My golden retriever licks his paws, to the point where the skin gets irritated and red....?

My wife used to be a manager of a pet food supply company, before we retired and moved to Florida. She was trained for these situations, to offer help to their customers. Your wonderful dog's feet come in contact with the gr which sets off an allergic reaction that causes a itching sensation. The licking is a futile attemp to remove the cause and get some relief. As you know it compounds the problem by removing any oil that could act as protection for her and makes the feet raw. Unfortunately, my wife's experience dictates only shots from the vet will counter the itching. She has tried and opened communication with her customers and was not able to find a over the counter substitute that would work. Depending on your location the winter cold causes the gr to go dormant and should give her some relief soon.