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
Generally, excessive licking like this is due to allergies or fungal infections (on the feet), but it can also happen due to boredom... and then become a habit. You could try putting something nasty-tasting like NaturVet Yuck No Chew Spray or Bitter Apple on her feet and see if that keeps her from licking them.

Constantly wet feet (from licking or dew) can start up fungal infections between the toes and pads and perpetuate the licking, and then you would need something like Tinactin to clear up the fungal infection. The dog would have to wear an Elizabethan collar again so that it wouldn't lick off the meds... and the feet would need to be temporarily shaved for best effect.

If it is allergies, it could be **anything**. Allergy-testing, while expensive, is usually the quickest way to determine the problem. Feeding a good-quality holistic diet might help, but allergic reactions are not always due to diet.