My West Highland White Terrier keeps licking his paws. Can anyone help?

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tonicj

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Hi Everyone.

I have a 4 year old Westie who is having terrible trouble with his paws. He is constantly licking them and I have had him so many times to the Vet. He has had allergy tests performed and they have come back saying that he isnt allergic to anything. He has just finished yet another months supply of steroids which seem to work while he is on them, but then a day or two after he has finished the course the licking starts again. I really don't want him on any more steroids and wonder if any of you have had similar problems and maybe something else worked for you. I should also mention that I have a medicated shampoo for him which I got from the Vet and I wash his paws every other day just to try to get him some relief. I also have one of those collars, but if I attempt to put it on him, he gets distressed and I can't have that for him. I just do not know what to do. With regard to his diet, he gets Royal Canin (sensitive) and I would put a little bit of chicken with this and some veg. I have also tried other foods which the Vet suggested, but he just keeps on licking those little paws. If you have taken the time to read this long thread - Thankyou!
 
Poor little thing :( not sure what to suggest for our canine friend but I hope he rids himself of his itchy paws soon x
 
Hiya i have a westie cross yorkshire terrier and he does the same thing. It only happens when the hot weather comes in. he is 3 in july and hes had the same problem the past two summers.

We did find out once when he was younger when he got fleas he was allergic to flea bites , bless his cottons hes never had them again since he was in a right state.
But this paw thing i have noticed has been happening as soon as the spring sets in , they dont seem to be bothering him or he isnt in any pain he just licks n licks them till there red raw.
I think maybe it may have something to do with the grass and pollen when we take him on the field or maybe little midgies are biting his paws i really dont know. Maybe it is a common thing with this breed.

I just make sure he is bathed regular and when its bad keep him away from grass for few days till it settles HTH
 
I have a 9 year old westie and he licks his paws alot when it gets hot. With westies you can have pink or dalmation type skin, if its pink like mine- they have skin problems when it gets hot. Itchy, bright pink and in some westies- flaky. Mine will rub himself on your legs all night if you let him lol. I have a shampoo for him that helps alot but constant washing dries the skin more. If it is not this, i would say its abit of a stretch but dogs can get grass seeds in there skin inbetween the claws and even into the blood stream, but i would of thought the vet would have checked that.
Also, my dog is a very licky dog anyway. He enjoys licking my leather sofa, duvet, leg, pillow and of course his little paws. Its not boredom, just seems he does it when hes happy actually lol
 
my little yorkie nibbles at his lil feet and its usually when his fur is too long around his feet and hot weather hth x
 
My old pooch used to do this, and we found out it was mites on his feet!! Used to get it in spring/summer, we got a spray from the vets 4 it. Can't remember what they were called but they were tiny orange mites, think they can be picked up if you live near fields/ cows etc... Worth a try!!
 
I have a staffy who suffers every year with her paws bless her. It's actually hayfever she suffers from, she is constantly biting and nibbling. I'll try and find the name of the spray we get for her, I can't remember off the top of my head x
 
I have a staffy who suffers every year with her paws bless her. It's actually hayfever she suffers from, she is constantly biting and nibbling. I'll try and find the name of the spray we get for her, I can't remember off the top of my head x



That would be great Ang. Do you notice a good difference when you use the spray? Also thanks everyone for your advice.
 
I don't have a dog but it just struck me, I'm sure you already have but have you tried washing his paws in cool water with aqueous cream instead of soap. Then if it is contact with something causing it it will rinse it off which is what he is trying to do. Also the cool water will soothe the paws.

edited-just saw you do wash them, although the aqueous cream may be a good option instead of soap if it's not working and may also provide a slight barrier.

Your poor doggie :(
 
I don't have a dog but it just struck me, I'm sure you already have but have you tried washing his paws in cool water with aqueous cream instead of soap. Then if it is contact with something causing it it will rinse it off which is what he is trying to do. Also the cool water will soothe the paws.

edited-just saw you do wash them, although the aqueous cream may be a good option instead of soap if it's not working and may also provide a slight barrier.

Your poor doggie :(

Thank you Weezie, its very good of you to take the time to reply, especially when you don't have a dog yourself:hug:. Could you tell me a little bit about this aqueous cream and where I would get it.
 
Often a cause fr this can be too high a protein diet..and as you are feeding a quality kibble the addition of chicken is actually adding to the protien levels in his meals :) take a peek when you get the time to have a look at what the protein levels actually are on the bag and if he dosnt like to eat it without anything in then perhaps try feeding him a lower protein food or one with the main ingredients that are better quality. I exhibit great danes (hence the name) and feed Simpson premium food which is available on line and I feed the lamb or duck with potato rather than rice as many dogs have an intolerance rather than an allergy to any grain (even rice). Hope you get the wee westie sorted though
Tracy
 
Thank you Weezie, its very good of you to take the time to reply, especially when you don't have a dog yourself:hug:. Could you tell me a little bit about this aqueous cream and where I would get it.

You can get it very cheaply from any chemist and use it instead of soap. It may say to use it as a moisturiser but don't do this as recently it has been suggested it may thin the skin if left on as it is a detergent (but gentler than soap/body washes- hence why it may help).
 
Last edited:
Hi just seen this thread, i have a 2 year old westie who suffers from the same thing, last summer he started licking his paws all the time, i came down one morning and he had plucked all the fur off his front feet and a patch off his side. the vet said he had an allergy to storage mites, which can be found in dog biscuits, and he said westies can be allergic to certain types of pollen as they have very sensitive skin. he advised us to give him non drowsy antihistamines from around may to Aug and he gave me a perscription for malseb shampoo which i have to wash him with once a week. I also did a lot of research on line about his diet. He now eats nature diet which is a good quality food and i put Yumega oil in his food of a morning which is omega 3 oil. His skin and coat quality has really improved and the only time he chews his paws is when he gets tatty knots between them. He is still a little bugger who likes to eat my bras :) but i wouldn't be without him ha. Hope this helps, xx
 
I have had a similar problem with my westie recently.. like you I tried lots of various things and looked at diet etc..

I found out what appeared to be her problem was that recently there has been such a dry spell of weather and in the park the tree shrubs etc have all shred their leaves etc and Ascot was getting little splinters inbetween her paws but they were not coming out with normal bathing and it was a constant foot licking all the time..
I sat with a pair of tweezers and got these little splinters out of her feet and the licking stopped.. every now and again she does it again and I normally find something in there, but you have to prod around a bit...
It might be worth a try...

Jack
 
I have had a similar problem with my westie recently.. like you I tried lots of various things and looked at diet etc..

I found out what appeared to be her problem was that recently there has been such a dry spell of weather and in the park the tree shrubs etc have all shred their leaves etc and Ascot was getting little splinters inbetween her paws but they were not coming out with normal bathing and it was a constant foot licking all the time..
I sat with a pair of tweezers and got these little splinters out of her feet and the licking stopped.. every now and again she does it again and I normally find something in there, but you have to prod around a bit...
It might be worth a try...

Jack


Oh, how I wish I could get a closer look between his paws, but he really can't bear me to touch them. For some reason the last 3-4 days he has been really bad. His poor wee paws are red raw and this upsets me terribly. I had him on more steroids, but this time they weren't helping so I stopped. I really don't want him on them. I might try the omega 3 which the previous thread suggested (thanks for that). I have the same shampoo too, but still no difference. Have also had him on anti-histamines, but no difference. Really really hope its a seasonal thing and will eventually go away.

Thanks to everyone who is trying to help xx
 
hi gave my dog loratadine every day when spring came in i bought them from chemist rather than vet. but we noticed that it was nettles that was the worst thing. does he go into the the long grass to toilet? our dogs paws and belly got itchy every year. i took a few years to notice it was when the knettles were out and the dog i have just now is just starting to show signs of the nettles annoying her paws. so can look out for the nettles see if you can avoid them. Maybe use a baby shampoo to wash then as some times the medicated ones can cause more bother i hope your poor dog gets some relief
 
My litle yorkie likes her feet out of habit! Thinks she likes the taste.lol:biggrin:
 
This could be caused by a number of things, but it has most likely also turned into a habit as well, so even when your dogs paws are not bothering him, he is in the habit of licking and chewing them. Licking can became adictive to dogs, it's something to do with a chemical that thier brain releases (sorry can't remember exaculty what it's called).

High levels of protine can make skin dry and itchy, so it might be something as simple as his diet being to rich it in. I feed all my own dogs royal canin but I'm fostering a rescue SBT cross at the moment and she has major skin problems, she is suffering from demodexic mange but we also believe she has some form of skin allergy (vet needs to clean the mites before testing as her immune system is really low). I feed Bella (rescue) on James Wellbeloved Ocean fish and fish complete food. The food is hypoallergic, with no grain, milk etc and it does make a differance to her. If she eats some of my dogs royal canin, it make her skin worse and she gets inching.

Also I swear by a product call Yumaga, it really does do what it says it does, here is a link for you. YUMEGA DOG - Lintbells . I use it and when I put Bella on it, her skin calmed down with in days, although it can take up to three weeks for a benefit to be seen.

Washing a dog can also make the problem worse as most shampoos take away all the oils a dogs skin and fur need. The shampoo and conditioner is really good. My old dog Floyd, would get a dry coat when he was bathed, so I did'nt bath him very offten. In the last year of his life he need hydrotherpy twice a week and I needed to wash the clhorine out of his coat. This is what I got and it's really good. Quistel - Dog

Other things that might help are these Anti-Lick Strip or Dowest herbs do some great supplements for the pysical and mental issues Dorwest as it might be a anxiety, excitability or nervousness issue. One of mine gets really stress going in the car but I give him scullcap & valerian tablets or valerian compound and his will be fine about a trip in the car.

Hope some of this helps.

Sam xxx
 
This could be caused by a number of things, but it has most likely also turned into a habit as well, so even when your dogs paws are not bothering him, he is in the habit of licking and chewing them. Licking can became adictive to dogs, it's something to do with a chemical that thier brain releases (sorry can't remember exaculty what it's called).

High levels of protine can make skin dry and itchy, so it might be something as simple as his diet being to rich it in. I feed all my own dogs royal canin but I'm fostering a rescue SBT cross at the moment and she has major skin problems, she is suffering from demodexic mange but we also believe she has some form of skin allergy (vet needs to clean the mites before testing as her immune system is really low). I feed Bella (rescue) on James Wellbeloved Ocean fish and fish complete food. The food is hypoallergic, with no grain, milk etc and it does make a differance to her. If she eats some of my dogs royal canin, it make her skin worse and she gets inching.

Also I swear by a product call Yumaga, it really does do what it says it does, here is a link for you. YUMEGA DOG - Lintbells . I use it and when I put Bella on it, her skin calmed down with in days, although it can take up to three weeks for a benefit to be seen.

Washing a dog can also make the problem worse as most shampoos take away all the oils a dogs skin and fur need. The shampoo and conditioner is really good. My old dog Floyd, would get a dry coat when he was bathed, so I did'nt bath him very offten. In the last year of his life he need hydrotherpy twice a week and I needed to wash the clhorine out of his coat. This is what I got and it's really good. Quistel - Dog

Other things that might help are these Anti-Lick Strip or Dowest herbs do some great supplements for the pysical and mental issues Dorwest as it might be a anxiety, excitability or nervousness issue. One of mine gets really stress going in the car but I give him scullcap & valerian tablets or valerian compound and his will be fine about a trip in the car.

Hope some of this helps.

Sam xxx



Thank you so much Sam for the great information. NikiB had already mentioned to me on a thread here about the Yumega and I ordered it and it just arrived this morning. I gave it to Oscar within minutes of receiving it and he seems to love it which is really good. So he has had his first dose and its fingers crossed. I will also certainly think about the James Wellbeloved. Im going new to bathe his little paws (which are so raw at the moment). Hoping all this helps.

Thanks again. Will come back to this thread in a week or two to let you all know how things are going xx
 
How is Oscar doing this week?
 

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