Why are my dogs paws turning orange?

Dogs' paws turn orange because they lick them frequently. Dog saliva contains enzymes and chemicals that can turn light-colored fur into a brownish-orange color. This isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. However, excessive licking may be a symptom of health issues such as allergies.

What causes orange paws and mouth in dogs?

Seeing color changes in your dog’s fur may be something that causes concern in most pet owners. 

And if you’re one of them worried about your pup’s fur changing colors, you’re a good pet owner since you notice tiny things like these!

There are three major reasons why a dog’s hair color changes, and we’ll discuss them below.

It’s their fur’s natural color

We’ll start with the most obvious one - your pup’s fur is designed to have an orange-brownish color.

Dog breeds that have fur the tend to be in this color include:

• Vizsla.
• Leonberger.
• Kromfohrländer.

There are also canines that have white or cream-colored fur that will grow to have orange highlights in their paws and mouths. You can try and check if your dog’s dame and sire have the same fur pattern.

They drool a lot

As mentioned earlier, your dog’s saliva plays a huge role in making their fur turn into an orange-ish color. If your pup drools a lot, then there’s a chance that their fur will change in color.

Dogs that have brachycephalic features also tend to drool a lot. Canine breeds that belong to this group are as follows:

• Pug.
• Boxer.
• Bulldog.
• Bloodhound.
• Saint Bernard.
• Newfoundland.

They can’t control it! It’s just how their faces are structured, which is why if you’re a pet owner who receives sloppy kisses from your pup, there’s a chance that they also have orange-colored mouth and paws.

They have developed allergies

This one is closely related to your dog’s saliva, too.

When canines experience allergies, you’ll notice that they’re scratch and nib on their paws excessively.

Their extremities will most likely feel itchy all the time and to help them relieve this, they’ll scratch the itchy body parts with their legs or their teeth. When this happens, your pup’s saliva will be spread on the rest of their body.

Some of the most common allergens in dogs include:

• Soy.
• Eggs.
• Dairy.
• Chicken.
• Wheat gluten.

You'd need to check if your dog’s food has any of these ingredients. These may be the reason why your pup has been scratching their paws excessively, which can also lead to unnecessary wounds.

It’s also best to visit your vet to help determine if your dog really has allergies. They’ll be able to conduct tests to accurately pinpoint which foods your pup needs to avoid.