# Nail Biting/Allergies



## KaiserTheV (Feb 9, 2013)

My wife and I have a Vizsla, Kaiser. 
We have noticed him chewing his nails quite frequently and we are wondering what could be the cause of it. We have thoroughly checked over all 4 feet and all seem normal. His claws get cut at least once a week, he gets plenty exercise, brain stimulation, and has many toys that he can chew on. 
We have only had him for a couple months (he is 3 1/2 yrs old) and do not know what food he was on before, he is on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon. We want him on raw but he has no interest, so we are thinking of switching him to Tast of the Wild. 
He has been to the vet when we first adopted him but hasn't been since. 
He does have nervous/fear aggression when meeting new dogs due to being unsocialized. Other then that he is a very confident and happy dog.
He tends to bite his nails when he comes in from running but he does do it out of the blue sometimes. I do a thorough check on him before and after his run, nothing out of the ordinary with his nails. 
We have started to cone him when he bites, should we continue that or leave him to do it until we figure out what is causing it. 
Any help would be appreciated, I have never seen a dog do this before.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Vizslas are cat like in the way they groom themselves. If he is not causing any damage to the nails or toes, I would let him continue to groom his nails.


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

Elza regularly chews her nails. First I thought the same that she might have some irritation but now I know it's just the way she grooms her paws/nails. She doesn't damage them at all so I guess she doesn't chew on them hard. 
First time she did it I freaked out a bit. It sort of looked like she was chasing invisible bugs in the air with her paws, waving in front of her 'face' first then eventually she would start to chew on her nails... It's quite funny actually now that I'm used to it! ;D


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## KaiserTheV (Feb 9, 2013)

Perfect thanks! 
I will bring it up at his next vet visit but for now I will let him chew his nails.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

You might also want to consider trimming their paw pads. The fur under the pad causes a lot of discomfort during winter what with salt and everything.

We use small clippers specially designed for dog fur. 


This site has more info
http://www.animalbehaviorcollege.com/grooming/pdf/gipsneakpeeksage4.pdf

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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

You might also watch the length of time he spends chewing on them. When Savannah's grooming time goes from normal to excessive, I soak her paws in warm water (usually one at a time to keep the mess under control) once a day for a few days until her grooming goes back to normal.


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## Emily1970 (Apr 21, 2011)

Chuck was trying to chew his nails down to nubs. Took him to the vet and there wasn't any issues. We started giving him fish oil for nail health and just watch him so he doesn't do it excessively. He spends hour upon hour grooming and this is just a part of his routine.


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