My dog sees things, grabs air, licks paws. Is it anxiety or seizure?

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.

This sounds like fly biting activity. Dogs with this disorder seem to have hallucinations: they chase flying items only they can see. You have to consider many underlying medical and behavioral reasons for this behavior. * attention seeking * ocular disease * seizures * metabolic or toxic or neoplastic diseases These all need to be ruled out but the most common reason is seizures. ( http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/flybite/flybite.html ) I suggest you seek help from your veterinarian.

This sounds like it could possibly be a seizure type of event. I would highly encourage you to video tape/ record the next event and then have her seen by a veterinarian. Make sure to take the video with you. They may recommend blood work to look for other causes such as liver shunts and thyroid disease. Best of luck and I hope you get an answer! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This sounds like a form of seizure activity. I recommend taking videos of this behavior and taking him in for an exam and lab work. Seizures can be from many causes and he may need medication to control them. They also can be an indication of underlying medical problems so bring him in soon for an exam and treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Misko.

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.

I am sorry to hear about Wiffy. Sometimes these behaviors could be minor seizures, or could be obsessive compulsive disorders. Occasionally we will treat these dogs with a trial of a drug called gabapentin to see if there is an improvement. If a compulsive disorder is suspected then we might try a trial of something like fluoxetine (prozac). We would also recommend bloodwork to ensure that Wiffy is otherwise healthy and has normal organ function.

Buster may have small seizures or a gastro-intestinal problem. "Fly catching" and licking the air are usually caused by minor seizures. I suggest you take a little video with your cell phone and take Buster and the video to your vet for an exam. Also record the circumstances that trigger this, and how long the episodes last.