Dog Community

Licking

Aina

Posted : 9/7/2006 7:59:31 PM

Ok, my dog always seems to be licking something. It isn't always her skin, though she does sometimes. She will lay on my bed and just lick a part of the sheet until it is soaked, or she will lick my family. She especially likes to lick my dad. She will also randomly lick the air. She never chews on anything, just licks. She will not put anything in her mouth unless it is her toy(only sometimes) or her food. Licking isn't really a big problem, but it can sometimes be annoying when she is licking something and I am trying to get to sleep. Does anyone know what causes this or if it is just something she does? I can probably stop it when I want to go to sleep by using the 'leave it' command I guess. I am mostly wondering if I should be concerned about this or if it is like 'some dogs chew, Maggie licks instead.'

calliecritturs

Posted : 9/7/2006 9:22:59 PM

It tends to be habit and it can also be a precursor to obsession and even seizures. What to us can just seem like 'licking' can actually be compulsion and worse. IN honesty, I'd tell you to see a vet - likely a holistic vet.

The little peke we've been fostering (who is gonna STAY!! rah!) has been a compulsive licker -- and she IS very close to what's considered seizures. I started her with my holistic vet (who does acupuncture and Chinese medicine) and Dr. DiNatale has it *broken*! She put her on one herb in particular that has given Miss Kee Shu MUCH more clarity (she was quite the little space cadet honestly), and the licking and air licking has totally diminished. Dr. D picked up patterns to the licking that I honestly didn't get.

If you don't have a holistic vet (I'd hate to have a vet drug your dog for something like this and some vets will) then you might check [linkhttp://www.tcvm.com]http://www.tcvm.com[/link] -- I've had super good luck referring people thru the Chi Institute. There are other good acupuncturists but in order to be certified thru CI they have to be good.

luvmyswissy

Posted : 9/14/2006 9:36:22 PM

Is your pup a Maltese? My girlfriends 9 year old Maltese has been doing the same thing for years. We always joke and said he has OCD, but she never did anything about it with Vet. - I'm not sure she tought too. But she can get him to somewhat stop when she tells him too. Maybe its a breed thing but IMHO I always thought that maybe he was stressed about something but I don't live him so I don't know how often it really is. But he licks the sliding door or the air right in front of the doors. Her sheets too, sounds exactly the same.

RockyTop

Posted : 9/29/2006 3:08:54 PM

Wow! I'm relieved to hear that someone else's dog has a licking thing. My dog Rocky licks everything and everyone. He licks people, windows, the carpet, the blankets and sheets, etc. It seems like he does it when he's excited or bored. If he's licking but not excited, it seems like the licking calms him down although I could be interpreting that wrong. I'm curious about what the reasons for the licking might be.

Aina

Posted : 9/29/2006 3:33:11 PM

Maggie is a lhasa apso, so I think she is related to a malteese somehow.
Maggiw will stop when I tell her to, but if it was a sezure I wouldn't think she would be able to stop. Right now my mom is gone on a trip and Maggie is licking more. Watching her more closely I think it is partly stress related, and maybe part bordom.

espencer

Posted : 9/29/2006 5:18:59 PM

How often do you exercise your dog? your dog could be having energy acumulated and licking is a way to release that energy, if you dont take your dog out for at least one hour every day that is the answer