A few days ago Kipawa started licking his left front foot pad. I checked it over and couldn't see anything. This morning I caught him licking it more vigorously. I checked again. The white hairs around the foot pad are red. I'm assuming blood staining - I can smell blood smell. I still can't see anything poking his foot pad. He walks, moves, runs fine. We have a vet appointment for 1:30 p.m.
Kipawa has been out a lot lately. Practice running at the lure course (damp grass) and also at a huge fenced dog park (recently cut grass). But he also runs on the dike, which is packed pea gravel, and on cement. He's an 'all surface' dog. The huge fenced dog park is near some high voltage power lines. Any time I'm there, I shock people when I touch them. I touched Kipawa a few times afterwards, in the back in the van. He yelped. Is it possible I transferred the electricity down into his foot, causing a burn?
Before we hit the vet, any ideas/help appreciated. I'm now officially in the dog house with him because I'm putting tea tree oil around the area to stop him from licking it. Usually he sits with me when I'm doing computer things. Not this morning. 
When you hike in wild areas, it's sure possible to get a cut or pick up a thorn. Perry had a minor cut on a pad a few weeks ago. Not limping, but licking it a lot. I put a boot on him when we went outside for the next few days and discouraged the licking, and it healed up just fine. But if you can't see what the problem is, perhaps a vet check is a good idea.
Might he have gotten his pad irritated by a nettle or other 'sharp' grass? Or a stone-bruise that is tender=licking=red and moist?
My guys are repulsed by tea tree oil (and also get angry with me for using it)so it is a good deterrent. Let us know what the vet says!
Well, we're back from the vet. Nothing stuck in any of Kipawa's foot pads. She thought that something poked or irritated his foot - could be a bee/wasp/spider sting, nettle sting (bang on, Anne!) or other type of pokey vegetation, little piece of wood, or yes, even an electrical shock/burn. 
Whatever it was, it aggravated Kipawa’s paw enough to make him start licking it. Then the licking goes beyond being beneficial and it creates a problem. And then he would lick at it more and more to try to make it better.
At first she was going to put a bandage on it, but I told her he would have that off in 10 seconds. He's a nibbler/chewer. She said that area just needs to be left alone. So unfortunately, Kipawa is now wearing the 'cone of shame'. He’ll wear it for a while until the paw looks better. Then while I was paying, Kipawa managed to get the cone off! Very cleverly,using his other paw to hold the cone a certain way, he pulled it off his head. The cone is now secured to his collar with gauze. It isn't going anywhere now.
So, our instructions are to: 1. Bathe the foot daily in a solution she gave us. 2. Apply a little anti-fungal/anti-bacterial gel on the foot pad.
3. Walk only on soft grass. 4. Keep the cone of shame on until we see improvement. Then it can come off, at which time after walks we need to see if he starts licking again. If so, the cone goes back on for a bit longer.
We were also given (free) a generous sample of a spray that tastes horrible, similar to the bitter apple concept. I was told to make sure I don’t inhale it while I spray it on Kipawa’s foot because that’s all I'll taste all day.
Oh my poor little man. But at least it isn't anything ultra serious.
Thanks to all of you who left a comment. Greatly appreciated. 
A tip for toughening up your Basenji's paw pads for hiking in the woods is to paint the pads with "Friar's Balsam" (tincture of benzoin).
Do that everyday to start with, then only to maintain. My vet told me that years ago; she did it for her coursing Greyhounds.
Glad it was nothing serious…annoying for Kipawa, but not serious!
