English Español Deutsch Français 日本語

Why is the dog licking the ground?

Pet Knowledge
This article is provided by Veterinarian Dr. Matthew Thompson
Dogs licking the ground may be caused by a lack of trace elements, food residues on the ground, swallowing foreign objects, etc. First of all, the lack of trace elements in dogs may lead to pica, which leads to abnormal behaviors such as licking the ground, licking the walls, and eating their own feces. Secondly, if there are food residues on the ground, dogs will lick them when they smell them. Finally, if the dog is also accompanied by abnormal symptoms such as swallowing saliva, lack of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, etc., it is likely that the dog has swallowed a foreign object and caused discomfort to the dog, so he wants to try to remove the foreign object by licking the floor. Spit it out.

1. Lack of trace elements

If the dog often licks the ground recently, it is more likely to be pica caused by the lack of trace elements in the body. At this time, the dog will eat some dirt. , wood, grass, own feces, etc. In this regard, the owner needs to replenish trace elements to the dog in time and stop the dog from licking the ground.

2. There are food residues on the ground

Dogs have a very sensitive sense of smell. If there are food residues or residual smell on the ground, the dog will be attracted to lick it. Therefore, owners must usually clean up the food residue on the ground and disinfect it, because there are a lot of bacteria on the ground, and if the dog eats it, it may cause some digestive tract diseases.

3. Swallowed foreign objects

If the dog licks the ground and has adverse reactions such as swallowing saliva, lack of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, etc., it may also be swallowed. Foreign objects such as plastic bags, rubber bands, bones, etc. cause gastrointestinal discomfort in dogs, so they want to spit out the foreign objects by licking the ground. In this case, it is recommended that the owner take the dog to the pet hospital for X-ray examination in time to check the size and location of the foreign object, and then determine the method of removing the foreign object.

TAG: