Why is my dog rubbing his face after licking a new bone or chew toy?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bleu maybe rubbing his face on his treats due to excitement, to mark his scent on the food, in the wild dogs do this to tell others in their pack where the food is, it could be a form of resource guarding or simply because he just is so happy and loves treats! I wouldn’t try to read in to it too much! Hope this helps!

Based on what you are describing I would guess that Charlie may have gotten stung or bitten by something on his face while on the walk. He should be fine and may just have a little focal area of irritation. If you notice any facial swelling he may be having an allergic reaction. If this occurs you should take him to a vet to be looked at. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It can be but it could also be due to happiness, a normal itch or whiskers/beard hair getting in his mouth if he has a furry muzzle. If this is a new behavior, then itching/allergy becomes more likely. The best way to know would be to stop the transition and put him back on his old food, if the rubbing stops, then you know it was an allergy to that senior food. You could then look for a senior formula in the same brand of food that Charlie is currently eating (the original, non-senior formula). Try to stick with the same protein and carbohydrate source as well. Also look at the lips and muzzle for any redness, scabbing or signs of infection because this could also point towards an allergy. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Not necessarily. In reality, this is not unusual in dogs. I would be concerned though if he is causing himself any skin lesions or wounds from the licking which in that case it could be from allergies and should be addressed. Otherwise, he is likely going to be just fine. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lip licking is a clear sign of nausea. I would be concerned about mostly a gastrointestinal obstruction or dietary indiscretion. You can watch closely for signs consistent with these conditions such as abdominal pain or discomfort, vomiting and/or inappetence and have him evaluated right away if noticed. There is a chance that what you are observing at home currently will be transient. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concerns. What you are describing sounds behavioral but could potentially be caused by allergies as well. If Marbles has an allergy and is itchy around the face this may be his way of itching his face by rubbing it on the carpet. You can try Benadryl to see if this helps and also using a shampoo such as Duoxo PS Calm shampoo to see if this stops or decreases the behavior. If not, this may just be behavioral and will not hurt him if he continues this. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. Please see the below article for more information on giving dogs Benadryl. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/

There are several things that could cause this to happen: bacterial or fungal infection of the skin, splinter out other foreign body under the skin, itchy nose (allergies), tooth root issues, among a few others. You can try rubbing some hydrocortisone cream into it or rubbing an ice cube on it. He may need to wear an e-collar/cone to stop the behavior. But if it continues for another day or two, I would have Perrin checked out by a vet.