Arthritis In Dog Arthritis Medication For Dog Arthritis

Arthritis In Dog Arthritis Medication For Dog Arthritis

Canine Licking - Why Is Your Dog Licking Everything?

Are you frustrated with canine licking?  If you have a dog licking everything in sight, including you, herself, and the carpet, you and your dog have a problem.  What causes this odd dog behavior?  And is there any way to stop dog licking?

Why Does A Dog Lick Everything?

Dogs lick for many reasons.  Dogs greet their owners and show their affection for them by licking them.  It's also a way of showing submission to the pack leader.  This is normal dog behavior. 

But sometimes dogs carry this to an extreme, either licking themselves until they develop bald spots, or engaging in excessive licking in dogs around their owners.  Other dogs lick the carpet, or furniture or other items.  These bad dog habits can be extremely frustrating, and even mystifying.

Any time a dog is licking herself enough to cause a bald spot or even a sore, she needs a trip to the vet.  Many problems can cause excessive canine licking, including fleas, allergies, arthritis, and skin irritations.  The more the dog licks, the more she itches, and the more she licks.  It becomes a vicious cycle, and your dog can develop a lick granuloma as a result. 

If your dog licks her paws after she eats, she could have a food allergy.  Try changing her diet.  Check the first four ingredients, and look for a food that doesn't have corn or meat by-products as one of them.  Check the protein source, too.  If chicken is listed in the first four ingredients, look for one that has lamb or beef instead.

Once medical causes are ruled out, you can assume it's a dog behavior problem.

Can You Stop Dog Licking?

Yes, you can, but you may have to play detective to figure out why your dog won't stop licking.  Often, excessive canine licking is due to anxiety.  The dog is licking herself to make herself feel better about something going on in her life.  It can quickly become obsessive compulsive behavior. 

Try to identify why your dog is anxious.  Is your dog left by herself for long hours every day?  It's possible that you need to be giving your dog more time and attention. 

Dogs also need at least an hour and a half of rousing exercise every day to use up all their pent-up energy.  If you don't have this much time to spend with your dog, you may want to consider hiring a dog walker during the day.  

Many owners inadvertently train their dogs to develop bad dog habits.  Be aware of when you give your dog the most attention.  Is it when she's doing something annoying, like licking herself or you or your furniture?  If so, you're reinforcing the behavior.  Dogs want your attention and will do whatever it takes to get it. 

Start giving her lots of attention when she's doing something you like.  When she starts to lick, say "no!" very firmly.  If she's licking you, turn away and ignore her for a couple of minutes.  If she's licking the furniture or carpet, redirect her with a toy.  With time and persistence, you can successfully train her to end this bad dog habit.

A Good Dog Obedience Course Can Work Wonders

You can see how easy it is to accidentally train your dog to do the exact opposite of what you want her to.  Avoid this problem by finding a good dog training course that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer. 

So go ahead...stop dog licking by taking the first step toward solving the problem of your dog licking everything in sight.

About the Author

Darlene Norris has worked at a vet clinic and an animal shelter, and has had lots of experience with dogs. If you want to stop dog licking, and solve other dog behavior problems, visit No More Bad Dogs at http://NoMoreBadDogs.com to learn about a dog training course that will work wonders!

Should we put our dog to sleep?

I have a husky that is 12 years old. She has had epilepsy her whole life having 3-4 seizures a month. In the past year her health deteriorated. Now her hip is so bad she can barley walk and can no longer go down stairs. When she goes down stairs, she usually has a seizure and we have to carry her up. My house has stairs leading outside and the dog can no longer go for walks without having a seizure and I cannot physically pick her up. She goes to the bathroom on our back deck b/c it has no stairs. We don't know what to do, we have tried pain medication and arthritis medication, but even with that she constantly has seizures if going on stairs. Our husky that died a few years ago had a similar problem and we watched her suffer severely. What should we do? look into putting her down or wait until she goes naturally? We feel she is too young to be put down but we don't know if it is better for her.

i know that its tough to loose a pet. its like loosing a family member but you have to think of what would be best for them. if it's in constant pain then maybe its time. but you'll know when it is really time. the same thing happened to my family and it got to the point where our dog just wasn't happy anymore because of the pain and we could tell. If the vet can't do anything for your dog then i would consider it. it's hard to loose them but i think it might be harder to watch them suffer. good luck with everything.

 

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Arthritis In Dog Arthritis Medication For Dog Arthritis

Tagged with: arthritis • deramaxx • dog • medicine • pet

Filed under: Dog Arthritis

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