Dog Compulsively Licking Floor

While a snack may temporarily help if it s caused by acid buildup it s important to find the exact cause and address the underlying problem.

Dog compulsively licking floor.

Fluffy keeps licking his body non stop. Excessive or compulsive licking is the repeated licking of an area on the body over and over until the skin or hair is gone. If you are trying to find out what is causing compulsive licking and scratching in dogs then continue reading. If your dog is licking abnormal places such as the floors or the walls or if your dog is licking his her lips frequently these can be a signs of gastrointestinal upset.

Among the most common causes for compulsive dog licking chewing or scratching behaviors are fleas ticks and mites. Dog licking floor obsessively dog licking behavior can be caused by a physical or mental illness. Many canines who lick compulsively do so from anxiety reasons there are also some underlying systemic causes which must be addressed to protect your pet. Symptoms of excessive licking in dogs.

Excessive licking can lead to the formation of hot spots or red raw spots where the skin and fur is now missing. Licking can also be a sign of nausea in some dogs. Compulsive licking in dogs can be indicative of various physiological as well as psychological causes. Excessive licking is the compulsive licking of any surface for a period of time which is longer than is needed for exploratory or investigative purposes.

So if your dog is licking the carpet floor fabric or walls consult with your vet especially if these episodes tend to reoccur or last for a long time. If your dog obsessively licks at one particular area of the floor and you re sure it has been cleaned of anything that might taste appealing to her she might be suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder also known as ocd. While many people mistakenly believe that ocd is a behavioral disorder and that dogs demonstrating this behavior just need to be more mentally stimulated it is actually a neurological disorder and will likely require medication to treat which is yet another reason to. Because this behavior is so difficult to treat it s important to determine the cause to most effectively treat the problem.

Once it becomes obsessive your pooch s floor licking is considered a stereotypy. Your dog may also obsessively scratch or chew at the spot. Possible reasons why your dog licks the floor are that there is food stuck there it likes the taste hunger thirst compulsive behavior illness anxiety or inadvertently rewarding the behavior. Since there are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been licking the floor it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely.

The origins of floor licking may be innocent enough your dog may have started it after meals when there were yummy crumbs on the floor but such purposeful licking isn t an obsessive or compulsive behavior.