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Dogs are lovely pets and make great companions. But have you ever wondered why do dogs lick their paws at night?
Others pets such as cats are known to be excessive groomers and always groom themselves by licking themselves clean. Could this be the same thing when it comes to your four-legged pooch?
Is this behavior popular in all dog breeds or is it more prominent in one than the other? Are there ways to tame this behavior?
In this article, we will be covering:
- Why dogs lick their paws
- Why they do this before their bed-time
- How to stop them from licking their paws at night
- And so much more…
Why Do Dogs Lick Their Paws at Night?
Dogs lick their paws at night mostly because they are trying to cool themselves down before bed. Other reasons for this behavior could be due to allergies, stress, anxiety, an injury, or boredom.
They may also lick their paws to keep them warm during the cold season or just because the itchiness feels good from their licking.
Many people believe that dogs lick their paws at night because they have an upset stomach, but most experts think that the dog’s licking is self-healing. It might also be because of certain vitamins or minerals like zinc or magnesium deficiencies, but this is not proven yet.
If this behavior persists for a while and is accompanied by bleeding, limping, swelling, or some sort of odor; you should have your doggo checked by a local vet as soon as possible.
Dogs who lick their feet might need more exercise and/or mental stimulation in order to reduce stress and manage their anxiety. If your dog spends his days constantly licking his paws or chewing on his paw pads, taking him for a daily walk instead of letting him spend all day at home waiting for you to come back from work.
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Why Does My Dog Lick So Much at Night?
If your dog keeps licking so much at night, there could be a number of reasons why this is the case. Consider the licking as a means for them to clean themselves before they tuck in for the night.
If you observe them doing this much more often and almost each and every night; this could be an indication that things aren’t right for your four-legged friend.
Allergies, anxiety, stress, or boredom are the most common reasons why they may be licking themselves so much at night. Parasites such as fleas are also known to be quite active during the night and the licking could be a means to try and self-heal the affected areas.
Why Do Dogs Lick Their Paws before bed time?
Dogs lick their paws before going to bed because they are cleaning themselves before tucking for the night. This is not the main reason why they do this, there are a number of other reasons, including stress, anxiety, injury, or boredom.
Natural instincts from animals allow them to groom themselves using their tongue hence the licking. Most pets would always want to do this before going to bed. They lick their paws because it is part of their natural instinct that all animals have – not just dogs – and it helps them remove any bacteria or dirt particles from the day before their bedtime.
Excessive licking has been known to come with some challenges such as gagging in cats from ingested fur.
11 Reasons Why Dogs Lick Their Paws
We’ll now jump deeper into some of the reasons why dogs lick their paws. It is important to understand the main cause of paw licking as it will guide you on the best cause of action to take.
1 – Pain
If your dog starts licking her paws all of a sudden this could be an indication everything isn’t right. He might have picked an injury resulting in some pain in the paw area. The only way they are able to soothe themselves is by licking the affected area.
Common causes of pain in the paw area include getting pricked by thorns and broken pieces of glass as they play outside, but this can basically be caused by almost anything.
2 – Boredom
High energy dogs are more likely to get bored or frustrated when they miss their planned daily walks/exercise. They may end up engaging in destructive activities to distract them from boredom. This could mean licking their paws for some dogs.
3 – Anxiety
Some dogs will lick their paws at night due to anxiety. Anxious dogs may lick themselves before bed or even lick themselves to sleep as a means to control their anxiety. If no noticeable injury is in place and no swelling is in place, this type of paw licking shouldn’t be a major concern.
4 – Allergy
Paw licking in dogs can be associated with allergies in dogs and these can just come from almost anything. It could range from their diet, cleaning products, chemicals, grass, e.t.c. The root cause of this will solely depend on your dog.
Identifying the main cause of the itchiness caused by allergies can be a very frustrating ordeal. Working closely with your vet might come a long way in helping you find the main cause of your dog’s allergy. A blood test may be required once all other possible reasons are ruled out.
5- Yeast Infection
A yeast infection could also lead to excessive paw licking in dogs. A poor diet may be the main cause of yeast infection in dogs. Based on your vet’s advice, making changes to your dog’s diet might go a long way in helping the situation. Including foods rich in certain nutrients and vitamins may be beneficial to your dog.
6 – Gastrointestinal Issues
A study conducted by the journal of veterinary behavior identify that excessive paw licking in dogs could be associated with gastrointestinal issues. The study found that those dogs with gastrointestinal issues such as chronic pancreatitis ended up licking their paws compared to healthier ones.
7 – Hormonal Imbalance
Dogs experiencing hormonal imbalance are susceptible to licking their paws mostly due to issues caused by this. Hormonal imbalance is likely to increase the chances of your dog developing red spots, balding and brittle hair. This leads them to lick the affected areas. Licking could lead to secondary infections in the already affected area.
8 – Displacement Behavior
Displacement behavior is when your dog shows out-of-context behavior not related in any way to their current situation. In this case, your dog may start licking her paws even though he was doing some other thing.
For instance, in case your dog drops her toy or you reprimand him from humping things around the house, the dog may resort to licking its paw.
9 – Dry Skin
If your dog has dry skin it’s more likely to use its tongue to lick and try to moisture the dry skin. Dry skin in dogs is dependant on the dog’s breed, dry weather, or based on bathing habits.
Hairless dog breeds face a variety of skin conditions since they don’t have a natural protection that hair provides. Dry weather may also lead to dry skin in dogs, especially for those dogs living in a cold and dry climate.
Grooming habits may also contribute to dry skin in dogs. Use of harsh bathing soaps or excessive bathing could also lead to dry skin in dogs.
10 – Fleas and Ticks
Fleas and ticks can lead to severe itching. This could easily trigger your doggo to start licking or chewing her paws. If your dog is allergic to fleas the condition can get much worse for your dog.
Finding the best option to getting rid of both fleas and ticks will go a long way in helping your four-legged friend.
11 – Deicing Salts and Cold Weather
If your dog is always licking her paws during winter seasons, then the main cause of this could be deicing salts or sore paws caused by ice balls.
Deicing salts used to melt ice in driveways and roads during the winter season can lead to chemical burns on your dog’s feet. Due to this, they may end up licking their paws as a means to relieve the pain.
Ice balls may also form between your dog’s hairy paws when the snow gets caught in between their fur. This can lead to painful ordeal such as cracking, bleeding, and hair-pulling as your dog tries to soothe the pain. Other tactics that your dog may also employ may include licking the affected area.
How to Stop Your Dog From Licking His Paws at Night
Now that you know some of the most common reasons for this, let’s look at how exactly we can change your little furry friend’s behavior.
It’s important to consider getting this rid of this behavior since excessive licking will trap moisture in your dog’s toes making them susceptible to opportunistic infections.
The action to take will be dependant on what exactly is causing the excessive paw licking in your dog.
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Ways to stop dog from licking paws:
- Preventing them by getting an elizabethan collar.
- Wiping their toes with a damp washcloth before they get to the house will prevent them from licking their paws at night.
- Distracting them while they are doing this, giving them lots of chewable toys and other toys will help prevent them from continueing this behavior. This will also help with dealing with their anxiety and drive the boredom away.
- Changing their diet especially if you’ve identified the main cause was from their allergic reactions to certain food in their diet.
- Getting rid of ticks and fleas
- For dogs suffering from dry skin, using a steam vaporizer or humidifier in your household will help in bringing back mosture and prevent them from licking their paws.
- Changing their detergents or soaps used to wash their beddings. They could be having some sort of allergic reactions to the current one being used.
- Getting him checked by your local vet to identify the root cause of the problem as well as get proper medication that will help the situation.
- Preventing them from playing outside during the winter season without a waterproof shoes or socks in place.
What Your Dog is Trying to Warn About When They Lick Their paws?
When dogs lick their paws they are trying to pass some sort of message to you. This could range from:
- They are experiencing some pain in the paw area
- They are allergic to something
- They have dry skin in their paw area
- They are bored and anxious
- They have itchy toes.
- Your doggo is trying to groom herself
- Your dog could be having ticks and fleas
Conclusion
Dogs licking their paws at night is a common occurrence. Some reasons why they do this include allergies, stress, pain, or boredom. They may also lick their paws to keep them warm during the winter season or when trying to get rid of deicing salt stuck on their toes.
No matter the cause, it’s important that you get to the bottom of the situation as soon as possible to be able to get your doggo the right help they need. Always seek help from your local vet in such cases and avoid over-the-counter medications.
Sometimes it could be that the cause of the licking could be strenuous activities that have led to them experiencing sore muscles.