Dog licking their paws is part of their self-grooming routine, and if your dachshund is a fastidious groomer, they probably lick their paws after every meal.
Your dog could also lick their paws when settling down for a nap or coming in from the outdoors. Even if your dachshund is not a keen groomer, most a dog licking their paws is natural.
Dog licking their paws should not be an issue unless they do it excessively and they you might need to investigate further.
Why Dog Owners Should Be Concerned With Excessive Paw Licking
If your dog is licking their paws excessively, it could be an indication of behavior issues or health problems.
For example, your dachshund could be licking their paws excessively if they are itching, irritating or painful.
You may observe your dog licking excessively when they have stepped on something that causes discomfort, or when a foreign object lodges on the toes causing paw injury.
You should ensure that your house does not have hazardous objects which could inflict injury on your dachshund.
Refrain from letting your dog walk on hot pavement too as that could burn their paws. On a hot day, the pavement can reach temperatures way over 100, and on a blacktop surface can even be much higher temperature.
Reasons Why A Dog Is Licking Their Paws Excessively
Abnormal Growth
When your dog is licking their paws too much, it could be a health issue such as abnormal growth on the paws, injury on the soft tissue, tumors, and abnormal growth.
The issue could affect both paws if it is arthritis and injuries, and abnormal growth could occur on one toe.
Allergies
Dog licking their paws could mean they have allergies and irritation as a way of calming down, as licking reliefs them of the stress.
Some allergies furthermore could cause itchiness in the paws and food allergies could result in your dachshund dog licking their paws.
Infections
Dogs could develop bacterial and fungal infections on their paws, and you can observe this when your dog licks excessively on the toes.
Paw infections are common and could occur for unknown reasons, but they could be secondary to allergic reactions.
A dog licking their paws could be due to an allergic reaction and could leave their paws damp, which leads to the build-up of bacterial and fungal infections.
Parasitic Infections
It will help if you inspect your dog for parasitic infections like fleas, which makes them itch leading to excessive licking.
Parasites could harbor infectious microbes, which could attack the paws of your dachshund, causing more irritation and leaking.
Behavioral Issues
Behavioral paw licking could be associated with boredom, a sign of stress or anxiety, and excessive licking becomes a habit.
Your dachshund could be having obsessive-compulsive tendencies that make them lick their paws excessively. Distraction from the licking could help a dog with this disorder.
Home Remedies For A Dog Licking Their Paws Excessively
Use Colloidal Oatmeal Baths
Colloidal oatmeal baths are known to soothe the dog’s skin and could also work for their paws. The bath help reduce inflammation and could wash away allergens trapped in the fur and thus reduce inflammation.
You can buy pre-made colloidal oatmeal baths or prepare yours at home by grinding the oat into a fine powder. The oatmeal is non-toxic and could not harm your dog even if they lick it on the paws.
Apply Apple Cider Vinegar To The Paws
The home food ingredient has powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, which can help a dog with infected paws.
You should mix water and vinegar on a spray bottle in an equal ratio and spay it on your dachshund’s paws. If you soak the toes of the dog in the solution, it could help your dog overcome irritation.
Use Coconut Oil
Massage the coconut oil on the toes for a relaxing effect, and you should avoid refined coconut that could contain harmful elements.
Go for coconut products for your dachshund which has been labeled as organic, virgin, or human-branded. Before using coconut oil on your dog’s diet, it is better to consult a veterinary doctor.
Soak The Dog’s Paws in Chamomile and Green Tea
Both chamomile and green tea have a soothing effect on the paws and toes of your dachshund, and they could work better on hot and itchy patches of the skin.
When bathing your dachshund, you should fill the bathtub with warm water and pour chamomile and let green tea bags settle in the warm water.
If you want an utterly soothing effect, you can peel the tea bags and apply it on the affected area.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera on your dachshund’s paws could help heal injuries, reduce redness, and reduce the heat on the paws, which helps the dog stop licking their paws.
Use Aloe Vera from the store, which is natural and 100% harvested from the plant, and you can apply it directly on their paws.
Use Baking Soda
When you combine baking soda with water to create a paste that is applied to the paws, it could help dry injuries on the paws.
It can also elevate toe itchiness and reduce redness in the affected area, and you can let the paste rest on the toes for 20 minutes before rinsing it off thoroughly.
If the dog has itchiness on other skin areas, you could also use the baking soda on their bathe.
Let Your Dog Have a Balanced Diet
A dog that eats lots of healthy carbohydrates and plenty of Omega-3 fats is more likely to have good skin.
You should swap food with allergy-causing ingredients with healthy ones, and you should look out for gluten intolerance in dogs.
Provide Chewing Toys
Dog licking their paws due to stress and anxiety could be trained with chewing toys that prevent paw-licking.
You can distract your dog from paw licking, and this could need patience as a dog could not stop licking their paws immediately, and you could consult a trainer who might help with behavior modification.
The Bottom Line
You could be wondering why your dachshund could be licking their paws and this could be the normal process of grooming. But excessive licking could be related to health issues.
It would help if you observed paw-licking that results from injuries or hot pavements.
You can provide your dog with a balanced diet that prevents skin issues and allergies.
You can use home remedies such and consult a veterinary doctor who can help with behavior modification.
