Dog with continuous licking behavior

by Kay
(Minnesota)

I have a one year old dog. She continuously licks the floor. Eats the grass outside and throws up. When she is in the house her tongue is always licking the floor. What is wrong with her?

She seems to be eating okay, once in a while she will have a diarrhea stool. Is this sign of liver damage and what can be done?




Hi Kay
It sounds to me as though your dog's constant licking is perhaps a behavioral issue rather than a medical one.

Excessive licking, if it's directed at the dog's own body, is often a sign of canine allergies however it doesn't sound as though your dog is licking at herself in this way.

Constant and inappropriate licking can be an obsessive/compulsive behavior, and although eating grass can happen when a dog has tummy troubles, but it can also be an obsessive behavior. The diarrhea could be stress related.

I would strongly suggest that you talk to your vet about this and have him give her a thorough check up to rule out any underlying health issues. If she's pronounced healthy, then you may want to look at ways to reduce her anxiety levels as this could improve her behavior issues.

There are many natural products on the market that can have a calming effect, you can find a good selection of these on my Dog Separation Anxiety Medication and Natural Health Products For Dogs pages.

Best of luck.