As with other dog behaviors, there may be several reasons why dogs lick or bite their legs. In the normal case that your dog licks his legs a bit, probably is scratching or cleaning some dirt. But if your dog licks his paws often and intensely, you can assume something is wrong. In this case we advise you to contact your veterinarian.

Below we list the most common causes why your dog licks its legs:

   1- Skin allergies

It is known that food allergies cause itching in the legs and can answer the question of why my dog licks the legs, being this type of allergies very difficult to identify. Your veterinarian may suggest a special diet or removing certain foods from your dog’s diet to try to alleviate the problem.

Likewise, your dog could be allergic to flea bites or other parasites, which also create dermatitis and skin reactions.

Your dog may develop dermatitis by being allergic to chemicals used in your garden, or even by certain types of grass or other herbs. Keeping a bowl of water and a towel or the Paw cleaner near the door to gently clean your legs when you get home might help.

 

   2- Skin lesions

If your dog has a wound on his legs, a cut or small wart, the pain caused by walking, makes him try to calm his skin by licking his paws as soon as he has the chance.

It could be a cut, a broken nail, a skin growth, or maybe a stone, a spine, or a ball of mud stuck between the pads. Look closely at the nails, between the fingers and pads, and at the top of the feet. If in doubt compare it with the other leg.

Some of these problems can be alleviated with a simple first aid treatment, while others may require treatment by a veterinarian.

However, it can happen that the dog has interdigital cysts, which are more frequent in dogs that have a lot of weight and short hair. It is common for hairs to break inside the skin, forming an inflammation around, which in turn causes pain.

   3- Parasites and fungi

If your dog spends time outside or is not well dewormed, it may get bitten by fleas or other insects that cause itching and itching on its skin. When the dog licks and bites the legs is looking to relieve flea bites and soothe your skin..

The same goes for fungi. If you notice that in the legs of your dog there are bald in the hair or very bad smell, could be fungus. The veterinarian will give you confirmation, as you should have a culture and analyze what type of fungus is exactly, before you can give a treatment.

4- Anxiety

When a dog suffers anxiety or strong stress, sometimes develops behaviors to try to alleviate it.

One of them is to lick his legs, which gives him a certain relaxation and comfort.

In this case we must identify the source of stress of the dog and eliminate it.

5- Boredom

Boring dogs develop behaviors that help them entertain and calm down. One of them is biting its own legs. 

6- Absorption of vitamin D

Some solutions: 

 

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