excessive licking of chops

Question
Hi, our 2 yr old cocker spaniel, Rocky, just started having a kind of strange symptom. He occasionally starts licking sort of within his own mouth over and over again, like he's licking his chops, but just constantly. It's kind of like how dogs do when they are nauseous. He'll do this for awhile (like maybe 15 minutes?) then stop. He seems kind of anxious too while he's doing it. He is neutered, lives inside the house, and eats standard dry dog food (various brands), sometimes having wet food mixed in. He's only done the licking thing 2 times so far that we know of, but it is kind of disconcerting. One other possible clue I thought of was that we just got a cat about 2 weeks ago (we've had Rocky 2 years). They seem to get along ok, but I sometimes wonder whether Rocky is anxious about his "place" in our home now. Any insights you have are greatly appreciated.
Aloha, -Nick


Answer
That's funny, Nick; another person just asked me a question about *their* cocker spaniel having a licking problem. Hmmm

Have you checked his mouth/teeth? I would recommend doing that, because he *could* have something stuck in his mouth that is causing irritation. Puppies often lick in the manner you're describing when they are teething, and have a loose tooth.

He could also be having a mild seizure, which could explain his anxiousness. I'd be talking to the vet about it, if it continues.