Licking...

Question
Hi! I am the proud owner of a 3-year-old miniature Schnauzer, Abby. She is my baby! I have noticed now for quite some time that she licks her lips ALOT. Not only that, but she licks her paws, too. She actually "licked a hole" in her right front paw about 4 months ago. I noticed it because it was red, and I immediately took her to the vet. In turn, the vet gave us what looked like a satellite dish to put on Abby's neck so that she would no longer be able to lick her paws. The vet also gave us some medicine for the wound. It has healed since then...but Abby continues to take these long "lick spells" as I refer to them as. It is the most common for her to lick her lips when she is sleepy, and after she yawns. These spells go on for literally 3-5 minutes. Before bedtime, when she has gotten comfortable, she takes a licking spell and licks her paws for the longest time. Do you have any advice as to what may be causing Abby to do this? Thank you!

Answer
It could be due to a number of things....underlying anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, food allergies or atopy (inhaled allergies).

The first thing I would do is try a hypoallergenic fish-based diet such as Verus Fish and Potato, Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish or FLint River Ranch Fish and Chips.  Give one of those diets a try for 4-8 weeks...no bones or treats or snacks other than veggies during this period of time.

I would also recommend giving Benadryl at a dose of 1 to 2 mg per pound of body weight twice a day.

And on the spot, spray BITTER APPLE to discourage her licking that one spot, which is called an acral lick granuloma.

If this doesn't work, then maybe anti-anxiety medication is needed.