Why is my dog eating air and staring strangely? I have bites too!

Hi, fly biting behavior (snapping at the air as if trying to catch a nonexistent fly) is an obsessive-compulsive behavior, caused by an array of issues that range from eye problems to a form of a focal seizure . This needs to be investigated by a neurologist. If confirms then managed with anti-epileptic medications that are used for generalized seizures. There is research that presented data indicating that some fly biting may be caused by an underlying medical disorder, GI disease being the most common. At home, these dogs consistently presented more fly biting following feeding, suggesting potential postprandial [after eating] discomfort. In these fly biting dogs, the jaw snapping was preceded by head raising and neck extension. When these dogs received treatment for their GI disease, the fly biting completely resolved in most cases in this research group. If your dog is fly biting, make sure your vet performs also a complete work-up for gastrointestinal disease. There is a chance you’ll find something that responds to treatment. Hope this helps but the best thing would be to try and find a specialist preferably a neurologist.

When you describe your dog as ‘fly biting’ it makes me concerned that he is having seizure-like activity. If he is having seizures this would explain his abnormal behavior. The gums in this picture appear normal so I would not worry about that. I would recommend visiting your veterinarian as soon as possible. It would definitely be helpful to show them the video you recorded. Be sure to keep track of any/all other instances that this happens. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi there. Repetitive fly snapping when there is nothing present can be a sign of neurologic problems, or can be a compulsive behavior in dogs. If her neurologic exam is normal and she has no other symptoms, then it's more likely to be compulsive - but it would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinary behaviorist to know for sure. Treatment for compulsive behavior issues normally involves increasing exercise and mental stimulation, providing distractions or training an alternative behavior that can be cued and rewarded at times when she would normally start fly snapping, and often medication of some kind. You can find more information on how to locate a qualified professional in your area to help with this here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

Sounds like the dog is having a partial seizure (fly biting). I suggest you refer to this link and then ask your vet about it. I don't think this and the gastroenteritis are related. If you can, video him doing the behavior so you can show the vet. ( http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/flybite/flybite.html )

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. "Fly-biting" or when dogs snap at the air as if chasing a fly, but there is no fly, can be a form of a seizure. However, with puppies, sometimes they just do odd things. I recommend taking a video and showing your vet next time you are in for a check-up, and just monitor for now. Likely it is just puppy behaviour, but if Kina starts doing other weird things (pressing head against a wall, suddenly aggressive, behaviour change after eating, etc.) then get her to a vet right away. Best of luck with Kina!

Fly Biting can be caused by any gastrointestinal disease, or it can be neurologic. He may need more testing to get to the bottom of things. Generally, I'd recommend general blood work, an abdominal x-ray and possible ultrasound as a start to see if any cause can be found. A probiotic and bland food (Purina EN is my favorite, but there are many options) could be helpful just to see if there are any changes. If the vet doesn't find a reason to think it's intestinal, or he doesn't respond to treatment, a trip to a neurologist or starting seizure medication would be my next step.

You have described an obsessive compulsive disorder (aka: stereotypy). You are not likely to change this behavior but you could always consult with a professional dog trainer if you wan to attempt to redirect the behavior which may help to minimize it. ( https://www.sfspca.org/sites/default/files/dog_behavior_repetitive-behavior.pdf )