Why Do Yorkies Lick So Much?
How do you feel when your Yorkie lick you? Well, do you prefer a slobbery’ affection or a dry snuggle? It can be so frustrating whenever you watch your dog obsessively and incessantly lick. Of course, there exists a reason for this behavior and as a good keeper, you should be able to tell what the problem is. Yorkie licking occurs for different reasons which fall under two categories which include medical and behavioral. Some of the most common reasons are: anxiety, boredom, skin problems, stomach upset, fleas, dry skin or infection. However, Yorkies tend to lick more than any other dog breed, so it can also be completely natural behavior. But how do you know if it’s natural behavior or your Yorkie has some health issues? The best way would be to talk with a veterinarian, and you can do this online by clicking this link: chat with on-call veterinarians
Read below to get more information regarding Yorkie licking.
Why Do Yorkies Lick the air so Much?
Whenever you find your Yorkie licking’ the air, he/she could be sending a certain message, that something is amiss. It could be something that could compel you to see a veterinary specialist.
Here are the reasons.
- Anxiety
Whenever you find your Yorkie licking the air, he/she could either be stressed or anxious. The main problem is revealing the reason behind the feeling. Some of the reasons why a dog would feel anxious include loud noises from fireworks, construction, thunder, having a new pet at home, renovations, etc. Usually, its easy to find out if your Yorkie is anxious or not.
- Boredom
When you find your Yorkie licking the air, it could be a sign of boredom. When a dog is left’ alone at home, he is likely to look for a way to entertain himself. Read this article to find out how long can a yorkie stay home alone?
- Skin Problems
Whenever you find Yorkie licking its skin he/she could be having itchy sensation. This could, therefore, make it lick the air. It could also be a situation where the dog is punished in case he/she licks their body.
- Stomach Upset
Regular licking of surfaces, air included could be a sign of stomach problem on your Yorkie. The dog might have consumed something which does not go well with the stomach hence making it become nauseated. Before vomiting some dogs, for example, Yorkie is likely to lick the air instead of their lips. Excessive licking of hair could also, be a sign of a serious condition which may include irritating bowel’ syndrome, seizures, intestinal blockage, and esophagus inflammation.
- Compulsive Disorder
Yorkies may adopt repetitive behavior due to stress, boredom, frustration, or maybe he wants to get some attention. Such behaviors are mostly associated with air licking.
- Mouth Obstruction
Most of the dog breeds have a tendency of chewing toys, remote controls, sticks, furniture or anything else that could help towards wrapping their teeth. It is not surprising that something is going to stick in their teeth or mouth. Therefore, they embark on air licking to signal you that something is stuck inside their mouth. This should be a reason why you should check their mouth to ensure there is no obstruction. Also, Yorkie can lick the air in case he/she has a loose’ teeth or any other dental related problem.
Why do Yorkies Lick Themselves?
Speaking from a medical point of view, skin lesions’ is one main reason that could make your Yorkie lick itself. Other causes that call for medical attention include the following.
- Wounds
Most of the dogs, Yorkie included are known to naturally lick their wounds. Nonetheless, this could result in more secondary damage. It can be in the form of skin inflammation, resulting in inflammation. Wounds should be treated depending on the level of their severity. In most cases, a Yorkie owner should go for collars in order to prevent more licking.
- Fleas
These pests should not be underestimated at any time. When a Yorkie is exposed to fleas, he/she is likely to have itchy skin. This could, therefore, lead to chewing and licking. If you find your good pet licking the base of its tail that is where the tail is enjoined to the body, to a level of hair loss or thinning, he/she might be allergic to’ fleas. Therefore, you should provide high-quality flea control on your Yorkie every month. A single flea can make your dog lick its body severely.
- Dermatitis
Yorkie can get inflammations for reasons associated with hosts such as mites, being allergic to food, hormonal disease, non-allergy irritation, auto-immune diseases, and many others. The most effective thumb rule application is to ensure Yorkie is examined to determine whether their skin looks red or it is irritating and whether there is hair loss or hair thinning.
- Other
Although skin disease is the main reason for skin licking among Yorkies, other uncommon cause may include: consuming items which are non-foodies, seizure kind of behavior, and pain on the specific part of the body such as joint.
Why do Yorkies Lick Their Paws?
Whenever you find your Yorkie grooming their paws regularly, licking is an indication that there is a problem. You should never allow your dog to get away with paw-licking. When Yorkies excessively lick their paws, they are likely to develop fur stains on their feet’. At times they may even develop red, inflamed or swollen wounds which can prove an uphill task to heal.
Most common reasons why Yorkies lick their paws are: hormonal imbalances, issues related to GI, yeast infection, pain or dry skin. Here is the full list of reasons why Yorkie is likely to lick its paws:
- Hormonal Imbalances
If your Yorkie is undergoing hormonal imbalance, he or she is likely to produce a lot of cortisol that leads to a ‘Cushing’ disease. This makes it produce insufficient thyroid hormone which brings about, balding, red spots, and brittle hair. Licking of these bald patches or the irritated’ red spots may result in a secondary’ infection.
- Issues Related to GI
Yorkies that lick their paw could be battling GI issues. A clinical study was conducted on dogs where 19’ of them were found to exhibit excessive licking when compared’ to the 10’ healthy’ ones. After taking them through a thorough examination, it was found that 14 out 19 that were licking their paws were found to have’ GI problematics, for example, gastric foreign body, and chronic’ pancreatitis.
- Yeast Infection
Chronic paw licking among Yorkie can be attributed to allergies. It can be as a result of food taken, chemicals around your homestead, weeds and other products. If you realize your Yorkie is licking its paw after’ walking around, the itching sensation could be as a result of grass or weeds. Therefore, you need to clean the feet of your Yorkie and wipe them thoroughly to prevent more irritation.
- Pain
In case you find Yorkie licking their paw this could be an indication of pain, especially if concentrating on one paw. The pain around that region can be as a result of anything, for example, insect bites, wounds, a thorn inside, a broken nail, or an embedded’ piece of glass. In case you don’t find anything, you should not ignore the problem. Go ahead and seek medical intervention from veterinary to save your Yorkie.
- Dry Skin
Dry skin could be specific on a breed and the environment. For example, if you live with your Yorkie in an environment that experiences dry and cold climate. If this is the case, you should look for a natural’ dog lotion from a veterinary doctor to suppress the dryness. If you’re worried that oils could mess your house, then you should feed your Yorkie with oil supplements and high-quality vitamins as they can serve the best remedy for a dry’ skin.
Conclusion
There are several reasons that could compel Yorkies to lick any part of their body. It could either be as a result of medical or behavioral reasons. As a good Yorkie owner, you must be more concerned whenever you notice your dog is excessively licking their body. Therefore, this detailed content should enable you to easily tell why your Yorkie is licking paw, body or air. I hope I answered your question why do yorkies lick so much. If you have any other similar behavior not mentioned in this article, leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer it.