Nocturnal licking?
Hope you're all well. Strange thing: I woke up a few times in the night to Mika making licking sounds... I figured she was in a fit of self-grooming, but it turns out she was just licking at the air or, occasionally, the floor of her crate. What's with the nocturnal licking?  a) could she be thirsty? (she didn't seem overly interested in her water bowl in the morning) b) could she be hot? (it wasn't warmer than usual in our room but it's a bit damp these days) c) could she be stressed? (my partner is away for the first time since we got her, so maybe she's frazzled about his absence?) Otherwise, she continues to be a happy near eight-month old bundle of fluffy cuteness... and we love her to bits.  Merci! Natalie |
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Air licking can be a sign of an upset stomach....just a thought.  |
| ^^^^^^^^^^What she said! Before we diagnosed Oscar with IBD, he used to "fly bite" randomly throughout the day and night, which sounds like what Mika is doing. For Oscar, it indicated an upset stomach. (Fly biting can also be indicative of a partial complex seizure.) Unfortunately though, it can become a self-soothing mechanism, an obsessive-compulsive behavior. When they do this, they can gulp air, which always concerned me as I felt it increased Oscar's risk of bloat. Bottom line, you want to find out the cause and deal with it quickly, as you do not want it to become an ingrained behavior. For Oscar, we would simply divert his attention onto something else. Once we effectively managed his IBD, it went away. Is she having any other symptoms that correlate with digestive issues, like a rumbly gut, loose stool, vomit burping, eating grass, or gas? Laurie and Oscar |
| My hound does this occasionally. I should tell you he is epileptic. He does not do this when in a grand mal or a petite mal seizure. He mostly has absence seizures though. |
Yikes! Now I'm really freaked out.  I called my vet and she said to try Mika on rice + kibble for 24 hours to see if it's just a little bout of nausea. If the licking doesn't stop, though, I'll bring her in!Who knew air licks could be so harmful........ so glad I posted. Thanks for the advice and do keep it coming! N |
| I only knew this becase I have a couple friends who have great danes. They watch for this, as danes are hugely prone to bloat  I hope all goes well for Mika. |
| At 8 months old "Bloat" would be very rare or even unheard of in a "Deep Chested" breed as they are still developing there and dont have that Chest area at full capacity yet. When you say "Damp' do you mean a bit stickier "Humid" then what she has been experiencing? If so then with the moisture in the air the nose can drip and hence the "Air Licking" You crate her if you can trust her now, put a bed down outside the crate and leave the door open and let her come out of the crate and lie in not so a confined area. With your partner away it can also be a bit of stress, give her a stuffie overnight to fuss over is you suspect that as well. You would certainly know if "Tummy" upset by any change in her demeanor, eating habits, vomitting, not interested in food and pottying her stools are not what they use to be. So she sounds normal there as you did say she is still bouncy and normal through the day. So I would rule that out as well. My tip is either a bit stressed at other half away or she is feeling a bit warmer then usual, so try outiside the crate with a baby "Toy or Stuffie" of some sort if you can trust her not to get into any mischief while your asleep and see if that settles the night time air licking down as she is not in such a confined area and also you can over her bed pop over an old cotton sheet which will be cooler for her to sleep on if you still have to have her in a crate.  Best wishes I am sure it is nothing drastic just a change in the season and she is feeling it for the first time in her life, that or she is missing your partner and a bit overwhelmed at that too. |
| How is Mika? Has she had any more incidents of fly biting? Another thought. Has she done it all during the day, or just at night? What is her feeding schedule? The reason I ask is that Oscar gets a "sour stomach" if he goes too long without food. We added an extra feeding pretty close to bed time, as well as a handful of kibble at bed time, to keep a little something in his tummy at night. It really helped with his nausea. Also, while Oscar was fly biting frequently, his demeanor was unaffected. He was a playful, happy-go-lucky puppy, with an out-of-control digestive system. As soon as we managed the digestive issues, the fly biting disappeared and the playful puppy stayed. Laurie and Oscar |
| Thanks so much for checking in! So Mika's daddy came home yesterday afternoon and she was *instantly* peppier at having the pack reunited. The licking all but stopped... and all her "business" is back to normal too (not that it was really off, just a smidge smellier than usual). It seems she has a little cut on her tongue... which might explain her lickety behaviour? In any event, we're bringing a stool sample to the vet tomorrow to rule out any tummy issues. We SO appreciate your advice!  |
| I just noticed that you are in Montreal! If you are ever coming to Ottawa and want a sheepie play date, let me know! |
My female, age 2 and a half, licks at her pillows in her crate while she sleeps. Never gave it a thought...should I? She has a water bowl in there with her and she usually sleeps like a log but in the Am before I let her out, I can hear her licking her pillow...Any concern I should have  |
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