My Dog Just Wants To Lick

Hi Dr Renee,

My question:

I recently adopted a 1 year old female dog, (an Australian Cattle Dog) about 4 months ago.  She’s awesome (!!!) in most every way, except for one thing that is really worrisome and frustrating.  She licks! …not just herself but just about everything including things like the cat (he’s not thrilled), walls, floor, fabric, wood, and me, my skin and clothes!

As far as her history, she was quite underweight and has gained about 12 pounds to be at her current weight. I am trying to feed her a well balanced diet (Acana and Orejen).  She was spayed, vaccinated and treated for kennel cough at the shelter before I adopted her.  When I brought her home, I took her to my vet for a general check, (no additional vaccines).

Why is she doing this? and what can I do to change that behavior?

Thanks!

Hello!

Congratulations on the new family member (and thank you for adopting an older puppy!) It sounds like she has been through some pretty big changes in her life.  Change, even positive change, can be very stressful when a lot happens all at once.  A big surgery (spay), vaccines, an illness (kennel cough), a new home, new family, new kitty friend, new food, sudden weight gain-wow!  That would stress out even the most mild-mannered dog-or human!

Just like when humans get stressed and may develop some stress-related compulsions (think about people who chew their nails, for example) stressed dogs can also show some strange behaviors…and your Cattle Dog may be doing just that.  Certain breeds of dogs are on the “list” for being more likely to exhibit stress-related obsessive behaviors like licking, and Australian Cattle Dogs are on this list, along with German Shepherd Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, English Bull Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers.

Now, that being said, stress is just one of the possible reasons for this strange licking behavior in your new friend.  It is important to differentiate if the cause is due to a behavioral reason or an underlying medical reason, especially if the frequency or severity of the problem is getting worse, or if your dog is starting to ingest some of the things she is licking-like the fibers of the carpet, some of the wood or toys or clothes.  That could result in a gastric or intestinal obstruction and could require surgery-ugh!

Here is a list of some of the medical reasons for excessive licking of “things” (I am excluding licking on parts of her own body because that is an entirely different issue.)

*nausea caused by gut discomfort of any cause

*dental or mouth pain

*hormonal or endocrine diseases such as Cushing’s disease

*appetite problems

*brain disorders such as tumors, seizures or canine cognitive dysfunction

*attention seeking behaviors (just like our non-furry kids!)

*anxiety or frustration

*boredom/lack of mental or physical stimulation

So you can see that the causes can vary from mildly annoying to significant or life-threatening.  An accurate diagnosis will require you to be very precise in your description of when/where/how often/what she licks, what age she started, her breed, and any other info you can collect about the behavior, as well as good history taking skills and patience on the part of your veterinarian and yourself.  If the cause is determined to be primarily behavioral, treatment might not be needed, but might include exercise/mental stimulation as well as medication trials in some situations.  Medication alone is unlikely to be helpful without the behavioral changes in these cases.  Of course, if a medical/physical reason is found for the licking, this can be treated/managed with the help of your veterinarian or veterinary specialists.

Many owners think this licking behavior is just a kind of quirky thing their dog does and don’t even think to ask about it.  Good for you for recognizing that it really isn’t normal.  Next time you guys see your veterinarian, be sure to bring this up and see what they think.

Again, congratulations on the new family member!

Peace,

Dr. Renee