My senior Yorkie is licking everything, even the air. Is it normal?

There are a few reasons that kind of behavior can start. Some are benign and do not cause any problems, but some are more serious. I would recommend keeping a journal of the frequency of the episodes and taking video of the episodes. Then I would recommend having Sharky's veterinarian examine him and watch the videos. We can sometimes see partial seizures occur as licking which your veterinarian may be able to determine from the video. They may also do blood work to look for other causes. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that your veterinarian can determine what is going on with Sharky. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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 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!

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.

Hello, thank you for your question about Princess. The behaviors that you are describing are both concerning for a possible neurologic abnormality or focal seizure event. If she has been demonstrating this behavior for 20 minutes without resolution I would recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian so that they can assess her neurologic state and determine if she needs any immediate medication. If they deem that she is stable and has a neurologic examination they can discuss additional causes for these symptoms and the recommended workup. Hope this helps, good luck!

I would actually guess that licking her arms is unrelated to the other symptoms - allergies, skin infections and hormonal diseases are a few potential causes. She might be licking her vulva if she has pain from bladder stones or urine leakage. Seizures can be a sign of a brain tumor, epilepsy or other brain disease, and the air licking could be a sign of seizure activity. I would definitely bring these concerns up when you see your new vet.

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!