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Tuesday 21 January 2014

Force of habit?

Has anyone heard of excessive licking of surfaces (carpet and sofa in Scamp's case) being tied to GI issues?

I read it recently, so am trialling Scamp on four meals instead of two, as he is definitely worse at licking after he eats, something I hadn't put together before.

Wondering if I should have a vet visit, but didn't want to sound stupid. After all this time it might be a habit.

Mina Ward, via Facebook

5 comments:

  1. My 11yr old female boxer has been licking surfaces too. Mainly cushions and pillows, anything fabric. She has inflammatory bowel disease which was diagnosed when she was about 3yrs old but has only been licking over the past few months. Does seem worse when she has an episode of bowel spasms. GI problems could be linked as none of my other dogs do it.

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  2. Sorry I can't be much help, but just to let you know yours isn't the only one! My little rescue Jock does still occasionally still do this. It seems to be when he is annoyed or stressed out and his tummy is upset. Just a bit of fussing and snacking on grass seems to sort it out. Not much help I know but I wait to see what everyone suggests.

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  3. Ruby does the same, she did it first when she was about two and as I had had a dog with bloat/torsion in the past I immediately took her to the vet as symptoms were very similar, desperate to eat grass if she cant get out will lick the carpet. By the time we were in the vet she was ok. She gulps her food so I think she takes in air and the gets a pain so I have started feeding her by hand which is much slower.

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  4. One of my dogs (Beagle) does this on occasions always at night frantically licking the carpets, this wakens me thankfully, as once he has a fur ball in his stomach he is sick the only way to break this is to give him pieces of bread and skimmed milk. I think he hoovers the carpets (as there is no grass available) to make himself sick but once sick and bread eaten he is fine for a few months

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  5. Dogs lick because it is pleasurable to do so, it produces happy chemicals like endorphins in their brains. When a dog licks obsessively and inappropriately like on walls, furniture and even on their own bodies this can be a sign that they are unhappy, depressed or unwell and they are just trying to calm themselves down. A vet visit is always the first port of call to find out if there are underlying physical problems, then a qualified behaviourist can look at your dog's daily life and behaviour to help them through.

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