# Biting Feet a Sign?



## Barkley2010

:uhoh:Our boy has been chewing a lot lately on himself--he has been after his feet non-stop and also found his tail (is this like babies finding their feet?)

Anyway, it hasn't been that long since we switched him over from puppy food to adult food (about a month). He was eating Science Diet Large Breed Lamb and Rice Puppy and we changed over to Science Diet Large Breed Lamb and Rice Adult (so I wouldn't think there would be that big of a difference).

Question is: Do you think the chewing on himself is a sign of a food allergy or just the changing of the seasons? Thanks for your advice in advance.

If you think it is a food thing...what would you suggest we switch to?


----------



## RedDogs

"Changing of seasons" does not cause behavior changes like this. It COULD be environmental allergies or food allergies or something fun to do.


----------



## Hali's Mom

Chewing on the feet is generally thought to be a sign of allergies. I see you are in IL. so if I were you I would wait just a bit longer until we get freezing conditions and see if that helps. If it is enviromental, and being it is his feet that is my first thought, once the ground freezes and the pollens and allergens are no longer in contact with his feet, you may see a change. Supposedly the enviromental allergens were really bad this fall. In the meantime you can give your dog Benydryl or something similar to ease his itching.
If you do not see any change after winter sets in you might want to try switching to a grain free food as grain is a MAJOR offender in food allergies. If you do this do not expect to see immediate results as it may take 6 - 8wks for his system to adjust to the new food. Hali has some enviromental allergies and major food allergies. We switched to a single source protein and grain free kibble and as long as we do not deviate and slip her something she shouldn't have, we have very few issues. If you do switch to a grain free diet, that applies to everything he eats including treats and grain free biscuits are virtually impossible to find. READ THE LABELS. 
Hope this helps.


----------



## Megora

I think it's suspicious that the itchy feet started right after you switched to adult food, but I don't think you could definitively say that's what's bugging your dog. Then again, I tend to think that if your dog had food allergies, he would be itchy all over, especially his belly and his face. 

One of my previous goldens had similar problems with his feet. In his case, it had a lot to do with him "bowling" outside (he'd dig and kick rocks around). He'd get nicks and scratches on his pads, and then would fuss and lick his feet until they got worse. 

I think you need to have the feet looked at by a vet. Especially to rule out any fungal infections.


----------



## The_Artful_Dodger

My friend's dog has allergies. He chews on his feet all the time, but also gets itchy all over. She told me one thing to look for in dogs with suspected allergies is discolouration of the fur around thier toes, which shows they have been licking thier feet alot. I think my friend did an elimination trial years ago to figure out what he was allergic to. He used to be on different food to control the allergies, but now at 13 and a half, he is on prescription food for his various other medical conditions so he puts up with a bit of itchiness - it's a good thing my friend is a vet so she can keep the little guy going


----------



## beausgrrl

Also be aware that barley, flax, brewers yeast and wheat are high allergens in dog food/treats. Our late Golden, Takoda, reacted to these and did best on Cal. Natural dog food... we're still using the brand (Natura) for our new Lab but will be watching the label since P&G bought them out. 
I think he was also allergic to grass! He loved to wriggle/roll down the hill out front and then would itch like mad later.


----------



## GinnyinPA

Another possibility - has he walked through a lawn that has been treated? I watched a lawn service strewing winter fertilizer on a neighbor's yard yesterday. That might irritate his feet.


----------



## GoldenSummer

I don't think its a food allergy, our first Golden had food allergy (which he never had till being put on lamb and rice so thats something you may want to consider changing because I've heard other dogs have issues on lamb and rice foods too) and he was itchy all over, he'd bite but it wasn't just his feet, it was wherever he could reach and same with scratching. Is it just one foot he keeps chewing or biting at? If it is maybe theres something wrong with just that one? Try checking the fur around and between his pads. If he's only chewing or biting now and then maybe just mention it to your vet but if he is doing it a lot get him to your vet, could be something serious going on and even if its not you need to stop the biting/chewing! Dogs chewing on their fur is the equivalent to a dog chewing on sand paper and it can wear their teeth down to the point of needing to be removed. (trust me, I speak from experience with our first Golden its not a fun thing and a huge adjustment for the dog) To be totally honest I'm wondering if its a boredom thing, Tyson has started to sort of chew at his back leg but he also picks it up and teases himself with it and then goes for it, sort of like chasing a tail but its his foot lol See if you can keep track of when hes doing it, i.e. mine mostly does it when hes in his kennel or when hes with my moms dogs that are ignoring him (or outright hiding from him lol), hence why I think its done out of boredom. Just keep a close eye on it and see if you notice any patters. 

Also - like someone else mentioned there was discoloration but it wasn't on his paws, he literally went black underneath on his tummy and er... further south and he started to lose hair around his eyes/face so keep an eye out to see if you notice changes in those areas as well.


----------



## Dallas Gold

I'm not sure in your case, but in ours foot chewing was a sign of environmental allergies.


----------



## Launi

A food allergy is possible...maybe the corn in Science Diet. I would still get him checked out by the vet, though; there's no way to tell.


----------

