constant licking

[bobosco]

I have an 8month old Rotty. Lately he has been licking everything in sight. The sofa, table, my pants, the cabinets. Who knows what else. A couple of times I have seen some kind of foam around his mouth. His behavior is otherwise normal. Any idea what could be going on?

[Ghilly]

I am very glad to hear that you discovered the problem and resolved it.  :)

Ghilly

[bobosco]

I stopped at the Vets, and it seems that the sap that was stuck to his neck (I didn't think to mention it because I didn't think it was related) was causing him to lick at everything because he couldn't reach it. I used peanut butter to get it off. So far the licking has stopped.

[booksneedlove2]

My lil dog, a black Chiweenie---Chihuahua/dachshund  licks.  Almost like he's suckling as he comforts himself to sleep.  He likes to be licking me or his Daddy...until he falls out! We were wondering if anyone had a dog that did this or this part of our dogs weird personality (possibly being weaned a bit too soon...) ?  He usually only licks when he is trying to settle down.  And it is overwhelming to us because he can't be distracted from it.  Our dog does chew on his chew toys.  But his temperament is very timid and anxiety ridden when say an unfamiliar person comes into our house.  He is very nervous about them.  We've tried to stop or disrupt his behavior but he is very persistent.  He sleeps with us and derives a lot of comfort from it.  We have wondered if like in cats he was taken away too young or something.  The time he licks the most is right before he goes to sleep.  As if he's comforting himself.

[Ghilly]

Is this a new behavior or has he always done this to some extent?

Does he also chew things or does he simply lick everything?

If he chews things up, you have to first determine if the licking is due to a disorder called Pica, where an animal or human constantly ingests non-food items, or whether it is being done due to an underlying medical condition (seizure activity can manifest as licking), or whether it is because he is nauseous.  Nausea can cause dogs to lick excessively.

In some dogs, excessive licking is a sign of an obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Anxiety and frustration stemming from a lack of exercise can also lead to excessive licking.  It can also be familial.  Is there a way you can contact the person who bred your dog to see if any of the dogs in his bloodline have also been compulsive lickers?  

Have any medications been prescribed lately that could account for nausea?  Any antibiotics or even supplements or vitamins?

Can the behavior be interrupted?  If so, how long does it take him to return to licking after you stop him?

Ghilly