What's wrong with my dog?

Question

She is driveing me CRAZY! All night long she curls up under our night stand and licks the legs of the night stand, and all day she is either licking on the paint off the door or licking on the porch railing. She just started this about a week or two ago. Any ideas?

yeah it is weird lol - and yeah lots of food and lots of love.

She is about 1 year old btw

Answer 1

because you dont feed or water her and shes forced to lick off nutrients on whatever she can find.

Answer 2

I would take your pup to the vet, like now. There could be some hidden medical issue that is causing her to lick things.

From what you are saying she is only licking things that are upright.... that is a stumper as my first thought was that it is a comfort thing (like nursing when she was little).

Until you can figure out what is causing her to lick these things I would recommend that you manage it. The things that she is licking could be very dangerous for her. Things like lead in the paint or mold on outside wood, not to mention bacteria that hide everywhere.

Ways to manage the behavior.... I would start by putting her in a crate at night.... this you can clean daily and as a big bonus it will save the legs of your night stand. During the day if you catch her licking things that she isn't supposed to (Like the door or the porch railing) try giving her something she can lick (a frozen Kong is the first thing that comes to mind).

Something else that comes to mind about this topic is that she could be afraid of something and trying to calm herself. Have there been any changes that could be upsetting your dog? If your dog has never had any experience with cats, a new cat prowling the neighborhood can be a scary thing (I have seen footage of cats treeing bears funny but true).

Answer 3

Might be a neurotic thing, lonely, not enough attention...
I would be worried that she is getting lead paint, and poisoning herself.

Symptoms

Lead affects many body organs especially the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the nervous system. Symptoms include lack of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea, chomping of jaws, blindness, seizures, muscle spasms, behavior changes, circling, and incoordination.



But also check this out...


'Pica' is a term describing a condition when a dog regularly eats objects not considered a part of the normal diet. Examples include an appetite for wood, sand, metal, stones, rubber, etc. Pica is not an abnormality of the digestive system, or a nutritional problem, but a psychological abnormality.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms simply include a history of eating objects not meant to be ingested. To have a diagnosis of pica, a patient generally does not eat the objects just once, but rather seems to be obsessed with consuming certain materials.

What are the risks?

Eating foreign objects is risky because many cannot pass through the gastrointestinal tract normally. Objects such as rocks and socks cause a complete blockage of the intestines, requiring surgery to remove them. Additionally, they may cause damage to the mouth or abnormal wear on the teeth.

A wire muzzle may be helpful
What is the management?

Contrary to common belief, a patient with an abnormal appetite is rarely lacking in vitamins, minerals, or any other nutrients in the diet. Pica is a psychological abnormality and is more a habit than a medical problem, even though it can lead to one. There is no real cure for pica, however, providing alternative edible objects such as rawhide bones and other digestible treats will help. In some difficult cases, a wire basket muzzle may be used on the dog. This muzzle allows the dog to pant, sniff, and even drink, but not eat. NEVER use a muzzle on an unattended animal. Some human medications can be used to treat this obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs. Talk to your veterinarian.

Answer 4

My dog Benji used to lick constaantly drove me nuts I would check with your vet to make sure she doesn't have an underlying health problem though some dogs lick like that when they are bored or nervous but check with your vet just to be safe

Answer 5

She just might like the taste of led or something.I donno.If u have another dog a male it might be that shes pregnant or something u should try watching over what she does and keeping track of what spots she does it the most .u might want to work with her by siting next to her. or if shes a puppy shes going to start teething so u should buy her some toys so she could chew on.well i could tell more but i have to go so good luck.

Answer 6

Talk with your vet. Just a phone call to start. Has anything changed in your household recently? Something must have. How old is the dog?

Answer 7

Licking could be a couple different things. She could just be bored or she could be uneasy about something. You may need to ask your vet.

Answer 8

paint and enamels can be toxic for the dog, they sell some stuff at local pet store like pet co and pet smart that is called no chew, you spray it on what you dont want her to chew on or lick on, it has a horrible taste for dogs, just dont buy the cheapest bottle cause its not as effective i found that out the hard way. here are the links to the product you are looking for for you dog , good luck

http://www.petsmart.com/global/search/search_results.jsp

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=5401&Nav=1&Ntt=no+chew&N=30+22&cp=2&Nao=12&sku=166855&familyID=6523&

Answer 9

Try bitter apple spray on the areas she lick and get her some chewy treats like pigs ears.

Answer 10

Watch the dog whisperer on national geographic.