Dear Dr. Baum —
My Shih Tzu dog constantly licks his paws! He’s 4 years old. What should I do?
Ms. Jones, Los Angeles, CA.
Dear Ms. Jones:
There are basically two reasons for paw licking. The first is physically based reasons — allergies or direct irritants.
The second group of reasons is emotionally based. Just like people bite their nails, dogs can lick their paws. Boredom, stress or a need for attention can foster this obsessive behavior.
Have your dog checked by your veterinarian to help figure out the possible cause and possible solutions to keep this problem under control.
Dr. B