When a dog licks the floor and furniture, it can be an indication of a medical issue or a behavioral issue. Understanding why your canine companion is engaging in this behavior is important in order to provide the best possible care. In this blog post, we will explore why a dog may lick the floor and furniture, potential causes and solutions, and discuss how best to respond if the behavior is due to a medical or behavioral issue. It is important to note that a veterinarian should be consulted if the behavior persists or if the dog appears to be in discomfort. With careful observation and the right resources, understanding why your dog is licking the floor and furniture can help provide them with the best possible care.
Why Is My Dog Licking the Floor?
Dogs use their tongues for just about everything. The majority of dogs occasionally licking the floor is not uncommon behavior. Dogs will almost always use their mouths and tongues to test and taste any object they are interested in.
However, there is a significant distinction between infrequent licking and persistent, non-stop, excessive licking behaviors. It’s these latter behaviors that raise cause for concern.
Your dog’s excessive licking could be a medical condition known as ELS, which stands for excessive licking of surfaces. Dogs with ELS aren’t just licking a spot once or twice and moving on. These dogs are licking obsessively, and they do it everywhere.
ELS is not limited to floor licking. Although licking the floor is a typical ELS symptom, dogs with ELS tend to lick pretty much anything!
To begin with, every kind of floor is fair game, including tile, linoleum, carpet, wood floors, concrete, and more. In addition to people and furniture, dogs with ELS will lick doors, walls, furniture, and anything else they can get their tongues on!
There are many reasons why ELS occurs, some of which are minor and unimportant. However, there are other, much more serious causes of ELS that might need veterinary help.
Licking for Taste and Enjoyment vs Excessive Licking of Surfaces
We’ll start with the most obvious possibility first. Your dog tests everything with its mouth and tongue. You can bet they’ll keep licking the spot until the tasty substance has worn off when they test the floor and find something tasty there.
Your dog will typically lick the spilled food or drink for a brief period of time, just long enough for the flavor to disappear. What dog wouldn’t want that if you let them lick their dinner plate clean or gave them a free treat?
Your dog is probably not licking for flavor if they continue to lick the floor after any taste has vanished. Furthermore, unless you find drops of spaghetti sauce from making dinner last night all over the floor, your dog is probably not licking it for the taste of it if they are licking multiple areas rather than just one!
Your dog is likely licking for reasons other than flavor as well, such as enjoying the texture. This explains why your dog licks so many various kinds of flooring. A lot of dogs also occasionally lick the occasional wall, piece of furniture, or even the trash can, so they’re not just limited to the flooring!
However, there is a significant distinction between a dog that licks a spot a few times and one that excessively licks the floor repeatedly for extended periods of time. It stops being normal licking when the behavior turns into something repetitive and excessive.
Does your dog appear to lick everything constantly, locating a spot on every surface that requires hundreds of licks until their tongue is forced to become raw?
These are telltale signs of ELS.
However, just knowing that your dog has ELS is only a portion of the issue. Helping your dog will require figuring out what’s causing their excessive licking behaviors in the first place because ELS has many underlying causes.
Why Do Dogs Lick the Floor or Carpet?
Dogs with ELS lick surfaces more frequently than they should. If dogs are merely investigating their surroundings, they don’t lick excessively. ELS may be based on how frequently, for how long, or how ferociously they lick. Affected dogs may lick the couch, carpet, tiles, or any other interior surfaces. There may not be any obvious reason or motive.
It is not abnormal or excessive to lick an area that has recently had food spilled on it. Unless the spilled substance was potentially toxic like a cleaning chemical, your dog will likely be investigating if they smell something tasty, which is quite understandable. If this is the case, contact your veterinarian immediately. ELS can be caused by the following disorders below.
A study conducted by the University of Montreal revealed that 14 out of 19 dogs with ELS were also found to have gastrointestinal tract abnormalities. These included disorders such as chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas and associated illness), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), delayed gastric emptying, and giardiasis (a parasitic infection).
For the majority of these dogs, ELS behavior improved after the underlying gastrointestinal disorder was treated. Over half of them resolved completely. Many of these gastrointestinal conditions are unpleasant or painful and could have more serious effects. Especially if left untreated. If your dog is consistently licking the floor or carpet, this is just one of the reasons it’s so crucial to have them examined by a veterinarian.
FAQ
Why is my dog licking the floor all of a sudden?
Separation anxiety is, unfortunately, common among dogs. Sometimes, as a sort of coping mechanism, a dog with separation anxiety will compulsively lick the floor, carpet, a body part, or something else. Some scientists think that when a dog licks something, endorphins are released in their brain.
How do I stop my dog from licking the floor?
You can try a few straightforward solutions if you want to get your pet to stop excessively licking the ground. Try using licking deterrents like Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray or Bohdi Dog’s Bitter Lemon Spray, for instance. Additionally, you can be more careful when removing crumbs or spills.
Why does my dog constantly lick the floor and carpet?
Your dog is feeling anxious, depressed or bored. Since dogs use their mouths to explore and communicate with the outside world, emotional distress can take many different forms, including destructive chewing and carpet licking.