Why is my dog licking a lot and holding his tail low? Is he anxious?

Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose since there are many potential allergens. They can include flea bites, environmental/inhaled allergens or food allergies or sensitivities. It can also be caused by behavioral issues, such as boredom or anxiety. Place an e-collar (cone) on Lou to prevent licking. Discuss allergy testing, food elimination trials and hydrolyzed diets with your veterinarian. A short course of steroids followed by antihistamines may help stop any itch and prevent it from returning. This may be a seasonal issue or it could be year round. You can also discuss anxiety medications and behavioral modification with your veterinarian. When you see Lou licking, distract him and offer a task, exercise or treat to redirect his attention. If he complies, praise and reward him. Be patient and be consistent. Limit his exposure to chemicals and cleaners to see if it makes a difference. Remove any candles or air fresheners from the home as well.

That’s hard to say, if only Baby Girl could talk! Those are all signs of anxiety but licking the lips and hiding can also indicate an upset stomach. Monitor her eating very closely and watch for any changes. Also watch her for any vomiting, diarrhea or changes in her water intake. If you see anything that appears to be illness, make sure to have her seen by her veterinarian. There are also medications that she can take to help with anxiety and it may be worthwhile to call her doctor. Anxious dogs often respond well to exercise and I recommend a 30 minute vigorous play session every day or a long walk. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

In a dachshund the most common reason I would say for this type of behavior is a back problem - he may have a pulled muscle that is hurting him when he turns a certain way. I suggest you have to your vet for an exam. This can be a serious issue in long-backed dogs. Even though it could just be a soft tissue injury (like the pulled muscle) it could even be a worse problem like a problem with one of the discs in between the vertebra or one of the nerves pinched coming off of the spine.

This could definitely be anxiety. It could also be allergies. I have seen dogs do this when they are really itchy. I would try to give her a calming chew like vetrisciecne composure and a calming collar like adaptil. You could also give her benadryl twice a day. See link below. If this isnlt helping, I would have your vet take a look at her to make sure nothing else is going on and to ensure she doesn't need to be on something a little stronger. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Sometimes this type of behavior can be linked to anxiety or a systemic disease. If Memphis has no other clinical signs and is eating / drinking normal amounts, I would recommend trying to correct the behavior using anxiety relieving products such as Adaptil collar and diffuser as well as NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin. If these do not help, I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian and have his blood tested to check for any abnormal changes. 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.

Poor Cupcake! She sounds very anxious. Aside from giving her lots of attention and love at home, there isn't much you can do for her without seeing a vet. If she continues to be very anxious and worried, she would likely be much more comfortable on anti-anxiety medication like Lorazepam that you can get from your vet. A dog-specific neutroceutical medication that often works well is Zylkene that your vet might recommend as well. Since she was chewing on her tail, it's possible she is itchy and not just anxious, and might benefit from allergy medication like Apoquel. Unfortunately, to really get her feeling better I think you'll likely need to see the vet for help. Good luck!

The behaviors you are describing in Sydney could be due to anxiety or to allergies. A very common signs of skin allergies in dogs is excessive licking of the paws. Licking the couch and other things could just be a compulsion that he has developed from licking his feet so much. I would recommend having him checked out by your vet to see if allergies are the underlying problem. If they are your vet may recommend switching my food or starting an anti-allergy medication.