Why is my dog hiccuping, smacking lips, and won't open his mouth?

Licking the lips can sometimes be a sign of nervousness, nausea, or even an issue with the teeth or mouth. If he hasn't had a dental cleaning recently, tartar on the teeth or gums could be causing some irritation and thus the licking behavior. Nausea such as from minor GI upset, may also cause drooling, or have signs such as vomiting or diarrhea, but this is not always the case. If it continues or you see any signs of illness/smell bad breath, etc, having your vet take a look is best. If you've changed something in his environment around the time the licking started (new pet, people, items in the house, etc) it could be that he's feeling a bit nervous or uncomfortable as well. Making sure he gets some extra attention and the cause of the nervousness is addressed (IE making sure he has someplace to go rest and hide, using a pheromone diffuser, etc) may help.

Licking lips can be a sign of nausea in dogs, and that could be what's causing Fendi to do this behavior. Given that she is otherwise acting normal, I would monitor her for now. If she is still acting this way in the morning, or develops other symptoms such as vomiting and lethargy, I would have her seen by a vet.

No, this isn't normal. Foaming around the mouth can be a sign of nausea, poisoning, difficulty swallowing, poor dental hygiene, and even rabies. If Tucky is vaccinated for rabies, then it is extremely unlikely that would be a cause of the hyper salivation. Licking the lips is also a sign of nausea. I recommend withholding food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If he continues to foam at the mouth in the absence of food, on the bland diet, or becomes lethargic he will need to see a vet.

Java’s lip smacking can be due to dry mouth, hair in the mouth if he has long hair on the lips, nausea, or dental disease. Keep any long hair trimmed and keep his mouth clean from food particles. Check his lips for redness or scabbing. Monitor his eating habits and energy level for any signs of illness and ask his veterinarian if he has any signs of dental disease. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are describing sounds as if he is nauseous from something. It is difficult to say what is going on without seeing it in person or on a video. I would withhold food for at least 8 hours and then feed a bland diet of chicken and rice. Feed this at least 3 days beyond the resolution of the symptoms. If these symptoms persist or worsen, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Those symptoms could indicate issues such as stress, nausea/GI upset, or even something stuck in the throat or mouth. Since items can get lodged far enough back to not be seen just by looking in the nose or mouth, it would be best to bring Kona into your vet for an exam. You vet can take a closer look (with sedation as needed) to see if there is an apparent cause.

This is usually a sign of nausea, which should be ideally checked as it could be compatible with a chronic type of inflammation. Considering her age, a physical examination and possibly more investigations (like an abdominal ultrasound of her abdomen) would be ideal.