The Dog Health Problem Licking Excessively
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Every dog licks himself or herself, some more than others. This can irritate owners if it becomes excessive and persistent. The explanations for this problem are many as some reasons are health related and some may be physiological.
Different breeds of dogs lick because of the characteristics of the breed; others do it because they are frightened or have a health condition. Determining the reason can be time consuming for the dog owner, but a vet might find the reason quicker.
The Problem Licking is Biological
Female dogs lick their puppies to keep them clean and free from filth. When pups are born, the mother cleans them after birth and removes the film and body fluids that are common after birth. This also helps to arouse breathing in the newborn puppies. Another reason for the female to lick the newborns is to get the puppies to pass urine and feces. The puppies will sometimes lick the lips of the mother to persuade her to vomit so they can eat, this does not always happen if owners help with the care of the puppies.
Licking due to Psychological Reasons
Signs of stress or fatigue will cause a dog to lick excessively. If you compare human behavior to a dog’s behavior, you will see that people twirl their hair or something like that when they are bored or stressed and dogs lick themselves for the same reason, they only have this to do. Dogs react to different situations by licking and sometimes chewing on their paws or legs.
In some cases, excessive licking may result in other health problems such as dermatitis. Dogs make lick walls, floors, and anything they can find. Around this same line, some dogs eat fuzz off the floor as a way of expressing stress or displeasure. If you have ever seen a dog with hair or fuzz in their mouth and the continued mouth movement trying get it swallowed or out of the mouth is just as irritating as excessive licking. Treatment can only be given if there is an underlying health problem.
Some believe that behavior training corrects the problem, but punishment is not the answer. Rewarding the dog for not licking may take some time, but some dogs respond to this type of training to correct the licking problem. Some breeders believe in treats for curing excessive licking behavior.
If you notice any skin problems resulting from excessive licking, you need to contact a vet to correct any conditions arising from this behavior before a serious condition results. Some dogs will lick and lick until they have bald spots, this can cause other health complications such as dermatitis or skin infections if the lick the shin raw. The dog health problem licking condition may be something like adjusting the diet or providing a quiet room for the dog to get away from all the commotion that can cause stress. Either way, whether it is biological or psychological, your dog needs some kind of help.
November 14th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Another symptom that needs to be address if its happening is, your dog putting to much weight on either set of legs. If this is going on, it means a joint problem exists!
Get it checked out today!
November 26th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
One reason for female unspayed dog to lick at her vagina is that she could have vaginal infection which is called pyometra.Then she cleans the area to discharge the white things which is come out.
June 30th, 2010 at 5:05 am
There are plenty of reasons behind the dog licking himself/herself,some of them are it will lick its wound to get recover soon from it.It licks its skin and its puppies skin to keep away from bacteria and some contagious diseases like leprosy.dog may lick itself if it is getting itching on any part of the body.in summer season it will lick its whole body to stay cool in a hot sun light.The reasons you have given for dogs licking are agreeable.
Guruprasad´s last [type] ..Hello world-
July 9th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Licking anywhere on body is serious. I have a small puppy and have similar issue. (Self body in my case) Behavioral training as you said really makes sense.
Kim@hgh´s last [type] ..Body Building HGH
December 23rd, 2010 at 10:53 am
Almost every dog licks himself or herself at some time or another. This can irritate owners if it becomes excessive and persistent.
January 19th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Regular visit to vet. is necessary to avoid any problem with your pet’s health. It is important to maintain them healthy so they won’t transfer any diseases to human beings they usually interact with.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:17 am
Your dog might be feeling uncomfortable with himself/herself. As far as we all know, it’s an animal’s nature to act like that to let others know especially their owners about their problem.
March 21st, 2011 at 2:09 am
I too have a dog but I assume that this liking habit of his is normal and I must say that this is their way of cleaning themselves or maybe they have some issues within themselves that only veterinarians are capable of knowing what it is…
March 23rd, 2011 at 4:41 am
If dogs lick in a very unusual span of time then there is a problem. You might as well ask your veterinarian so you would know what is the real problem with your dog because he could not speak it out for sure.
March 25th, 2011 at 3:36 am
If this happens to my dog and I get annoyed watching him do all the liking, I will bring him instantly to a veterinarian near our house and let him go under observations.