My licking dog...

[MissChatty]

Hey,
My dog is a 3 year old Westie... and just in the last month he has started to continually lick his paws/tummy... then if he is on the sofa...he licks the cushions or the back of the sofa...and he has began to lick peoples legs etc when they visit?!?! And he has also started licking his nose....but not always touching his nose...its as if he's poking his tongue in and out!HA!
Any ideas to why he has started this...and any ways i can try and prevent this?
thank you x

[starrystarry]

My dog licks when he's thirsty. He'll lick anything, cupboard doors, carpets, plant pots etc. I know his water bowl needs re-filling when he starts licking things. I think he's trying to create saliva by licking. I'd talk to your vet though, might be something more significant.

[lankeela]

Sounds like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which you will find lots of info on if you google. Some dogs chase their tails, others catch imaginary flies and many lick constantly.
Distraction is a useful method, call him for a game or a fuss when he is doing it, and try to make sure the dog has plenty of exercise so he is tired when he comes home, and make sure he has things to chew or play with. Try the treat balls filled with goodies.

[showcatbenga]

Maybe he has some kind of irritation in his mouth? Or it started as a skin reaction to grass or something & then became OCD like Lankeela says.

[josaphine32]

i have 2 westies and one of them likes there feet all day long, what are you feeding him? you need to get him on a hypoallergic diet, it will take six weeks to see an improvement, but it does work if he is really licking his feet/tummy and there is fur loss or red stained due to red yeast you can give him half a piriton a day which helps with the compolsive licking, my molly is naughty cos even though she is on a strict no wheat/gluten/cereal diet, she will find some of next doors cat pooh.........what do you do with them!!!

[MissChatty]

Josephine...thank you for your excellent response.... So what do you feed your westies? He is on a dry biscuit (cant think of the name!!) but it is wheat free, soya free... we had a blood test done on him and he has an allergy to Soyabean, dust mites and beef!
I give him a small amount of meat (chicken flavour) with his breakfast, then he just gets biscuit for dinner...
I havent heard of giving him piriton...is this safe??!! sounds like a good idea to me...and do you just buy piriton from the chemist?!!? thanks very much again...... X

[josaphine32]

Hi Misschatty,
I had problems with molly for 5 years or more with extra licking, and little sores on her feet where she kept licking it, but she would also rub her back against the fence and like the air at the same time..., I give mine wainwrights hypoallergenic �20.00 for a huge bag it lasts for ages, they also have a tin of pilchards in tomato sauce mixed in with there biscuits its really good for there digestive system and gives there coat a nice shine, and they love it,.....as a treat they get carrots, bananas,....we stay well away from anything with wheat and cereal, Piriton is excellent because your dog is allergic to dust mites and you cant really avoid dust mites but i would speak to your vets first,
i give mine 1/2 to 1 tablet not everyday but depending on how she is It takes the edge off the itchiness and she is so much happier, also if she did get little sores on her i was told (vet) to use germaline but that is depending on how sore it is
hope this helps
jo