Many schnauzer owners ask how to stop a dog from licking paws excessively. Why does your schnauzer lick so much? While schnauzers are a generally healthy breed, they are prone to their own issues as purebreds, including licking or chewing on paws or legs.
Experts tell us that there are several different categories of reasons for this behavior problem. It can lead to health complications like open sores and infections, of course as a complication of the behavior.
Let's unpack the possibilities:
1. Bored schnauzers.
Schnauzers are very bright, curious, engaged dogs. They were bred to hunt down rodents. The thrill of the chase is hard-wired into their brains. Even if you lavish lots of love, attention, and treats on your fur kid, he may be bored during the many hours a day when you are away at work or doing other things around the home.
Possible solutions: Get your schnauzer more engaging dog toys (and rotate which one of multiple toys each day he gets to play with), more exercise, more "jobs" to do like agility training.
2. Canine Compulsive Disorder in a Schnauzer
Any dog can go over the line into feeling highly stressed or anxious (or bored). Only a small percentage of dogs develop a full-blown compulsive behavior problem such as licking themselves raw, but it does happen.
Possible solutions: Get to the heart of the stress or anxiety with a professional dog trainer consultation. You can get started inexpensively with online dog training and even community support. If the behavior persists, there are animal behaviorists who can come to your home or offer training facilities to assess and help your best friend overcome his challenges. If you have a miniature schnauzer, this may be help you - Miniature Schnauzer Training
3. Environmental Allergies and Synthetic Chemicals.
Schnauzers can get allergies to environmental pollens like grasses or trees as do people. See if your pup licks his paws more after walking on the grass or during certain seasons of the year.
Some dogs are sensitive to synthetic chemicals that people put on the lawn or herbicides or pesticides. Those are poisons and you don't want him to get this stuff off his paws by licking and swallowing it. You do not need to want to be a tree-hugger to realize that using poisons on bugs and weeds is asking for trouble for your own health and especially the health of your schnauzer (he is smaller than you are - unless you have a giant schnauzer and you are a very small person).
Possible solution: Look at the dog food you are giving him too. Foods often contain toxic ingredients that you don't realize are there. Learn more about this information for yourself and your dog at 101 Toxic Food Ingredients. For a whole summary of the natural health approach for the care of your dogs, holistic veterinarian Dr. Pitcairn's classic book can be a great resource.
Possible solution: Watch and wash the paws. Make sure he has a natural bedding location on which he can sleep without being exposed to synthetic carpet, carpet cleaner residues, and other chemicals.
Possible solution: Walk him on grass-free surfaces and shampoo his paws with hypoallergenic dog shampoo if he has been at a park or on a lawn that seems to irritate his skin.
4. Food allergies.
These days, our dogs are as prone to hidden or unsuspected food allergies as we are. These can involve common grains like wheat, barley, or corn, but it might involve the main sources of animal (e.g., beef or chicken) or fish proteins in the food. Some veterinarians can help you sort out this type of issue. If yours cannot, find one who has a reputation in the community for knowing about dog food allergies.
Possible solution: Systematically changing his diet and treats so that he gets no exposures to suspected allergenic foods. Some prepared foods are made with limited ingredients to help with the hunt for a safe diet. Sometimes you have to use homemade foods with an even smaller number of ingredients to rule out the culprits.
Maybe your schnauzer has a nutritional need higher than that of other dogs, for instance, for a high quality fish oil like wild salmon oil to get more omega 3 fatty acids that promote skin health. Give that a try unless he is allergic to the specific fish source.
5. Mechanical irritants.
Check your schnauzer's paws and between the pads carefully on a regular basis. Sometimes little pieces of rock and plant parts with stickers can get caught. In desert locations like Arizona, finding really thin cactus spines in a dog's paws is not unusual.
Solution: Preventive maintenance to check the paws regularly. Use tweezers (or pliers if it is large) if you cannot get at the offending item with your own fingers. If this is too hard for you, bring him to the groomer or the vet office and let them remove the irritating material from the paws or pads.
6. Mange and other infections, as well as flea bites
Yes, some dogs do get mange from a tiny mite that can get into the dog's paws. Fleas and flea allergies are always a route to itchy misery for your schnauzer.
Solution: Ask your vet to examine your schnauzer and treat mange or other infections as indicated. For fleas, try the nontoxic way whenever possible
7. Another health/medical problem.
Maybe your schnauzer has a different health problem that the dog cannot reach with his mouth (they are oral animals, after all) - so he licks his paws instead.
Possible solution: Take him for a thorough physical exam and possible tests to follow up with his veterinarian for any medical causes of the problem.
Conclusions
Excessive licking in dogs is a common problem. Unfortunately there are many roads that lead to a paw licking problem. It is hard to tell which one(s) affect your fur kid. But it is well worth checking out to find the reason or reasons for the behavior. It will vastly improve your schnauzer's quality of life and your own.
