He licks the carpet?

[Steelsearchin]

Pretty simple fix. Stop letting that dog watch old south park episodes!!



In all honesty, is the dog getting enough exercise (overall, not just in the moment) and mental stimulation?? Is it always the same area of the house or random? Old dogs get weird quirks sometimes. Good luck!

 

[EYJONAS!]

Trade you a window lickin weim for the carpet muncher.

 

[duckhunt]

Is it the same spot every time? My lab will lick the carpet on occasion but not incessantly. Always just assumed something got spilled or dropped there.

It is not the same spot.

 

[duckhunt]

@duckhunt is your pup on any kind of pain meds like carprovet, etc? If not, it could be a pain reaction from the arthritis & hip issue. Might be worth talking to your vet about it regardless of when the next check up is, but we're kinda helicopter dog owners in our house. Our last vet gave us the frequent flier discount after we gave them enough money to buy a lakehouse.

He is on hip and joint meds.

 

[duckhunt]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like it's more common than I thought.

 

[KB_]

My friends had an english bulldog. It would lay there licking the couch, carpet, or even just the air while audibly farting. I swear one time at their house that dog had a fart that lasted for 5 seconds.

that may just be the single most useless dog ive ever seen. But my god if you need some comedic value, watch that dog breath. What a hot mess

 

[Ben Lamb]

He is on hip and joint meds.

If it's been a while since there was an adjustment to those meds, it's worth taking him in and getting everything under the hood looked at.

 

[duckhunt]

If it's been a while since there was an adjustment to those meds, it's worth taking him in and getting everything under the hood looked at.

That's what I'm thinking I need to do.

 

[BucksnDucks]

is your pup on any kind of pain meds like carprovet, etc? If not, it could be a pain reaction from the arthritis & hip issue. Might be worth talking to your vet about

I have an 11 year old Lab with similar health issues. She had ACL reconstruction around 4 years old and she definitely struggles with pain in her joints. In the past she would lick constantly in the evenings while lying in her bed. She would show signs of pain after most hunts. A few times she developed a hot spot on her front leg or paw, where there was no sign of injury. I believe in her case the licking was a reaction to internal pain. Our Vet agreed and we decided to start a daily pain med. This is not the best thing for an aging dogs kidneys, but I believe quality of life has improved tremendously and the severe licking has stopped.
If the dog is licking the carpet directly like drinking from a water bowl, this might not be the issue. If licking while lying down I think it might be a pain reaction.

 

[BucksnDucks]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like it's more common than I thought.

May be common but don't dismiss as normal. Our hunting partners need some extra care in retirement.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I have an 11 year old Lab with similar health issues. She had ACL reconstruction around 4 years old and she definitely struggles with pain in her joints. In the past she would lick constantly in the evenings while lying in her bed. She would show signs of pain after most hunts. A few times she developed a hot spot on her front leg or paw, where there was no sign of injury. I believe in her case the licking was a reaction to internal pain. Our Vet agreed and we decided to start a daily pain med. This is not the best thing for an aging dogs kidneys, but I believe quality of life has improved tremendously and the severe licking has stopped.
If the dog is licking the carpet directly like drinking from a water bowl, this might not be the issue. If licking while lying down I think it might be a pain reaction.

We had a 1/2 lab/ 1/2 St Bernard that had arthritis & 2 ACL repairs done (I could have bought a Purdy with what we put into that dog). Same thing. Pain meds from the age of 8 until she passed at almost 14. The quality of life issue was what mattered to us the most, as she was our constant companion, and even saved my ass from being grizzly poop once or twice.

Edit: She also developed spinal degeneration at around 12, so was on gabapentin as well. That dog ended up being a junky. But damn she was the best dog I've ever known.

 

[gouch]

I had a lab named Zeke. When he go to be about 14 and couldn't get around too well he started licking the carpet. No apparent reason, he would just be laying on the floor and start licking the spot in front of him. We thought it was kind of odd but as I told my wife "When I get that old, I am sure carpet licking is about the best I'll be able to do too."