Has your dog ever done this?

J

Jake10

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2010
Messages
1,293
Location
UK
Visit site
I've recently noticed that after a long off lead walk (2hours ish) Jake will refuse to settle. He paces, scratches his back feet on the carpet and chews on them.

I can't find any cuts/bits of twig etc between his toes or anywhere else. I'm at a loss as to why he has started to do this. Does anyone have any ideas?

I'm going to ask the vet to check Jake's hips, legs and feet when he goes in for his booster. Until then I think we'll avoid any walks or only do small ones as he doesn't react this way on smaller walks. Never had a dog act this way before :(
 
Do you go to different places when you walk further? I.e. somewhere he's exposed to different types of foliage? One of my spaniels used to do this after long, off-lead walks - turns out she has some sort of grass/pollen allergy and is particularly reactive to stinging nettles. My horse vet happened to be there the first time this happened (came on in her second year, worse in the summer than the winter) and told me what it probably was, advised I took her to her usual vet for testing. Maybe worth doing the same for yours?

My girl is now on Piriton and much happier!
 
I hadn't thought about allergies and I do walk him in different places for his longer walks. I'll ask the vet about that as well.
 
It does sound like a localised reaction, but as it only affects the hind paws and not the fronts (if hes ploughed through stinging nettles you would expect it to affect the fronts aswell) then I don't know. It would be interesting to know what the vet says.:)
 
Well I took Jake to the vets and he doesn't have an allergy or any joint/muscle problems. He did need his anal glands squeezing though :o

Took him for a long walk after and he was fine :p
 
Ah, after reading your post there was another thread re licking feet and a few posters mentioned anal glands. I have lurchers and they don't tend to suffer from anal gland problems and the terrier I have soon lets me know if his need doing by skidmarking the carpet.:o
 
It will most definately be an irritant coming into contact with his skin on the ground, even nettles, or as suggested something her is allergic too. Before resorting to medication, when you come home wash his feet, give them a good slosh in a bowl and use your fingers to massage between toes and pads then towel dry them.
 
We have to watch sometimes our coucil will decide to weed kill and not put up any signs, our dog had a wobler once out with my OH, she nearly collapsed and was ill for a few days, vet thought poison, or a reaction to an insect or something, still don't know what it was, didn't happen again
 
Hello, my yorkie Ludo used to do exactly the same thing. I found out it was stinging nettles. He would avoid them at all costs & if we had to go through them on a walk, would wait to be picked up!! He would occasionally forget, chase a rabbit then spend the next 2 hours scraping his hind feet and chewing them.
 
I find that walking on the roads when they are wet can cause a problem. In the winter I put it down to the salt that the council spread. It irritates the their feet. I avoid the roads in winter, or make sure to wash their feet when we get home. I also had a whippet who suffered badly with nettle stings/rash on her bare tummy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top