Give the Dog Plenty of Exercise
Anxiety and obsessive behaviors can cause destructive licking, especially if you notice the dog licking everything. Even if you have a yard for your dog to run in, take them walking daily. If you leave for work, try to ask a friend to walk the dog in the middle of the day to help ease the underlying behaviors behind licking.
Is it safe for dogs to keep licking the same toy for days?
A dog’s mouth differs from a human’s mouth in a few ways. For example, dog’s saliva doesn’t work the same way human saliva does. Human saliva has important enzymes that begin breaking down food before it ever enters our digestion system. Instead of digestive enzymes, the saliva of a dog is packed full of anti-microbial and anti-bacterial proteins—killing germs before they can make it to your pup’s gut.
While your dog’s mouth might have anti-germ properties that can help protect your dog from some infections, the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) warns that pet toys are among the germiest objects in our homes. Whether your dog excessively licks his toys or not, studies found that many pet toys harbor harmful organisms like Staph, yeast, and mold.
To keep you and your dog safe, NFS recommends washing hard and soft dog toys at least once a month. If your dog loves licking their toys, sanitizing them more often is a good idea.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
If your dog has an irresistible urge to lick toys constantly, it may have an obsessive-compulsive disorder. This disorder can make your dog repeat normal behaviors, and the best option would be to take it to the vet.
It can be hard for dogs to stop once they’ve started licking toys. While there’s nothing abnormal about a dog that licks its toys occasionally, doing it for many hours is a sign of an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Apart from licking toys, other CCD behaviors include:
According to Dr. Jerry Klein, any dog breed may develop this disorder. But some are more prone to obsessive-compulsive behaviors. These breeds include:
Some factors can influence compulsive behaviors in dogs, such as:
Your dog could have early-onset dementia. Dementia of Canine Cognitive Disorder (CCD) is the dog version of Alzheimer’s in humans. It affects the dog’s learning abilities and memory. As a result, their behavior becomes odd.
Research shows that 62% of dogs between 11-16 years old show signs of dementia. Dogs with dementia are confused with their environment. You’ll find them wandering around like they’re lost. They’ll also bark for no reason. And often bump themselves against closed doors or walls.
Speak with your vet if you notice any CCD symptoms in your dog.
If your dog accidentally ate anything that’s not edible, it might start craving non-food items. So they’d lick everything at sight, including toys.
They might also ingest toys if left unattended.
This condition is known as pica. Pica can be dangerous and lead to dental problems, gastrointestinal blockage, and poisoning.
Note: This condition appears in adolescent and adult dogs. But it’s normal for young puppies to ingest inedible objects as a part of puppyhood.
Dr. Karyn Collier says pica can be behavioral or psychological. But it may also have an underlying clinical cause.
The most common behavioral or psychological reasons include:
And the medical causes include:
Your dog might have something in its mouth that feels strange, making it lick toys in response to pain.
This behavior is common in dogs with oral inflammation. It happens when your dog ingests something sharp, causing sores if chewed.
Another reason can be gingivitis caused by harmful bacteria. Dogs with gingivitis have bleeding gums if it becomes severe.
Note: Gingivitis is common among dogs. But if left untreated, gingivitis can lead to teeth loss. Dogs will develop bad breath, and you’ll notice pus oozing when dogs are licking toys.
It’s important to pay attention to your dog’s dental health. Prevent this behavior by brushing its teeth.
VCA Animal Hospitals recommends that you clean your dog’s teeth twice daily. Occasional professional teeth cleanings can also help.
If your dog licks its toys after playing under the sun, it might just be thirsty. Long walks and playing in hot weather can quickly dehydrate your dog. As a result, it’ll lick toys to combat a dry throat or tongue.
So when you go home and forget to put water into your dog’s bowl, it’ll start licking toys and other objects.
Why does my dog lick everything so much?
It was the voice of my friend, who had been living with her dog for only a few months.
As we talked about it further, she explained that she didn’t think it was a good idea to keep a toy in the house because she didn’t want to have to clean up after her dog.