Athlete’s foot can smell really bad and to a dog’s powerful sense of smell the pungent odour of infected flesh can be too much to resist for most dogs. Salty and sweaty feet which are often associated with athlete’s foot can be an extra dog licking attraction.
Foot fungus, athlete’s foot, call it what you want. Dogs seem to enjoy licking feet that have athlete’s foot.
Dogs may lick feet with athlete’s foot due to their natural instinct to groom and care for their owners.
However, this behaviour can also be attributed to the scent and taste of sweat and dead skin cells produced by the fungal infection.
Dogs have a keen sense of smell and taste, and they may be drawn to the unusual odour and taste of the infected area.
Additionally, the moisture and warmth of the affected foot may attract a dog’s attention.
While this behaviour is not harmful in itself, it’s important to address athlete’s foot promptly to prevent further discomfort and potential transmission of the fungus to your pet.
What if my dog licks my athlete’s foot?
It is highly unlikely that your dog will become ill from licking your athlete’s foot as, as you will know your dog gets his nose into lots of different things when he is out and about and there are many things that are a lot worse than athlete’s foot.
Which leads us to the main problem that your dog could make the infection in your foot worse.
If he has been licking or eating something that he should not have, such as rubbish, cat poo or something equally awful, then he could infect your foot with something nasty.
The risk to your dog is minimal but you could end up with a nasty infection.
Is it bad for dogs to lick your feet?
Licking is a normal activity for dogs to do, they groom themselves and members of their ‘pack’ or family by licking and your dog licking your feet is a normal and pleasant activity for him.
It is not normally bad for your dog to lick your feet as long as your feet are clean and do not have any unpleasant oils or other ‘foot treatments’ on them.
If your feet have anything on them that could be dangerous to your dog then you should not let him lick them.
Why is my dog obsessed with my feet?
There are many reasons for dogs to lick with some people saying that it is a sign of submissiveness and others saying that it is a sign of worry, but, my personal view which is shared by others, is that he just likes doing it as he knows he gets a reaction from you.
Some dogs lick more when they are anxious. Perhaps there has been a change or the dog hasn’t seen you for a while, if so then licking can be a sign of anxiety. It is often accompanied by panting and signs of restlessness.
If you thing that your dog is anxious then this article on doghealth.com will help you to calm your dog down and deal with his anxiety.
Can a dog get athlete’s foot?
Dogs can get their own version of athlete’s foot in the form of ringworm.
The difference is that this can appear anywhere on a dog’s body and is not restricted to the paws.
Ringworm normally shows as raised red areas that are swollen and sore and generally result in loss of hair and sometimes infection.
If your dog gets this type of infection, which is a fungal disease, then you will need to take him to the vet’s as it generally needs treatment with special anti fungal cream and medicated shampoo.
Can a dog licking cure athlete’s foot?
There are some people who claim that dogs licking their feet can and have cured athletet’s foot and regular licking will clean wounds and remove dirt.
There are far better ways to deal with athlete’s foot however and using powder or cream would be a better option than your dog’s tongue which could make your infection worse.
Dogs lick feet with athlete’s foot because they enjoy doing it.
It most likely tastes salty and sweaty and, being the type of animals that they are, this smelly stuff will be appealing.
If you have athlete’s foot though, using your dog as a cure is probably not the best option.
Far better to use a proper cream or powder to get rid of it.
