Dog is licking fresh air

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 9:04pm #1

My dog keeps licking fresh air and kind of like biting fresh air. In fact he keeps licking everything , like his paws , blankets etc and he's licking his lips a bit.

It was away worse a few days ago but he's still doing it a bit still. I checked out his mouth and teeth but can't see anything wrong. Could it be so.ething wrong with his ears ?

Any ideas ?

vicwatson · 05-01-2017 9:13pm

Thirsty?

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 9:18pm

vicwatson wrote: »

Thirsty?

Plenty water around for him

hairyslug · 05-01-2017 9:19pm

How old is he

Have a quick Google of fly snapping syndrome and see if it adds up, may be best, if you can to drop down to the vet to see if they can offer any advice.

B00! · 05-01-2017 9:35pm

allergies ?

dazza161989 · 05-01-2017 9:37pm

Licking lips and air can often be signs of stress/nervousness in a dog.

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 9:37pm

hairyslug wrote: »

How old is he

Have a quick Google of fly snapping syndrome and see if it adds up, may be best, if you can to drop down to the vet to see if they can offer any advice.

He's going on 3. After a quick read about that fly snapping I think there's a good chance that it may be it

Actually thinking back now he has an obsession with flies , he'd spend hours chasing them around the house whenever they are there.

Other times he does be looking up at the ceiling as if there is a fly flying around even tho there's not

Is that fly snapping thing bad ?

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 9:38pm

dazza161989 wrote: »

Licking lips and air can often be signs of stress/nervousness in a dog.

Maybe your right. He doesn't seem happy lately tbh and when he's licking he has a pure guilty look on his face

One_Of_Shanks · 05-01-2017 9:53pm

Is it a new thing or has he been doing it since a pup? Dogs sometimes go through phases and then it passes.
Could be "air today, gone tomorrow".

It could be "floaters" in his eyes. Humans get them, I have them myself. Little grey dots that move around when you move your eyes, and perhaps he thinks they're flies and he's trying to lick/bite them.

Worth a trip to the vets imo. Just to ask a professional.

hairyslug · 05-01-2017 9:58pm

rottie 11 wrote: »

He's going on 3. After a quick read about that fly snapping I think there's a good chance that it may be it

Actually thinking back now he has an obsession with flies , he'd spend hours chasing them around the house whenever they are there.

Other times he does be looking up at the ceiling as if there is a fly flying around even tho there's not

Is that fly snapping thing bad ?

Would it happen more often around meal times.
From very limited reading on it, it can be a gastro infection or nuero

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 10:11pm

One_Of_Shanks wrote: »

Is it a new thing or has he been doing it since a pup? Dogs sometimes go through phases and then it passes.
Could be "air today, gone tomorrow".

It could be "floaters" in his eyes. Humans get them, I have them myself. Little grey dots that move around when you move your eyes, and perhaps he thinks they're flies and he's trying to lick/bite them.

Worth a trip to the vets imo. Just to ask a professional.

He has done it before and I brought him to the vet and the vet gave ear drops and it passed after a while. He was scratch g his ears aswel this time , I had those drops left over so gave him some .

Ya Il take him to the vets tomorro evening because he's not himself lately either , he's gone pure lazy and won't come to me when I call him and stuff. It's not like him but it's happening with a while now

He's the type of dog that loves being around people do I reckon hes lonely seeing as it's just me and him

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 10:12pm

hairyslug wrote: »

Would it happen more often around meal times.
From very limited reading on it, it can be a gastro infection or nuero

Tbh there's no feeding time for him, I go to work in the morning and I leg his food there with him. It might happen more at night but I might only notice it more then I'm not sure

VonVix · 05-01-2017 10:19pm

Honestly, it could be so many things, or it could be nothing. It's hard to say because A: we can't see what your dog is doing. And B: we don't know your dog's normal habits. I feel it wouldn't be right for me to guess the reasons for it. Your best bet is to go to a vet to investigate if you feel it may be an issue that could be a symptom of a bigger problem.

TheChizler · 05-01-2017 10:30pm

If it's any reassurance my Cave has spent the last 7 years licking the air. Haven't a clue why.

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 10:40pm

VonVix wrote: »

Honestly, it could be so many things, or it could be nothing. It's hard to say because A: we can't see what your dog is doing. And B: we don't know your dog's normal habits. I feel it wouldn't be right for me to guess the reasons for it. Your best bet is to go to a vet to investigate if you feel it may be an issue that could be a symptom of a bigger problem.

I know what you mean , il bring him to see the vet tomorro anyway for sure and il let ye know what he says. Cheers for all the replys

rottie 11 · 05-01-2017 10:41pm

TheChizler wrote: »

If it's any reassurance my Cave has spent the last 7 years licking the air. Haven't a clue why.

I wouldn't mind him doing it as long as I knew everything was OK with him but I'm not so sure it is.

One_Of_Shanks · 05-01-2017 10:48pm

It's unlikely to be anything major. You're doing the right thing by going to the vet tomorrow.

Meanwhile try to get some sleep and it will be fine. Let us know what the vet says tomorrow.

dashoonage · 05-01-2017 10:51pm

My huskie is at it 3 years ish now. Shes 7. Came on all of a sudden. She acted odd for a week. Stayed in her house etc. That phased but the licking stayed. Vet went through everything and all was good. Put down to nervousness/anxiety.

Shes at it here on the mat in front of me now.

Shes as happy as could be and as fit as a fiddle. Never seems to bother her.

Take the doggie to the vet for peace of mind.

DBB · 05-01-2017 10:52pm

When expressed as you describe op, it is often a sign of discomfort.
It may also indicate a neurological problem, particularly in conjunction with the fly-snapping in the absence of flies (his chasing of real flies is an unrelated coincidence).
You need a full and frank discussion with your vet. I hope he/she is sharp on health/behavioural interactions, because it's one that can often be shrugged off as nothing significant.

dashoonage · 05-01-2017 10:55pm

DBB wrote: »

When expressed as you describe op, it is often a sign of discomfort.
It may also indicate a neurological problem, particularly in conjunction with the fly-snapping in the absence of flies (his chasing of real flies is an unrelated coincidence).
You need a full and frank discussion with your vet. I hope he/she is sharp on health/behavioural interactions, because it's one that can often be shrugged off as nothing significant.

Hey....you seem to know more about this stuff than me...is there something that can be done about it if its behavioral ?

DBB · 05-01-2017 11:09pm

dashoonage wrote: »

Hey....you seem to know more about this stuff than me...is there something that can be done about it if its behavioral ?

Often the behaviour (air licking and fly snapping) is a symptom of an underlying medical condition, and it's that which must be addressed, rather than the behavioural symptom.
That's why it's vital that your vet absolutely definitively rules in or rules out that possibility of an underlying medical issue. It'd be unwise to say it's behavioural until the vet is sure of it.

Edited to add... Sorry, I thought I was answering the op there!
To be honest, I'd like to see what else your husky is doing when she air licks

dashoonage · 05-01-2017 11:13pm

DBB wrote: »

Often the behaviour (air licking and fly snapping) is a symptom of an underlying medical condition, and it's that which must be addressed, rather than the behavioural symptom.
That's why it's vital that your vet absolutely definitively rules in or rules out that possibility of an underlying medical issue. It'd be unwise to say it's behavioural until the vet is sure of it.

Ah ok sorry i took that up wrong. My apologizes

My vet spent about 3 months trying to get to the bottom of it so from ear infections to upset tummies...he tried them all.

DBB · 05-01-2017 11:20pm

dashoonage wrote: »

Ah ok sorry i took that up wrong. My apologizes

My vet spent about 3 months trying to get to the bottom of it so from ear infections to upset tummies...he tried them all.

Did she get a spinal x-ray?
When she air licks, is her nose pointing upwards? Does she squint her eyes? This combo is usually seen when there's pain or discomfort.
If she's air licking with an open, relaxed, happy expression, it's *possible* that she learned to do it as an attention-soliciting behaviour when it first appeared

muddypaws · 05-01-2017 11:28pm

rottie 11 wrote: »

He's going on 3.

I can't believe he's that old already, don't know where the years are going to

rottie 11 · 06-01-2017 9:34am

muddypaws wrote: »

I can't believe he's that old already, don't know where the years are going to

I know yea it's madness. Time is flying by

rottie 11 · 06-01-2017 9:48am

DBB wrote: »

When expressed as you describe op, it is often a sign of discomfort.
It may also indicate a neurological problem, particularly in conjunction with the fly-snapping in the absence of flies (his chasing of real flies is an unrelated coincidence).
You need a full and frank discussion with your vet. I hope he/she is sharp on health/behavioural interactions, because it's one that can often be shrugged off as nothing significant.

What you mean by discomfort tho ? Discomfort with what do you reckon ? I'm going to the vet this evening if I'm home on time anyway , and it's a different vet from before so hopefully he'll know the problem

rottie 11 · 06-01-2017 9:50am

He was at it again this morning , licking stuff and biting but when he's biting it's not like he's trying to catch anything. Its more like there hair stuck in his mouth and he's trying to spit it out , it's hard to explain

He was shaking his head and scratching his ear aswel this morning so I've a feeling that's the issue

tk123 · 06-01-2017 10:45am

When Bailey was doing this he had an infection that they traced back to a duct.. It swelled the first time and the second 2 times it erupted with puss etc.. My mum called me in work saying she was very worried about him because he was licking non stop - he'd stopped by the time I got home and marched him over to the vets so I kind of dismissed what she said about the licking.. But then a few months later - exactly as you and she describe it one evening he was licking air and when we checked him his chest was soaking wet with drool (he gets wet anyways with his jaw but this was excessive).. the infection was back and his chin swelling up... That time the thing exploded by itself(!) :eek: ...luckily i'd taken the precaution of putting a bib on him lol :pac:

andreac · 06-01-2017 11:14am

Sounds like there is def something medically wrong with him as he seems a little distressed or in discomfort. Hopefully the vet can suss out what's up with him.

maggiepip · 06-01-2017 11:25am

rottie 11 wrote: »

He was at it again this morning , licking stuff and biting but when he's biting it's not like he's trying to catch anything. Its more like there hair stuck in his mouth and he's trying to spit it out , it's hard to explain

He was shaking his head and scratching his ear aswel this morning so I've a feeling that's the issue

My dog had episodes of this, the licking as if hair or something was stuck in her mouth, and episodes of licking that was more obviously nausea. Turns out she has pancreatitis. So had abdominal pain and nausea.
She was also down in the dumps which was due to the abdominal pain. The interesting thing is she didnt have diarrhea, was actually more constipated, if anything and a bit bloated.
Shes doing very well now on a low fat diet.

DBB · 06-01-2017 11:37am

rottie 11 wrote: »

What you mean by discomfort tho ? Discomfort with what do you reckon ? I'm going to the vet this evening if I'm home on time anyway , and it's a different vet from before so hopefully he'll know the problem

As you can see, there are several accounts here of dogs doing it for all sorts of different medical reasons. It is absolutely down to your vet to determine what this could be, if anything.

rottie 11 · 06-01-2017 7:59pm

So the vet reckons my dog is way overweight first off he weighed in at 52kg so I must start getting his weight down.

My fog got really aggressive towards him inside , he genuinely wanted to kill him. He said it's nervous aggression so that makes sense since someone on here said that nervousness can cause a dog to lick air etc

He cleaned his glands and checked his ears . He said his ears are fine

He said when the dog looses weight the problem might be gone

But he said it could be something in his periferal vision causing it or a tick bite

He also flead and wormed him and gave me a muzzle lol

maggiepip · 06-01-2017 8:40pm

rottie 11 wrote: »

So the vet reckons my dog is way overweight first off he weighed in at 52kg so I must start getting his weight down.

My fog got really aggressive towards him inside , he genuinely wanted to kill him. He said it's nervous aggression so that makes sense since someone on here said that nervousness can cause a dog to lick air etc

He cleaned his glands and checked his ears . He said his ears are fine

He said when the dog looses weight the problem might be gone

But he said it could be something in his periferal vision causing it or a tick bite

He also flead and wormed him and gave me a muzzle lol

He really should have done some bloods in my opinion. The nervousness at the vets is explainable, but he really shouldn't be nervous at home to that extent, so I wouldn't be happy putting the licking down to nerves. Hope things improve for you.

One_Of_Shanks · 06-01-2017 8:55pm

rottie 11 wrote: »

So the vet reckons my dog is way overweight first off he weighed in at 52kg so I must start getting his weight down.

My fog got really aggressive towards him inside , he genuinely wanted to kill him. He said it's nervous aggression so that makes sense since someone on here said that nervousness can cause a dog to lick air etc

He cleaned his glands and checked his ears . He said his ears are fine

He said when the dog looses weight the problem might be gone

But he said it could be something in his periferal vision causing it or a tick bite

He also flead and wormed him and gave me a muzzle lol

The great thing about vets is that there are more than one of them.

If you're still concerned, get a 2nd opinion. Tell the next vet that your other vet was busy and couldn't see you.
So that way he can't ask what the other vet said and you'll get an unbiased 2nd opinion.

If the 2nd vet says same as the first then you can take it as done but he might say different.

Try to make sure the next vet is someone who sees small animals mostly, as opposed to a vet who deals primarily with farm animals etc.
It does make a difference.
I could go into detail about our own's history but it's not really relevant apart from the fact that a vet who specialises in small animals is what you need.

DBB · 06-01-2017 9:09pm

maggiepip wrote: »

He really should have done some bloods in my opinion. The nervousness at the vets is explainable, but he really shouldn't be nervous at home to that extent, so I wouldn't be happy putting the licking down to nerves. Hope things improve for you.

Just to check what your vet did do op... Did he check along your dog's spine... and I mean did he really dig in to the muscles along the back from his skull to his tail? Did he pull your dog's legs about to see were there any sore spots?
Like maggiepip, I would not be attributing his nervous behaviour at the vets with his air licking at home. Dogs lick their lips when they're anxious alright, but it is very specifically lip-licking in concert with a number of other behaviours in specific scenarios. It is NOT air-licking, it is not sustained, and it does not include fly-chasing.

andreac · 06-01-2017 10:07pm

Unless he's a very small male, 52kg is not very over weight. The average weight for a male rottie is 50kg. My 10 year old male is 49kg and is quite tall and is in perfect condition. Unless he's a very small male in height then 52kg would be roughly the average weight for a male. Have you a photo of him?
My younger boy who isn't as tall as his dad is around 47kg. So again it doesn't sound like your boy is that over weight but I'd have to see a photo of him to see his body condition.

rottie 11 · 07-01-2017 12:06am

Il see how he is in the next day or 2 , if I feel he's not improved then il try to find a better vet.

He didn't check his spine or back but he felt his stomach a bit and his sides.

As for his weight I'd agree with you Andrea , he doesn't look overweight tbh but I reckon he could do with loosing a few pounds alrite , he's isn't the biggest rottie

rottie 11 · 07-01-2017 12:07am

Il post a photo tomorro

rottie 11 · 09-01-2017 12:07am

He's still at it anyway , but there's a slight improvement I think. It happens more at night time it seems

He keeps biting his leg aswel like all dogs do when they have fleas , wonder if that's anything to do with it

DBB · 09-01-2017 12:17am

rottie 11 wrote: »

He's still at it anyway , but there's a slight improvement I think. It happens more at night time it seems

He keeps biting his leg aswel like all dogs do when they have fleas , wonder if that's anything to do with it

Maybe he's biting at his leg in an attempt to relieve the discomfort your vet doesn't seem to have tried hard enough to find.
To be honest op, I am flabbergasted your vet didn't do spinal or joint checks. Flabbergasted. I would be seeking another opinion.
I'll leave it at that.

rottie 11 · 09-01-2017 12:33am

DBB wrote: »

Maybe he's biting at his leg in an attempt to relieve the discomfort your vet doesn't seem to have tried hard enough to find.
To be honest op, I am flabbergasted your vet didn't do spinal or joint checks. Flabbergasted. I would be seeking another opinion.
I'll leave it at that.

Another bad vet so , il have to find another one again. Why would he want to do spinal checks tho when the issue seems to be with his mouth of something , just asking

DBB · 09-01-2017 12:42am

You mean the air licking is a sign there's something wrong with his mouth?
If so, then no

Air licking is a sign of pain, somewhere in the body. I've seen dog air licking when they've a painful tummy, a painful head, a painful hip, a painful knee, a painful tail... You get the picture.
The fly-snapping often indicates neurological pain, but is not limited to it.
The leg-chewing is also indicative of pain, often, but not always, the dog will chew as close to the source of pain as he can. However, sometimes they'll chew and lick a spot where there's no pain because they can't reach the spot where the pain actually is.
Regardless, your dog is doing a lot of things that suggest he's in discomfort. It just doesn't seem to me that your vet checked thoroughly enough... A very demanding all-over physical exam should have been one of the first things tried imo.

rottie 11 · 09-01-2017 12:50am

DBB wrote: »

You mean the air licking is a sign there's something wrong with his mouth?
If so, then no
Air licking is a sign of pain, somewhere in the body. I've seen dog air licking when they've a painful tummy, a painful head, a painful hip, a painful knee, a painful tail... You get the picture.
The fly-snapping often indicates neurological pain, but is not limited to it.
The leg-chewing is also indicative of pain, often, but not always, the dog will chew as close to the source of pain as he can. However, sometimes they'll chew and lick a spot where there's no pain because they can't reach the spot where the pain actually is.
Regardless, your dog is doing a lot of things that suggest he's in discomfort. It just doesn't seem to me that your vet checked thoroughly enough... A very demanding all-over physical exam should have been one of the first things tried imo.

Oh right I see. Ya your right so , he should have checked all those things. Like he kept putting it off tbh , he just kept moving on to other things and I had to keep reminding him what I was actually there for.

I'd say he's just the type of vet thats out for money.

I have another vet in mind anyway so should be OK once I get into him

DBB · 09-01-2017 1:37am

In fairness to your vet, if the dog was getting really aggressive, it'd be nigh-on impossible to do a proper examination. You should probably talk to him about how he might check your dog out without putting himself in the firing line

rottie 11 · 09-01-2017 9:44am

DBB wrote: »

In fairness to your vet, if the dog was getting really aggressive, it'd be nigh-on impossible to do a proper examination. You should probably talk to him about how he might check your dog out without putting himself in the firing line

Well he sold me a muzzle and that was put on him so there was no fear of him getting bit.

Who'd be the best vet in kerry does any one know ?

tk123 · 09-01-2017 10:10am

He sold you a muzzle?! My vet just has a drawer full of them in different sizes for when they're needed. Bailey would need one if he's being examined and in a lot of pain...

rottie 11 · 09-01-2017 10:38am

tk123 wrote: »

He sold you a muzzle?! My vet just has a drawer full of them in different sizes for when they're needed. Bailey would need one if he's being examined and in a lot of pain...

Yes he sold me one, he also over charged me I reckon for what he did.

rottie 11 · 09-01-2017 7:31pm

So I brought my mother's dogs down to my local vet for their shots and I mentioned to him about my own fella, he wants a urine sample to rule out some stuff before we go any further, is that good ?

Dog is licking fresh air

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