Dog Constantly Licking and Biting Paws

[AllieandHank]

Hello All,

I have been reading several posts and online articles for months about dogs with similar habits, but they always seem to be different from our case. I have a mixed-breed mutt, he’s currently 7.5 years old and we have been dealing with his constant licking/biting paw and scratching his ever for the last two years. We are at a loss. The vet said that it is probably allergies, though what they could not say for sure without an allergy test that is out of budget and then possible some therapy shots that would also be costly and not guaranteed to fix the problem.

He never had issues as a puppy, and when this started we tried all sorts of things, changing to grain free food, limited ingredient food, the vet has given him steroid shots that have helped slightly for a few days, but is not a long term solution.

He licks his feet raw, there is hardly air fur left and he will often gnaw until they are bleeding and raw. He will often scratch at his eyes and nose, but nowhere else. This has gone on to become progressively worse and he has gnawed all the fur from his paws and his skin is quite torn up.

We’re really hoping there is something we can do for him, as right now the best we’ve found is having him wear a cone, but since my husband and I work full time he’s stuck in it for most of the day. Even with a cone he’s managed to get at his paws quite frequently. We really don’t have the resources for constant vet visits/tests and shots, especially since nothing has really worked and a few have been nonchalantly informed us there is little that they can do anyway. We love our dog and want him to have the best quality of life we can give him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

We were told at the shelter that he’s probably a lab/border collie/pit bull mix. He’s about 75-80 lbs and generally a low key, easy going dog.

Food Details

Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Formula Salmon & Potato Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food:

Ingredients
Deboned Salmon, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Starch, Salmon Meal (Source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Glucosamine), Tapioca Starch, Pea Fiber, Canola Oil (Source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Pea Protein, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Fish Oil (Source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Pumpkin, Dried Chicory Root, Choline Chloride, Flaxseed (Source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Potato Starch, Caramel Color, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Dl-Methionine, Mixed Tocopherols (A Natural Preservative), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, Parsley, Dried Kelp, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Turmeric, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Oil of Rosemary, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Taurine, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.

Thanks,
A