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    dunno's Avatar
    dunno Posts: 160, Reputation: 19
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    #1

    Jun 18, 2007, 02:11 PM
    Dog chews her toes
    Lately I've noticed that my female dog has started chewing on her toes. She acts like they itch. She hasn't rubbed off any fur or anything. There are no sores or anything like that but she chews on them a lot. Anyone have any ideas?
    rankrank55's Avatar
    rankrank55 Posts: 1,259, Reputation: 177
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    #2

    Jun 18, 2007, 02:24 PM
    That's so funny, my little dog (profile pic) does the same thing. She will chew on her little toes so that it sounds like she is crunching on her nails. She doesn't do any damage to herself so we just let it be and consider it to be cheap entertainment. I'm not sure why they do this... maybe labman will have some answers for us!
    dunno's Avatar
    dunno Posts: 160, Reputation: 19
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    #3

    Jun 18, 2007, 02:28 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by rankrank55
    That's so funny, my little dog (profile pic) does the same thing. She will chew on her little toes so that it sounds like she is crunching on her nails. She doesn't do any damage to herself so we just let it be and consider it to be cheap entertainment. I'm not sure why they do this...maybe labman will have some answers for us!

    Is she a rat terrier?
    rankrank55's Avatar
    rankrank55 Posts: 1,259, Reputation: 177
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    #4

    Jun 18, 2007, 02:39 PM
    No, lol, she is a tiny little Chihuahua(has markings like a rat terrier though)!
    dunno's Avatar
    dunno Posts: 160, Reputation: 19
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    #5

    Jun 18, 2007, 03:01 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by rankrank55
    No, lol, she is a tiny little Chihuahua(has markings like a rat terrier though)!
    Haha... it's hard to tell on these little pictures!

    Mine is half rat terrier, half wolf... I thought maybe it was an issue that rat terriers had! Lol Guess not.

    I didn't really think much of it until today when she was doing it. I then realized how often she had been doing this!
    dunno's Avatar
    dunno Posts: 160, Reputation: 19
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    #6

    Jun 18, 2007, 03:16 PM
    There! I put a pic of the little toe chewer as my profile picture. Lol
    rankrank55's Avatar
    rankrank55 Posts: 1,259, Reputation: 177
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    #7

    Jun 18, 2007, 03:20 PM
    Ahh, your toe chewer is very CUTE! A wolf/rat terrier mix you say? Very interesting combo!
    labman's Avatar
    labman Posts: 10,580, Reputation: 551
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    #8

    Jun 18, 2007, 03:34 PM
    The licking can become a real problem, losing the hair and even the skin. Why? My old Lab licks her one toe because of arthritis. Pain killers help. If she is older try giving her some buffered aspirin, real aspirin not the modern stuff. Give her 5 mg per pound of body weight every 8 hours. You may want to start with baby aspirin for the smaller dose. If it stops or slows down, the vet has better stuff.

    If it is allergies, some Benadryl may help, up to 2 mg per pound every 8 hours. This is sort of an exception to my usual not suggesting medicating your own dog. If neither of those help, it may be boredom. If possible, spend more time with her, walks, fetch. or you could get into agility or other competitions. What does she do all day? She might be too busy to lick her paw if you put her in a doggy day care.
    bushg's Avatar
    bushg Posts: 3,433, Reputation: 596
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    #9

    Jun 18, 2007, 03:46 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by dunno
    Lately I've noticed that my female dog has started chewing on her toes. She acts like they itch. She hasn't rubbed off any fur or anything. There are no sores or anything like that but she chews on them a lot. Anyone have any ideas?
    I have a rat terrier/ chiuaui mix (Giz) that never chews on his toes , he is very active and plays all the time with whoever will toss a toy. He looks like ranks dog. I do have a pom mix (Nika),that bites her toe nails,she also likes to chew on rawhides, and washcloths she is not as active and only plays once or twice a day with giz. We go on daily walks and car rides. She has not damaged her toes so far nor does it to excess and seems to get enjoyment from it so I leave her alone. :)
    dunno's Avatar
    dunno Posts: 160, Reputation: 19
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    #10

    Jun 18, 2007, 04:02 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by labman
    The licking can become a real problem, losing the hair and even the skin. Why? My old Lab licks her one toe because of arthritis. Pain killers help. If she is older try giving her some buffered aspirin, real aspirin not the modern stuff.

    She's just about to turn 2 years old. Her and my other dog are left alone during the day since both me and my fiance' work. I go home for lunch and take them on walks. They also get walks in the evenings. I have thought about taking her to agility classes. She's the fastest dog I've ever seen and is pretty smart. I can't afford Doggy day care right now. (We've had a huge custody battle that has lasted a few years and we're broke now!)

    I have an old friend that teaches dog obedience and agility classes. I think I'll take her there and she what she thinks!

    And to whoever asked... yes she has a tail. A very long one! Lol

    Yes she's a weird combination. Her and her litter mates were an accident. A friend of ours had a female rat terrier and a friend of theirs brought over their wolf. No one thought the two of them would "get together". Lol
    LuvMyMaltipoo's Avatar
    LuvMyMaltipoo Posts: 281, Reputation: 39
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    #11

    Jun 18, 2007, 08:33 PM
    My puppy has done this two separate times. The first time it was because there was a small bur stuck in her foot that I was unable to see. I asked about it at the Vet when she got her shots and he found the bur.

    She stopped for a little bit and then after her first trip to get groomed she started doing it again. I think she finally realized she had toenails then and thought she needed to get rid of them... kind of like the first time she noticed her tail. Finally, she learned those are SUPPOSED to be there and she's left them alone.

    I'd just let it go for a little bit. Maybe your pup will get bored with it as mine did.
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