Re: Butt Licking 2

In Reply to: Butt Licking 2
Category:   Behavior Problems
Posted by:  Curtis Henson
Posted on:  April 25, 2002 at 19:03:13

: I asked a question a couple of days ago about my 8 month old JRT licking his butt. He seems to be fascinated with it at times. Licking it for minutes on end unless we make him stop. He does not drag it and he does not have worms. It does not seem irratated. Is this just a phase or what? I have never had a dog do this as much as him. I would like some kind of answer to my question. If you feel it is not appropriate for the list that is fine but could somebody email me directly.
: Thanks,
: Curtis

Response:

Hi Curtis,

Sorry that we couldn't get to your question as quickly as you would have liked. This board is manned by a volunteer staff. Some days we have several volunteers answering questions, other days it might only be one or two. We have a high volume of questions to be answered as you can imagine. Sometimes we can answer questions quickly and others need some research before we can address the issue at hand.

Your pup could be licking his rear-end for several reasons which can include 1) worms, 2) allergies, 3) fleas or ticks, 4) mites and in some instances even boredom.

Your best bet is to bring your dog into the vet and have him/her take a look. Chances are there is some physical reason for this. Dogs don't normally focus on that area. There is a thing called "lick granuloma" but that is usually confined to the lower leg area and paws.

If the physical causes of your dog's behavior are eliminated then you can discuss with your vet the best way to try and get your terrier to stop. Chances are he needs some more exercise if a physical reason is ruled out.