Jack russell eats her paws??

Hi, my Jack Russell , Daisy, 4 years old, eats her paws till they bleed. we did a biopsy and it was nothing internal(if thats the right word) i dont know if it starts with her eating her paws/legs but she certainly makes it worse. she has no fleas, well little, de fleaded every month. vet does not know what it is either. all the hair, well alot of it , disappears and it becomes red. she does not have "shop" food, its all home made. i must admit it comes and goes. at the moment she is clear but i can see a little patch starting to form.

i was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this or can offer some advice
thanks so much
tash

I would suggest taking her to a specialist to do some extensive allergy testing. Allergies in pets don't all result from diet, they can have environmental allergies as well.

Originally Posted by whiteforest

I would suggest taking her to a specialist to do some extensive allergy testing. Allergies in pets don't all result diet, they can have environmental allergies as well.

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if you have access to one...

Do you serve the same meat and starch all the time? What are you putting in the homemade food?

I'd go for allergy tests. My BIL had a dog that was allergic to grass, and that allergy showed up mostly on his feet.

Natalie (whitecatlover) told me this. When they have wet paws, make sure you dry between their toes, some dogs are prone to develop fungus between their toes, if they are not kept dry. (which can cause itching and dogs chewing on their paws)

I would also suggest the allergy test. And also try to no bite spray on the area she is chewing. It tastes nasty so they wont chew. We have had owners bring it to work with dogs that will self inflict wounds if left alone.

Another possibility - remote but something to consider, is that this is a habit, like when humans are in the habit of biting nails or twirling hair.

Obsessive compulsive disorder is characterized by time consuming, repetitive behaviors and affects about 2 percent of humans, while the equally distressing canine equivalent, canine compulsive disorder, or CCD, seems to target certain dog breeds, especially Dobermans and Bull Terriers. For over a decade, behaviorists Drs. Dodman and Moon-Fanelli, at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine collected blood samples from carefully characterized Doberman patients exhibiting flank- and/or blanket-sucking compulsive behaviors, as well as healthy, unaffected Doberman.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0106193316.htm

In dogs, compulsive behavior includes tail chasing, licking their legs until they develop infections, and pacing and circling - versions of normal behaviors such as predatory behavior, grooming, or locomotion taken to extremes. Those kinds of behaviors parallel the way that normal human behaviors, such as hand washing or checking objects, can become repetitive in the estimated 2.2 million American adults affected by OCD.

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http://www.boston.com/news/science/a...human_disease/

Originally Posted by 2dogmom

Another possibility - remote but something to consider, is that this is a habit, like when humans are in the habit of biting nails or twirling hair.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0106193316.htm


http://www.boston.com/news/science/a...human_disease/

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I was going to suggest that too. If you rule out allergies it's something to consider. Does she chew when you're away, kind of a separation anxiety thing? I've seen it several times before. In fact my mom's Yorkie Mollie will chew at her feet until the bleed when she's left alone. Starting on an anti-anxiety med has helped her immensely.

I would go to an allergist. My BFs step sister has a dog that is actually allergic to himself. Theres some type of chemical that dogs produce naturally in their skin and Chester is highly allergic to it and would chew his paws and would go bald around his eyes, at his joint areas and feet from this. He is currently doing really good he takes allergy med and is slowly growing all his fur back.