Does Your Dog Lick/Chew His Paws After Grooming? [Do This]

Regular grooming keeps our pets physically clean. However, seeing your dog licking and chewing its paws frequently and obsessively after grooming is pitiful.

So, let us look at the key facts in this case.

A dog may lick or chew its paws after grooming due to itchy skin, an allergic reaction, skin irritation caused by the equipment used, fur shortcutting, the dog’s sensitivity, or a previous incision or wound. A few solutions include using anti-itch shampoos, applying a soothing balm, and consulting a veterinarian.

So, let’s look at why dogs lick/chew their paws after grooming, how we can reduce it, whether it’s necessary to take the dog to the vet, and a few other important considerations.

Why Do Dogs Lick/Chew Their Paws After Grooming?

There are several reasons why dogs lick and chew their paws after being groomed. Our responsibility as the owner is to determine the cause of this problem.

If the behavior appears suddenly, lasts for an extended period, or is accompanied by swelling, limping, or stinking paws, the condition is more severe than usual.

Let’s look at why dogs lick or chew their paws like this right after grooming.

1. Because Of Hair-Cutting Clippers, Scissors, Or Other Mechanical Instruments

Over the years, many pet owners have complained that their dog’s skin appears irritated after grooming.

The skin can inflate when using electric clippers, scissors, or other mechanical devices to trim a dog’s hair.

Electric clippers with dull or overheated blades can irritate a dog’s skin. This can cause your sweet dog to lick and chew on his paws, causing inflammation repeatedly.

By the way, here’s why some human hair clippers won’t cut dog hair.

2. Allergic Responses

Cleaning agents and shampoos used in our homes or dog grooming centers may contain various allergenic substances.

Because the allergic substances are stuck between the dog’s toes, our dog may lick and chew their paws obsessively.

These reactions typically occur shortly after exposure to the allergenic substances and frequently worsen with repeated exposure. Therefore, we must understand the ingredients in the cleaning products we use on our dogs.

3. Skin Can Become Dry (Itchy)

Excessive bathing or grooming for dogs is a common cause of dry skin. Because we like to keep our pets clean, this could be the reason for frequent baths or grooming sessions.

Skin dryness causes itching in dogs, especially in the paw areas where they make the most contact with the ground.

Shampoo and detergent ingredients deplete the natural oils in their skin. As a result, it irritates the skin. As a result, after a groom, our dog chews and licks his paws excessively.

4. Cutting The Toe Fur So Short

If your dog’s hair extends between the bunches between his toes, clip it.

However, excessively shortening his toe fur in this area may make your dog uncomfortable, as the fur serves a purpose. In addition, ingrown hairs can form and cause painful lumps or ulcers.

As a result of the pain, the dog chewed and licked his paws.

5. Your Dog May Be Sensitive

If your dog hasn’t been groomed in a while, it may be sensitive in areas with a lot of hair and mats that are now visible after the groom.

Shampoo that hasn’t been rinsed off can also cause skin sensations in dogs, most likely between the dog’s toes.

6. A Previous Incision Or Wound

A previous incision caused by stone fragments stuck in his toes or stepping on a thorn bush can be aggravated by chemicals in deterrent substances or when cleaning his paws.

Because of the pain, the dog chews and licks his paws obsessively.

When your dog licks a wound, saliva contains healing properties and can aid in wound cleansing. But this cannot go on.

While it is natural for dogs to lick their paws regularly, excessive licking and obsessive paw chewing after grooming can indicate underlying issues.

It could be due to itchy skin, an allergic reaction, skin irritation from the equipment used, or anything else. First, we must figure out why he is acting this way.

Is he in any pain? Address the underlying cause. In addition, if the licking and chewing of paws become more unusual, we must take our pet dog to the vet.

How To Get A Dog To Stop Licking/Chewing Its Paws After Grooming

Your dog will naturally lick their paws as part of their normal self-grooming routine, especially after a muddy walk or if their paws are dirty.

However, if your dog continues to chew and lick his paws after a grooming session, this is cause for concern.

So, how can we prevent our dog from licking and chewing its paws after grooming?

1. Consult Your Veterinarian For Assistance

Consult your veterinarian if the paw licking persists for an extended period, such as a week, or if your dog exhibits any other symptoms following a grooming session, as this necessitates more intensive care and can be far more inconvenient for your dog companion.

2. Use Shampoos With Anti-Itch Properties

If our pet dog is allergic to regular cleaning products and constantly licks and chews his paws after grooming, we can use medicated shampoos with anti-itch properties.

It also keeps the skin of the dog from drying out. As a result, we can provide our dog with dog-friendly cleaning products.

3. Check For Previous Incisions

We must inspect our dog’s paws before grooming to see if the paw pad is cracked or cut.

If we take him to the groomer with such an incision, it will worsen, and our dog will lick it repeatedly to relieve the pain.

This causes the wound to widen, which can lead to bacterial infections. It is, therefore, more important to inspect your dog’s body and paws before grooming.

4. You Can Use A High-Quality Soothing Balm For Your Paws

Chewing on injured paws can worsen the situation, so it’s critical to help your dog cope with the symptoms while you investigate the root cause.

If the condition is not too serious, you can relieve his paw pain with a high-quality soothing balm. It automatically distracts the dog from obsessively licking and chewing his paws.

5. It Leaves The Toe Fur To Some Extent

If your dog licks and chews on his paws due to skin sensitivity after having the toe fur cut so short, have the dog grooming crew increase the number to one that leaves more hair on your dog and does not cut as short.

Should You Worry If Your Dog Licks/Chews Their Paws After A Grooming Session?

We naturally are concerned about our dogs when we notice even minor differences.

So, if we notice our dog licking and chewing his paws unusually after a grooming session, we get upset and wonder why he is doing so because we don’t want to hurt our beloved pet.

Sometimes the dog will lick or chew on his paw for no apparent reason. However, dogs licking their paws after grooming is more complex than we once thought.

There are several reasons why your dog may lick its paws. So we need to figure out why. Otherwise, consulting a veterinarian is the best option.

Getting help for whatever is causing your dog’s paw-nibbling behavior as soon as possible will make fixing it much easier.

You may need to change your usual grooming location at times. We cannot allow our beloved dog friend to become ill due to the grooming center’s chemicals and equipment.

Follow the bathing and rinsing instructions in the guidelines and tutorials if using a new shampoo or conditioner. Health concerns take precedence over all else.

Things To Be Aware Of

So far, you’ve learned why your dog licks and chews his paws obsessively after a grooming session and what you can do to treat him.

Although we have discussed many causes and treatments, a few things should cause concern. So let’s talk about them here.

If we notice our dog licking and chewing his paws before the licking behavior causes a hot spot or a skin infection between the toes, we should address it immediately.

Something will get caught in your dog’s paws and pads if you don’t keep them well-trimmed, no matter the time of year. You can reduce the risk of mats forming by trimming the hair between his pads. This will make walking the dog easier.

When grooming the dog, avoid using harsh chemicals or shampoo.

After a grooming session, always clean and dry the dog’s paws. Wet paws can cause infections, so our dogs lick and chew on their paws after grooming.

Conclusion

Correct grooming practices, diligence, and care can reduce or eliminate dogs licking and chewing their paws after grooming. If they occur frequently, the devices, treatments, or methods may need to be modified. After that, the habit of licking and chewing a grooming dog’s paws gradually fades.

You now have a lot of information on why dogs may be licking and chewing their paws after grooming, and how to avoid it. So, keep your dog safe and healthy. I hope to see you again on another important subject like this.