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Dog Guide |
Excessive Licking
Excessive licking can harm a dog or be a sign of medical problems such as hair loss and sore areas on its body. A dog may develop this persistent behavior due to many reasons:
Environment
Excessive licking can be a perfect natural self care behavior, because after doing lots of exercise in the countryside, the dog may lick its body over an over again to clean itself.
Another cause for excessive licking could be due to allergic reaction to various substances, ie. metals, rubber, wool, dyes, deodorisers, chemicals or plants. The dog tends to licks repeatedly especially the limbs in order to gain relief. Atopic Dermatitis can also occur due to reaction to pollen, mould spores or dust mites inhaled by the dog.
Acral Lick Dermatitis
This conditions occurs on pressure points, ie. lower joints of the legs and is found in dogs over six years old and mostly obese. This condition could lead to superficial staphylococcal infection and the wound is called a granuloma. Symptoms of Acral lick dermatitis can be itching, boredom, allergies and arthritis.
Psychological
Habitual licking is also caused by stress. Also, being attracted to a particular scent may cause a dog to lick repeatedly over a certain area, ie. dog shampoos, flea treatments, deodorisers, household cleaners etc.
Breaking the habit
You can break the habit of excessive licking, by increasing the time the dog spends outdoors and introducing lots of play, training & exercising into its daily workout. Obesity also could be a reason for them to lick through lethargy and boredom. A stuffed Kong, a rawhide chew or a fresh meaty bone may redirect it towards an object that can be licked or chewed without increasing the problem.
The sore areas on dog’s body caused by licking has to be lightly bandaged using an Elizabethan collar to prevent the dog removing it. In some cases the vet may prescribe drugs such as Chlomipranine hydrochloride which is an anti-depressant. |
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