Why does my senior dog lick the carpet? Is it a compulsive behavior?

Some dogs will do this when they are nauseous so I would monitor Willie closely for any vomiting, drooling or decrease in appetite. I've also seen dogs that tend to lick objects when they have oral pain, so if you think he could be painful you may want to have your vet examine his mouth. It's also possible that this is simply an unusual behavior he has developed and if he otherwise seems perfectly normal I think it's probably also okay to ignore it.

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.

Pica - eating non food items - is often an indication of disease or poor digestion/absorption of her food and more rarely due to senile confusion. I would recommend a full vet check and blood panel to rule out any medical causes or indication of poor digestion (vitamin B deficiency in particular) as soon as possible

Its very possible that Harlie likes the way something on the carpet smells or tastes, so she is continually licking and biting at it in order to keep on tasting it. I would be careful to make sure that she isn't actually ripping out any of the carpet and trying to swallow it. A significant amount of carpet that is eaten and swallowed can result in some severe gastrointestinal issues. I would consider washing or shampooing the carpet in an attempt to see if this stops Harlie from continuing this behavior. You should also make sure that she has enough toys and other chew-things to play with as a deterrent. I would also consider using something like a bitter apple spray on the parts of the carpet she seems to like the most. Some dogs hate the smell and taste of that stuff and will shy away from everything if this is the case. Hope this helps.

You may want to have Sadie examined by a veterinarian. Sometimes dogs will lick the floor when they are nauseous or have an upset stomach. Ingesting non-food items like clumps or hair or dust could be a form of pica which can be a sign of anemia and related to fleas. It is also definitely possible that this is a compulsive behavior she developed at some point, but it would be best to rule out medical problems first.

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Mud Bud's troubles. Sometimes older dogs can actually acquire dementia over time. This could be the cause of Mud Bud licking everything. There is also a condition called, Pica, where animals will ingest odd things, due to vitamin or mineral deficiencies. I always recommend evaluating yearly lab work in elderly animals (7+ years old) to insure that they don't have any health issues that may cause this. I also think that sometimes if dogs lose vision at all to any degree, which can happen in older dogs, they may start to lick things more often for sensory purposes. I think it is best to have Mud Bud evaluated by his veterinarian. They can get some samples for lab work and give him a full physical exam, and make sure that he doesn't have any pressing health issues. From there, they can make recommendations for his behavior. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be medical reasons that would explain this behavior or boredom, stress or curiosity. I would recommend having Snow's feces tested for parasites to ensure this is not the problem, as specific treatment is needed to treat different intestinal parasites. A blood panel may be suggested by the veterinarian as well. However, with Snow's age this is likely a behavioral problem. Floor locking is a common self calming behavior. I would consider dog day care once or twice per week or hire a dog walker if you do not have time. If Snow is alone at home, you can relieve the stress or boredom by using safe dog chews or interactive dog toys such as the Kong toys. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!