Here's how to lick the problem of your dog's poor paw health?

This week I saw Doris, a five-year-old short-haired dachshund who suddenly did not want to walk. She had a syndrome called pododermatitis - inflammation of the skin covering the feet, including between the toes.

As with many conditions, the severity of pododermatitis varies from very mild (dogs may lick occasionally) to severe (dogs unable to weight-bear on their feet).

Pododermatitis is not a diagnosis but a description of the clinical signs. Those signs include inflammation of the skin, footpads, nail beds, nails or a combination of these.

A red-brown discolouration of the fur is common, and may be accompanied by a musty or yeasty smell. Some dogs will have cysts or nodules between their toes, and some will have a smelly discharge.

If you share a bedroom with a dog with the condition, you may be kept awake by them furiously licking their feet through the night.

The problem is that licking tends to exacerbate the condition, contributing to a moist, humid environment between the toes, increasing inflammation and promoting growth of bacteria and yeasts.

There are multiple possible causes of pododermatitis. The most common is allergies. These include allergies to environmental allergens, when dogs have direct contact with grasses. But it also includes food allergies.

Environmental allergies often have a seasonal component. We tend to see many more dogs with allergies in the warmer months.

Other potential causes of pododermatitis include certain mites such as demodex, foreign bodies (this can include grass seeds, and often hairs, particularly in short-coated breeds like staffies and dachshunds), bacterial or fungal infections.

Dogs with orthopaedic conditions that affect weight-bearing on the feet, including osteoarthritis, are at an increased risk of pododermatitis. The key when treating the condition is to treat the underlying cause.

Treatment with medications that target allergies is often required. This may include the injection of a monoclonal antibody, or a course of tablets designed to control allergic skin disease. Additional pain relief may be required.

In some cases, dogs are so sore that we need to anaesthetise them to clean and treat their paws.

The use of an appropriate medicated shampoo is often warranted, and may be needed several times per week until signs settle down. It is important to use a veterinary shampoo and not one designed for humans, as these can cause irritation and worsen the condition.

Similarly, do not apply human antiseptics as some popular formulations contain phenols which can burn a dog's skin (and their mouth when they inevitably lick it off).

Dogs with food hypersensitivities may require a novel-protein diet. The decision about what to feed should be made with your veterinarian, as this depends on factors that vary from dog to dog.

If not treated well, pododermatitis can become chronic, leading to permanent changes in the skin of the feet which predispose it to ongoing or repeat inflammation and secondary infection. It also helps to check your dog's feet regularly and see your vet if its feet look red or sore.