When pets start licking the floor, owners at first just laugh.
They think it looks funny and even worthy of taking pictures or making videos. But in fact, such behavior should alarm the dog owner, because most likely it indicates a disease. If your pet is licking the ground, this may indicate a serious illness.
Why does a dog lick the floor: reasons
Most often, attacks occur in the following circumstances:
- 30-60 minutes after the walk;
- after eating;
- while walking outside, the dog may start licking everything on the ground;
- after punishment, loud beeps, rudely given commands and other stressful situations.
With the above symptoms, a strong attack of nausea or a nervous reaction can be considered the clear cause of the behavior.
For example, gastritis leads to such attacks. Inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach occurs, which is accompanied by a coating on the tongue, diarrhea, refusal to eat, rapid weight loss, and deterioration of the hair and skin.
Dehydration
Owners not only need to monitor the correct diet of the pet, but also provide it with constant access to clean water, especially when feeding it with ready-made food. If your dog doesn't drink enough water, it will lead to dehydration. The animal tries in every possible way to obtain the missing moisture.
Situations where a dog licks condensation on a window, a just washed floor, or objects that do not contain moisture at all should alert the owners. In such cases, it is necessary to check whether the dog is provided with sufficient water. Dehydration can seriously harm your pet's health, so make sure your water bowl is always full.
Negative effects of excessive licking
Dog tongue, known for its healing powers, does help heal wounds in some cases, but it can also cause more harm. As a result of constant licking, the hair begins to fall out, then the top layer of skin is licked off. A local inflammatory process develops, the temperature rises, and swelling appears. All that remains is to add moisture from the tongue and obtain ideal conditions for the development of fungus and bacteria. They cause a secondary infection, which can spread from the original site to another (spread by the same language) and even become systemic. The inflamed areas become chronic and are called granulomas. Over time, they can lead to a wound that stops healing.
Why do dogs sometimes lick the carpet, sofa and choke, what to do in this case
If your dog licks the carpet because something was spilled or dropped on it, there is nothing wrong with it. After all, dogs have a keen sense of smell and can sense a delicious aroma even several days after they dropped something on the carpet. In this case, such behavior will not bring anything terrible to the animal.
Sometimes the pet deliberately tries to induce vomiting in a row, this is accompanied by anxiety. Many dog breeders know why dogs chew grass in the summer, but in winter they are left to lick the carpet and upholstered furniture in the house. This is necessary to artificially irritate the vomiting center. In most cases, this is due to the presence of foreign objects in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Attention! There are times when dogs try to fight the heaviness in their stomachs after overeating.
Carpet is an excellent replacement for grass in winter
Attractive aroma from things
The most important sense organ in dogs is smell. If a person perceives most of the information about the world around him visually, then dogs need to smell or taste for this. They are acutely aware of aromas that people may not notice at all. If a person or things smell like something pleasant, then this will attract the animal’s attention; he will not only actively sniff, but also lick, trying to taste this or that object. If the aroma is unpleasant, then the dog can also lick this object to get rid of such a smell.
Prevention/solution
The type of treatment your dog receives for wall licking and sniffing will depend on the cause of the behavior. Neurological and medical causes will require veterinary treatment, while OCD and stress may require behavior training. As Royal Canin notes, pica (the consumption of non-edible substances) can indicate depression in a dog. Providing your pet with adequate space, stimulation, toys and exercise can help with behavioral problems.
Why can a dog lick concrete?
If a dog tries to lick concrete, it is worth changing the usual vitamin and mineral supplements to those that contain an increased amount of calcium and phosphorus. After all, without phosphorus, calcium cannot be absorbed, even when it enters the body in sufficient quantities.
As an emergency measure, you can give the animal medications containing calcium lactate for 1-2 weeks. Hypocalcemia may increase during pregnancy, lactation, growth, recovery from injuries and fractures.
Lethargy and drowsiness can sometimes be accompanied by a deterioration in the health and quality of the coat, and peeling of the skin. Also, do not forget that for dogs this can be signs of a disease caused by iodine deficiency. Since this is quite dangerous, it is worth paying special attention to this. For treatment, it is advisable to consult with a specialist and take the prescribed dosages of preparations with seaweed.
Licking concrete is a sign of iodine deficiency in the body
When to sound the alarm
To determine the disease that caused the vomiting, you need to conduct an external examination. You should be concerned if you notice an uncharacteristic smell from the mouth:
- Ammonia or urea, which is a sign of kidney failure. A sharp manifestation may indicate heavy metal poisoning.
- The smell of acetone, which may be a sign of diabetes.
- Putrid odor, indicating diseases of the intestines or oral cavity.
Typically, these dog health problems are chronic and should be treated by a veterinarian. He performs a full range of diagnostic measures, prescribes treatment and the right diet.
Obsessive licking of the carpet and/or floor covering also occurs in other diseases:
- Stomach upsets. To solve it, you should let the dog starve and change the diet.
- If the dog begins to lick the carpet pile in fits, against the background of poor appetite, this indicates signs of chronic recurrent gastritis or ulcers.
- Incorrect amount of food consumed. Food that has not had time to digest wanders through the stomach and is excreted back. Usually, after vomiting in such cases, the dog can feel good and cheerful.
- Aggressive reproduction of worms entering the stomach.
Cleansing the stomach as a natural process
Experienced dog owners know that their dog loves to chew grass and regurgitate it while walking. They take this calmly, since such a procedure for cleaning the stomach is a natural need of the animal. Similar to this is carpet licking, which aims to collect obstructive deposits in the stomach on the swallowed cake and get rid of them.
An experienced dog breeder will not attach any importance to this if such attacks of personal hygiene are not chronic and obsessive in nature and occur no more than once or twice a week. If a dog constantly licks the carpet pile and eats grass, this indicates excessive secretion of bile and its entry into the stomach. This means that the owner overdid it with fatty foods for his pet. Associated signs of improper feeding are soft stools and rapid greasy fur.
An attentive owner has a healthy dog
If a dog licks fur or eats grass, it should regurgitate what has entered its stomach. If the vomit contains no blood or worms, and the dog feels cheerful after such a procedure and does not have a fever (cold wet nose), then this is not a reason to panic. The main thing is unobtrusiveness and frequency. In this case, you can play it safe and put the dog on a diet (take a break from feeding) and observe the dynamics of his behavior. The life and health of pets depends on the attentiveness of the owner!
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What should the owner do?
The algorithm of actions depends on the cause of the unwanted behavior. In almost all cases, the owner can cope with the problem on his own.
Weaning off a bad habit
Elimination of provoking factors and proper education will help wean one from a bad habit. When choosing a tactic of struggle, start from the reason:
- Lack of vitamins
. Add porous bones, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and bone meal, ash, crushed chalk and a sufficient amount of raw meat with boiled offal to the menu. The use of ready-made vitamin complexes is permissible only after testing. If you use ready-made food, gradually change the brand.
- To attract attention
. Try to devote all your free time to your pet and do not leave him alone while you are on vacation or a business trip. At this time, it is better to give the dog to relatives or friends.
- Boredom
. Walk your four-legged dog at least 2 times a day and diversify your walks with active games or exercises. When choosing a training program, take into account the breed characteristics. A collection of interactive toys wouldn't hurt either.
- Stress
. Be patient and let your dog get used to the new environment. Pet her only after she stops licking the floor. Otherwise, stroking and hugging will be perceived as approval.
Banning commands and the distraction method will help correct unwanted behavior. When you notice licking, use the words “Ugh” and “Don’t,” as well as sound stimuli such as popping, whistling, and squeaky chew toys.
Foreign bodies in the throat or digestive tract
If a puppy frantically licks the carpet, after which he vomits and cannot go to the toilet for a long time, you should think about intestinal obstruction. This happens if your pet swallows a large bone or piece of a soft toy. In such cases, the animal must be urgently taken to a specialist, as surgery will most likely be required.
Attention! Intestinal obstruction can also cause gradual bloating, but constant gagging does not cause vomiting.
If your dog is licking the floor, at the first sign of vomiting it is worth considering options for placement of the foreign body:
- In the mouth you can usually find sticks or bones stuck between the dog's back teeth. One of the first symptoms is frequent movement of the jaw and copious flow of saliva, the pet rubs its face with its paws, and sometimes there is bleeding from the mouth in small quantities. Surgery may be required to remove a foreign body from the mouth; you should contact a clinic.
- A foreign body in the throat causes signs of sudden suffocation and nausea. This condition requires immediate intervention. The owner can lift the dog by its hind legs and shake it as first aid. In emergency situations, you can sharply squeeze the sides of the chest several times.
- In the esophagus, a foreign body is accompanied by vomiting after eating and dehydration. To check, you need to collect a fold of skin on the dog’s withers and release it; it should soon return to its previous state.
- In the trachea and lungs, the foreign body causes general oppression of the dog, which increases at high speed.
- The presence of a foreign object in the stomach is more difficult to diagnose. Sometimes they can remain in the organ for several years without showing symptoms. If it moves, periodic vomiting occurs.
- In the small intestine, the object causes uncontrollable vomiting, dehydration, and severe pain in the abdominal wall.
- There may be sticks, bone fragments, and needles in the rectum. Because of this, the dog hunches over, becomes constipated and has blood in its stool.
At the first sign of a foreign body in your dog’s body, you should consult a doctor.
Why is uncontrolled licking dangerous?
Even the cleanest owner will not be able to achieve sterility of all surfaces in his home, let alone the street. Uncontrolled licking is dangerous due to the following consequences:
Infestation with parasites. Street soil contains a large number of bacteria and worm eggs.
Gastrointestinal disorders and poisoning. In addition to parasites, sand particles also carry poisons and chemicals that settle in the soil into the body. At home, the cause of sudden vomiting or diarrhea may be detergent.
Intestinal obstruction. An accidentally swallowed stone or other large object can completely block the path for waste of feces, which can lead to severe intoxication.
Please note that prolonged obstruction can be fatal due to intestinal rupture. In this case, urgent surgery is necessary to save the animal, so do not neglect the examination when the first signs of illness appear. A swollen and painful abdomen, as well as the absence of bowel movements for 2 days, should alert you.
Final thoughts
It is important to rule out illness and anxiety when trying to deal with your dog's floor licking. You should visit your veterinarian to make sure nothing else is going on. Ignore your dog when he starts licking the floor. This includes swearing. Instead, you'll want to look at the big picture and come up with some effective solutions to stop the behavior.
When pets start licking the floor, owners at first just laugh. They think it looks funny and even worthy of being photographed or filmed. But in fact, such behavior should alarm the dog owner, because most likely it indicates a disease.
If your pet is licking the ground, this may indicate a serious illness.
- Why does a dog lick the floor: reasons
- Why do dogs sometimes lick the carpet, sofa and choke, what to do in this case
- Why can a dog lick concrete?
- When to sound the alarm
- Foreign bodies in the throat or digestive tract
- Cleansing the stomach as a natural process
Lack of vitamins and minerals
With unbalanced feeding, the pet begins to independently look for a source of vitamins and minerals. An addiction to concrete walls and lime may indicate a lack of calcium, and to metal surfaces - an iron deficiency. Perhaps there is no connection between the deficiency of necessary substances and the material of the objects, and the dog simply tries everything in the hope of compensating for the shortage. Be sure to take your pet to a veterinarian, who, after examination and tests, will prescribe a mineral-vitamin complex.
