical sign and that the feet, face, ears, front legs, and abdomen are the most frequently affected areas. In Burlington, those airborne triggers peak in fall.

Can allergies make a dog lick its paws?

Yes, and it’s one of the most common reasons owners call us in the fall. Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center reports that allergic dogs commonly react by licking and chewing their feet, scratching behind their elbows, rubbing their faces, and scooting.

Atopy is just the medical word for an environmental allergy, the kind set off by everyday things in the air and around the home. According to Cornell, typical triggers include many kinds of pollens and moulds, dust mites, and dander.

Cornell also notes that atopic dermatitis, an itchy allergic skin disease, may affect as much as 10 to 15 percent of the dog population. So a dog that keeps after his paws is in familiar company.

The paws take a lot of that load. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists the feet among the most frequently affected areas in atopic dogs, along with the face, ears, front legs, and belly, and it describes pruritus, the clinical term for itchiness, as the characteristic sign.

That is why a dog will single out the same spots, licking his front paws raw and rubbing his muzzle along the couch. If it doesn’t settle, our team can walk you through what we look for and our approach to allergies and dermatology.

Why does my dog lick its paws more in the fall?

Fall is ragweed and mould season across Southern Ontario, and those are exactly the airborne triggers allergic dogs react to. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that canine atopic dermatitis can be seasonal or carry seasonal flares, which fits a dog that itches mainly in autumn.

Burlington’s geography plays a part too. Sitting right on Lake Ontario, our corner of Halton often holds its warmth a little longer than places inland, so an itchy season can run later here.

A longer warm season can mean a longer itchy one. Dogs walking the waterfront trail, the ravines near Brant Street, or a Conservation Halton area pick up pollen on their paws and coat, then lick it off at home.

The Merck Veterinary Manual also notes that airborne allergy signs are usually seasonal but can show up all year. A dog whose licking eases once the cold sets in, then returns the next September, is telling you something useful about the trigger.

How do I know if my dog’s paw licking is from allergies or something else?

A proper look is what sorts it out, because paw licking has more than one cause. One helpful clue points toward a seasonal environmental allergy: the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that food allergy tends to itch steadily year-round, while airborne allergy often waxes and wanes with the seasons.

The three allergy types that most often send dogs after their paws differ in pattern and location. Here is how the veterinary references describe them.

Not every itchy paw traces back to an allergy, and what we can see on the outside doesn’t always tell the whole story. That is why we’d rather look at the paw than guess at it, and our diagnostics help us tell an allergy flare from other things going on.

Can food allergies cause itchy paws in dogs?

They can. The Merck Veterinary Manual says the signs of food allergy look much like airborne allergy, itchy paws included, with one telling difference: there’s very little change in how hard the dog itches from one season to the next.

A dog that chews his feet just as hard in January as in September may be reacting to something in the bowl rather than the air. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, food allergy isn’t confirmed by a quick blood test but by an elimination diet, a limited-ingredient or hydrolyzed food fed while you watch to see whether the itching resolves.

Patience is the hard part. Merck advises feeding the trial diet for up to 3 months, with no treats or table scraps sneaking in, before you can read the result.

If a food trial is on the table, our team can help you set it up and stick with it as part of nutrition and weight management.

Do fleas make dogs lick and chew their paws?

Fleas belong on the list. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes flea allergy dermatitis as a hypersensitivity to the saliva a flea injects when it bites, and notes the itch runs moderate to severe, driving dogs to lick, scratch, chew, bite, rub, and scoot.

The tell with flea allergy is the map. Merck reports that its crusty, bumpy lesions cluster over the lower back, the tailhead, and the inner and back of the thighs, rather than centring on the front paws the way atopy often does.

A dog can react badly even when you never spot a flea. Around Burlington, fleas can stay active well into the milder stretches of fall, so a dog can still pick them up on autumn walks.

Can paw licking lead to an infection?

It can, and it’s one of the main reasons we ask owners not to wait too long. The Merck Veterinary Manual reports that secondary skin and ear infections with Staphylococcus and Malassezia, common bacteria and yeast that live on the skin, are common in atopic dogs and often make the signs worse.

That is one reason we’d rather see a licked-raw paw sooner than later, before things get more uncomfortable. A quick look lets us check whether an infection has become part of the picture.

You may notice a smell, a red or greasy look, or skin turning thick and dark. That stage usually calls for a hands-on look rather than wait-and-see, and if the paw looks angry after hours, our after-hours care page tells you what to do.

When should I take my dog to the vet for paw licking?

A quick lick after a muddy walk is normal. Call us at (905) 336-4002 when the licking turns constant, the paw is red, swollen, or smelly, your dog is limping or losing hair between the toes, or it’s keeping either of you up at night.

At a skin visit, we start by looking at the whole picture, not just the paw. We check where the itch lands, when it started, whether it tracks the seasons, and whether fleas or an infection are part of the story.

The sooner we see a paw that’s flaring, the sooner we can get ahead of the licking before the skin breaks down.

How do vets diagnose allergies in dogs?

Diagnosing an environmental allergy is more detective work than single test. The Merck Veterinary Manual states plainly that airborne allergy is hard to diagnose because no test can positively identify it, and Cornell agrees there’s no specific test for atopy, so the diagnosis rests on a set of criteria.

Those criteria include the pattern of the itch. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that atopic dermatitis often involves the front paws and typically begins in dogs between 6 months and 3 years of age, and its diagnostic criteria weigh signs like affected front paws and an age of onset under 3 years.

Food allergy is handled differently, through the elimination diet trial rather than a lab test. Ruling fleas in or out, checking for a secondary infection, and mapping where the itch sits all help us narrow things down.

This article is educational and isn’t veterinary advice or a substitute for an exam. If you’re worried about your pet right now, call us at (905) 336-4002 or your nearest emergency veterinary hospital.

If your dog has been chewing his paws through this Burlington fall, you don’t have to wait it out and hope. Our team on Brant Street is glad to take a look and help you find the trigger.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for dogs to lick their paws sometimes?

A little licking is part of normal grooming, especially after a walk through a wet park or muddy trail. It becomes a concern when it turns constant, focuses on the same paw, stains the fur reddish-brown, or comes with redness, odour, or hair loss, which is worth a call to our team.

What can I do at home to help my dog’s itchy paws?

Simple, non-medical steps can help while you wait for a visit, like wiping the paws with a damp cloth after autumn walks to lift off some of the pollen. Keep up the flea prevention your vet recommends, skip other home remedies, and call us so we can look before the skin breaks down.

Does paw licking always mean allergies?

No. Allergies are a leading cause but not the only reason a dog goes after a paw, and what we see on the outside can look the same either way, so our team examines the paw and asks about timing to tell a flare apart from something else.

What dog breeds are most prone to allergies?

Some breeds are more predisposed than others, and the Merck Veterinary Manual lists several, including West Highland White Terriers, Boxers, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Shar-Peis. Being on that list doesn’t guarantee allergies, and plenty of mixed-breed Burlington dogs flare in fall too, so the pattern of signs matters more than the pedigree.

Will my dog’s fall allergies come back every year?

Often, yes, since the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that atopic signs can be seasonal or nonseasonal with seasonal flares. A dog that reacts to fall pollen this year is likely to react again next fall, and a known pattern lets you and our team plan ahead before the ragweed peaks.

Sources

Merck Veterinary Manual

1. Merck Veterinary Manual: Allergies in Dogs. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/skin-disorders-of-dogs/allergies-in-dogs
2. Merck Veterinary Manual: Atopic Dermatitis in Dogs. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/integumentary-system/atopic-skin-conditions-in-dogs-and-cats/atopic-dermatitis-in-dogs
3. Merck Veterinary Manual: Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Dogs and Cats. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/integumentary-system/fleas-and-flea-allergy-dermatitis/flea-allergy-dermatitis-in-dogs-and-cats

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

1. Cornell University, Riney Canine Health Center: Atopic Dermatitis (Atopy). https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-topics/atopic-dermatitis-atopy