pet care & health
Itchy feet
Slurp, chew, repeat. If your pet’ s midnight paw-licking soundtrack is driving you mad, it’ s not just annoying, it’ s a red flag.
By Dr Ingrid de Wet of Cottage Vet Clinic
There are few sounds more familiar to pet owners than the constant slurp-slurp-slurp of a dog licking their paws in the middle of the night. Cats do it too – quietly chewing or overgrooming between their toes until the fur disappears and the skin becomes angry and red. In fact, itchy paws are one of the most common reasons pets visit the vet.
While occasional licking is completely normal, persistent licking, chewing, or nibbling at the feet is often a sign that something deeper is going on. This is something to pay attention to early, as helping them once they lose hair, get thickened skin or infections in the feet, is more challenging.
The challenge is that“ itchy paws” are not actually a diagnosis. They’ re a symptom, and there can be many different causes.
The biggest culprit … allergies
For many dogs, allergies are the number one cause of itchy feet. Grass, pollen, dust mites, mould, and even certain foods can trigger inflammation in the skin, particularly on the paws and ears.
Some dogs seem to get worse seasonally, while others struggle year-round. Owners often notice their pets licking their paws after walks or waking at night to chew at their feet.
Cats can develop allergies too, although they often show it differently – over-grooming, hair loss or excessive licking are more common than obvious scratching.
When licking leads to infection
One of the biggest problems with itchy paws is that the licking itself makes things worse.
Constant moisture and damage to the skin create the perfect environment for bacteria and yeast to grow. Before long, the paws become red, swollen, smelly, and painful. Some dogs even develop dark brown saliva staining between their toes.
These secondary infections, particularly yeast infections, are also itchy. This worsens the problem and perpetuates the itch-lick cycle.
At this stage, the problem is no longer“ just allergies” – there is often a secondary infection that also needs treatment.
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