Reasons Why Dogs Lick the Floor
Dogs lick the floor because of the texture and taste of it. Occasionally, dogs lick floors obsessively, which can be classified as excessive licking of surfaces or ELS. Usually, ELS is caused by anxiety and stress and occasionally by obsessive-compulsive disorder. More commonly, ELS is caused by a gastrointestinal disturbance.
Dogs use their tongues to taste and explore just about everything. Most dogs lick the floor on occasion, and it’s not abnormal behaviour. You will notice that most dogs lick almost everything on the ground outdoors, too.
However, there’s a difference between occasional licking and non-stop excessive licking, and it is the latter that is a cause for concern.
Dogs who excessively lick may be suffering from a medical condition called ELS, or excessive licking of surfaces. Dogs who have ELS don’t just lick the floor once or twice and move on. They lick constantly, and they do it all the time.
While floor licking is a common sign of ELS, it’s not the only one. Dogs will lick just about anything, including doors, walls, people, furniture, and anything else their tongue can reach.
The causes of ELS are varied. Some are minor, while others are very serious and require veterinary intervention.
Licking for Enjoyment vs Excessive Licking
The most obvious reason dogs lick floors is that they find something tasty. Since your dog taste tests almost everything, it’s possible they’ve just found the spot where you spilt apple juice yesterday or where your toast crumbs landed on the floor. While you may have cleaned up the spill, if you didn’t scrub the floor, there are remnants of flavour left behind for your dog. In this case, your dog will lick the spot until the good taste is all gone.
Generally, licking tasty spots on the floor will only continue for a few minutes until it no longer tastes good. It’s kind of like a free treat for your dog.
If your dog continues to lick the floor long after any flavour is gone, it’s probably not the taste that’s driving the licking. Particularly, if your dog is licking multiple spots rather than just one, they may be licking because they like the texture.
Again, it’s important to note the frequency with which your dog does this. Licking the floor a few times and moving on isn’t anything to worry about. When your dog’s behaviour becomes obsessive and repetitive, it is no longer ordinary licking.
Does your dog lick everything in sight? Do they lick all the time? Do they lick the same spot for so long that their tongue gets raw? These are telltale signs of excessive licking.
However, determining whether your dog is licking excessively is only the first step. Since ELS has many different causes, helping your dog’s licking problem will require finding the source of the behaviour.
Causes of Excessive Licking in Dogs
If your dog is obsessively licking the floor and you think they may have ELS, it’s a sign that something is wrong. Usually, there is another cause that is negatively affecting your dog’s mental health. Excessive licking is just the way your dog copes with it.
There are a few underlying issues that can cause ELS, so let’s look at each of them in some detail.
GI Tract Disturbances
Gastrointestinal disturbances or abnormalities are the most common cause of ELS. According to the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, GI issues were discovered in 14 out of 19 dogs with ELS; however, what these GI issues were varied dramatically. GI issues of dogs in the study included:
· Giardiasis
· Chronic pancreatitis
· Eosinophilic infiltration of the GI tract
· Lymphoplasmacytic infiltration
· Foreign body
· Delayed gastric emptying
· Irritable bowel syndrome
None of these GI issues can be diagnosed without thorough examination and testing by a veterinarian. The good news is that when the GI issues were treated, ELS was resolved in 9 out of 14 affected dogs.
Anxiety or Stress
Dogs who feel stressed are much more likely to develop obsessive behaviours. Behavioural changes are common for dogs experiencing anxiety.
In addition to excessive licking, there may be other signs that your dog is feeling stressed, including whining, pacing, heavy panting, shedding excessively, or even having accidents in the house.
In order to relieve stress in your dog, you need to find the stressor. This can be a change in routine, a new pet or family member, or even something environmental, like construction noise outdoors. Occasionally, the cause is a medical condition or pain.
If there is no obvious stressor, determine whether your dog is getting enough exercise. For high-energy dogs, the inability to burn out their excess energy can be enough to cause them anxiety.
Situational stress is one thing, but some dogs suffer from anxiety disorders just like people. They need assistance to overcome their anxiety through training and sometimes medication. Dogs are most often affected by:
· Fear anxiety
· Separation anxiety
· Age-related anxiety
If you feel like your dog is suffering from anxiety that’s interfering with their quality of life or daily functioning, it’s important to discuss treatment options with your vet.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Dogs can develop OCD, which can manifest itself as ELS. In dogs, this disorder is often referred to as Canine Compulsive Disorder to differentiate it from the human variety of illnesses.
While it has a different name, there are very few differences in the brains of dogs and people with compulsive disorders. It’s only the behaviour that affected individuals engage in that’s different. While a person with OCD may turn the lock on the front door endlessly or compulsively clean, dogs engage in excessive licking, chewing, pacing, or digging.
If your dog has OCD, it’s important to understand that the disorder is genetically inherited. Your dog was born with an abnormality in their brain, and the only thing you can do now is treat the illness.
What If Your Dog Suddenly Starts Licking the Floor?
Suppose your dog has never engaged in floor licking before and suddenly starts; it’s important to determine whether the licking is excessive. If someone spilt juice down the hallway floor, your dog might just be licking it up, even if you’ve never noticed floor licking before.
Take note of how often your dog is licking the floor, what surfaces they are licking (is it only the tile and it’s very hot outside?), and how long they lick. If your dog isn’t licking excessively, there’s nothing to worry about. Excessive licking means licking for 20 minutes to an hour at a time, not occasional licking here and there.
Dogs who suffer from ELS are likely to lick a wide variety of surfaces, not just one. If your dog is concentrating on a single spot, it’s a safe bet there’s something tasty on the floor that you are unaware of.
Treating ELS
To stop your dog from excessively licking the floor, you have to treat the underlying cause of the behavior.
Determine the Cause
Rule out the simplest explanations first. If there is an obvious stressor present, like a new baby, a recent move, or home renovations, start there. Your dog could just be stressed and needs time to adjust.
Since your dog can’t tell you what’s wrong, you may have to do a bit of detective work. If you’ve ruled out any obvious situational or environmental causes for ELS, the next step is a vet visit. This can help you find or rule out any medical illnesses or GI issues your dog may have.
Treat the Cause
Once you find the cause of your dog’s ELS, the next step is to treat it. This will often treat the ELS or at least reduce the behaviour.
Environmental Changes
Dogs who have ELS that is caused by anxiety or stress will likely need adjustments to their environment. The cause needs to be dealt with, but sometimes this isn’t enough. Medications are available to help dogs with clinical anxiety.
If the cause of the stress isn’t removable, like a new baby, your dog may just need time to adjust. Often making small changes, like maintaining your dog’s schedule and ensuring they get attention and exercise, will fix the situation over time.
Behaviour Modification
Behaviour modification training is often necessary for dogs with ELS due to OCD or anxiety. Counterconditioning and desensitization are useful training tools to change the way your dog reacts to certain situations.
If your dog’s ELS is extreme, it may be in your best interest to consult with an animal behaviourist. Over time, your dog can learn to replace undesirable behaviours with new, more appropriate ones.
Final Thoughts
Licking the floor is normal behaviour for dogs, but sometimes it develops into excessive licking. There are a number of causes for excessive licking, so you’ll need to determine the underlying cause in order to stop the behaviour.
Hopefully, this article has given you a better idea of how to deal with your dog licking floors. With any luck, your dog’s licking is normal and nothing to be concerned about. If it’s not normal, at least you know what to do about it!
