Why do our pets lick us? We think we know some of the reasons: affection, we have something tasty on our skin. But there are additional reasons why they might lick us. Let’s look at them. One of the first things a mother dog does for her puppies is to lick them: it helps stimulate their senses. Doing so means comfort for dogs, so when they lick you they might be trying to pass those feelings onto you. It’s basically social bonding. Licking can also symbolize submission. In the wild subordinate dogs lick their alphas, so if a dog is … Continue reading →

Before you can treat a compulsive behavior in your pet, you should try to figure out what’s causing it. The source of the behavior may be medical, environmental, genetic, or emotional. You may need to work with your veterinarian and/or a behavioral specialist before you can figure out the cause. Once you know the cause, you can work on reducing the compulsive behavior. Anti-anxiety medications won’t solve the problem, but they can help. Medicating your pet can help reduce the intensity of a behavior while you work on behavior modification and/or environmental changes. Yes, pets can take Prozac — and … Continue reading →

When a pet is stuck in a compulsive behavior, it can be hard to figure out what set things off. Often, the farther a pet gets from the initial trigger, the harder it is to make the connection between compulsive behavior and trigger. The first thing your veterinarian may do is try to rule out a medical cause. Some spinal and neurological diseases can trigger repetitive behaviors — the change of feeling in an animal’s limbs may cause them to lick or chew the area. A medically-inspired behavior isn’t actually a compulsive behavior. If a repetitive behavior truly is compulsive … Continue reading →

There is a cat who comes to stay at the cats-only boarding facility who has chewed her rump and the base of her tail naked. We have another guest who has stripped the fur off her throat and chest. My dog Moose sometimes licks bare spots onto his forelegs. My parents’ dog Becca used to chew her tail raw during the day while my parents were at work. All of these may be compulsive behaviors. Sometimes, behaviors like licking, chewing, tail-chasing, and spinning are normal. Sometimes they’re beyond normal and into harmful for pets AND their owners. Yes, pets can … Continue reading →