# Licking the air!?



## chula75

Ok so I feed my two a raw diet. Neither have ever had any issues with the diet and have actually thrived on it. But just recently, my male chihuahua, Pee Wee, starts to " lick the air" for about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour after eating. What I mean by "licking the air" is that he just sits and continously flicks out his tongue and makes this smacking noise. (If you have ever given your dog peanut butter you know what I am talking about. ) He does not vomit nor does he have diarrhea and he doesn't eat grass. I have looked in his mouth to see if anything is lodged in there and I see nothing. Plus I brush his teeth. I'm thinking it might be indigestion because sometimes he whines a little bit but usually after about 1/2 hr, he stops. On the mornings that he gets chicken wings he doesn't lick the air at all after eating. It is really weird. I give my two Nupro which has digestive enzymes in it but I'm thinking I will take him to the vet although he only does this after eating and is perfectly fine the rest of the day. Any thoughts?


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## nabi

My Bella does that...she has ME and its thought that sometimes the food that is caught in the esophagus causes nausea....Maybe your little fellow is having some GI discomfort from something in his diet...just a thought....


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## Brodysmom

Licking the air like that is a sign of nausea. I'd add a good probiotic to her meals. I wonder why he is feeling nauseated? What a mystery. I haven't encountered anything like that before. No vomiting or diarrhea or other symptoms at all? That's very strange.


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## chula75

I know, right? He has no other symptoms. He never vomits or has diarrhea. He just sits and licks the air. I kind of wonder if it could be ocd behaviour because when I took him to the vet about 2 months ago for a check-up (which he was not licking the air during that time, go figure) I mentioned to the vet that he was obsessively licking the carpet. Blood work was done and everything came back normal so the vet kinda thought it was ocd behaviour.Since then, he has kind of let up on the carpet licking but he traded up for air licking!!!! I do have a good probiotic and enzyme supplement by wholistic called digest-all plus and I was giving it to him when the licking first started which was about a month ago. But it didn't seem to be doing any good so I stopped. I guess I should continue but I think he needs to go back to the vet. It really baffles me because like I said, when he gets chicken wings, he doesn't do it. Maybe he produces too much stomach acid or something?


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## chula75

Just an update on Pee Wee's "air-licking" situation. Based upon comments from this forum as well as other research I have been doing, I'm thinking it might be a combination of nausea/gas/acid reflux. He does gulp his food and then afterwards he sometimes belches which seems to give him some relief. I have also learned that vets tend to prescribe Pepcid and other medications for these conditions. So since I have 2 dogs, I separate them now when they eat and that seems to slow him down some as far as gulping his food. I also ordered a product called "GI Support" from onlynaturalpet.com that seems to be helping alot. Actually, his "air-licking" has almost stopped. It contains: L-Glutamine, N-Acetyl-Glucosamine,Slippery Elm Bark, Licorice Root Extract, Quercetin Chalcone, L-Acidophilus, Saccharomyces Boulardii, Pantothenic Acid, Alfalfa, Pepsin, Bromelain and Folic Acid. The websites explains what each ingredient is for, the mg's and all the conditions that it claims to treat. It also got really good customer reviews. I have been opening a capsule and sprinkling it on Pee Wee's food for about a week and I definitely see a difference. I wanted to try this first before taking him to the vet because he has no other symptoms (no vomiting, no diarrhea, no gas except belching) but by no means am I recommending this product over going to the vet. Just wanted to share. Has anyone else used this product?


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## pigeonsheep

dex has done this before....and started lickin the air snd everythin on the floor ...like carpet and the couch and chair....he eventually puked when i let him outside and felt much better after. i heard dogs like to chew on grass to feel better and thats exactl what he ended up doin outside


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## pigeonsheep

u know what u should try for digestion? coconut oil. i use cocotherapy coconut oil to either fry into dex food lightly or just give a teaspoon full and he has better digestion more then he ever did


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## chula75

So do you give Dexter coconut oil for his digestion and as a source of efa's or just for his digestion issues? Right now I do give my two salmon oil capsules several times a week. Is coconut oil better or about the same as fish oils and did you ever find out what was the cause of Dexters' stomach upsets?


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## chula75

Well another update about Pee Wee's "air-licking" saga. I took him to the vet yesterday. (By the way, this is a "holistic vet") I explained what was going on and we talked quite extensively about what I am feeding him. She examined him, checked his mouth, found nothing and told me since he has no other symtoms (no vomiting or diarrhea) she suspects it is a food allergy. She then proceeded to tell me that the diet I am feeding him could be unbalanced and she recommended doing a premade if I want to continue with raw. She is not against raw but I am really not surprised about what she said. I did not feel like explaining why I feed the way I do (the whole "balance over time" scenario) so I just said nothing. She prescribed a natural GI support actually very similar to what I was already giving him called Gastriplex by Thorne Research Labs but said since it has a "nasc" seal it may be better quality than the GI support by onlynaturalpets. She gave me about 10 capsules and told me to limit his protein sources to try to pin point what meat he might be allergic to. She said if this does not help to bring him back and she will do more extensive testing. So that's that!


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## Brodysmom

If it's nausea that is causing the air licking, I don't think that a pre-made is going to help. More ingredients usually and most have fruits/veggies which could make the problem worse and much harder to pinpoint. 

I looked up the ingredients in the gastriplex ....
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Each capsule contains:

N-Acetyl D-Glucosamine...125 mg.
N-acetyl D-glucosamine (NAG) also helps maintain normal intestinal permeability. It enhances mucus production and is involved in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans, the building blocks of connective tissue. N-Acetyl glucosamine is derived from the outer shells of shellfish. Pets (and people) with shellfish allergies are allergic to the meat of shellfish, not the shell and so N-Acetyl Glucosamine does not usually cause an allergic reaction.

L-Glutamine...100 mg.
Glutamine plays a key role in maintaining mucosal cell integrity and gut barrier function. Glutamine also enhances the gut's immune function, in part by increasing the production of secretory immunoglobulin a (sIgA), an antibody that promotes immunity.

Slippery Elm...100 mg
An herb that contains mucilage which provides soothing protection for the mucus membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. Slippery elm neutralizes stomach acids and soothes inflammation.

Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)...25 mg.
Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) supports a healthy intestinal lining by helping to increase blood flow and maintain normal muscle relaxation.

Lactobacillus Sporogenes (Bacillus Coagulans)...25 mg.
Lactobacillus sporogenes is a safe, effective probiotic that survives in stomach acid and produces L(+) lactic acid in the intestine. Probiotics are successfully used to help maintain a healthy GI tract.

Quercetin Chalcone...25 mg.
Quercetin, an abundant dietary flavonoid, has significant positive action in the intestinal tract. Gastriplex contains Thorne Research's patented quercetin chalcone, which, because it's water-soluble, makes it a highly bioavailable form of quercetin.

Saccharomyces boulardii...25 mg.
Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast that decreases intestinal permeability. In numerous clinical studies, Saccharomyces boulardii was found to significantly reduce the symptoms and frequency of acute diarrhea and diarrhea related to colitis, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome as well as antiobiotic-associated diarrhea. 

Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5)...12.5 mg.
Pantothenic acid is converted to Coenzyme A in the colon. Coenzyme A is required for normal carbohydrate and fat metabolism. It is considered especially beneficial with food intolerance.

Folic Acid...50 mcg.
Folic acid is required for DNA synthesis for new cells. Folic acid is commonly deficient in many animals with chronic intestinal disorders.

Inactive Ingredients: Hypromellose (derived from cellulose) capsule, Leucine, Natural Bacon Flavoring, Silicon Dioxide
Contains ingredients derived from soy and from shellfish (crab and/or shrimp).
------------------------------------

It will be interesting to see if it helps! Keep us posted!


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## chula75

Actually the GI support I was already giving him from onlynaturalpets contains the exact same ingredients as the Gastriplex! At one point it seemed as if it was helping but then he went right back to the licking again so I just broke down and took him to the vet to make sure something more serious is not going on. She said since the Gastriplex has the quality seal (nasc) it has to actually contain the ingredients listed but since the GI support by onlynaturalpets does not have the seal, it may or may not contain what it claims. So she told me to try the Gastriplex to see if it works better.


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## pigeonsheep

chula75 said:


> So do you give Dexter coconut oil for his digestion and as a source of efa's or just for his digestion issues? Right now I do give my two salmon oil capsules several times a week. Is coconut oil better or about the same as fish oils and did you ever find out what was the cause of Dexters' stomach upsets?


sorry didnt see this lol. i give him the coconut oil for everythin that it benefits twds him! when u read up about how great it is ull want to try it hehe. so far he hasnt done any airlickin and im not sure what the cause was but i know his tummy was quite upset from somethin. it could be anythin tho as i always let him out the backyard to pee and we have a huge garden which is all basically dirt right now...so he couldve ate the dirt lol o.o


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## susan davis

I wonder if this dog has 'partial seizures' ?? They lick the air as if they 'see' fleas/flies. If so, then get him checked out for epilepsy. Sue (who has a dog like this and has been diagnosed by a neurologist as having partial seizures and is now on phenobarbital)


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## Brodysmom

susan davis said:


> I wonder if this dog has 'partial seizures' ?? They lick the air as if they 'see' fleas/flies. If so, then get him checked out for epilepsy. Sue (who has a dog like this and has been diagnosed by a neurologist as having partial seizures and is now on phenobarbital)


Sue, that crossed my mind too. I wonder though as the dog just seems to do it after he eats and then quits. Does that sound like seizure activity to you? When your dog was doing the air licking or air biting - was it random?


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## chula75

This whole morning I have been googling information on focal/complex partial seizures in dogs and lip smacking and air biting are definitely symptoms. He has also been licking the front of both his legs in between the air licking. I also googled " reflex seizures in dogs stimulated by eating" and there are cases of people who suffer from this, (they can be stimulated by eating, drinking, reading a book or other sensory stimuli to have seizures) but I didn't see any cases of dogs although I will keep looking! For the sake of following through with what the vet recommended, I will continue to give him the GI support and like she said, go back in for more testing if this doesn't help. I do feel like it is some type of seizure he is having and I will definitely make that known to her if I have to take him back in! Thanks for the feedback!


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## chula75

*Update!!!!*

Just wanted to let you all know what is going on with Pee Weeto! Initially I thought that he may be suffering from partial seizures based upon feedback from this forum as well as the internet. But now, I am thinking it is OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) brought on by stress. According to my research, partial seizures can sometimes be difficult to differentiate from OCD disorder because lip smacking, licking the air and obsessive licking in general can be signs of both conditions. However, one difference is that with seizures, sometimes it can be difficult to get the dogs attention while it is happening. With Pee Wee, this is not the case at all, if I call him, he will respond. I also didn't feel it was the food allergy because I have always fed him a variety and he would lick the air no matter what I gave him (besides chicken wings). Anyway, Pee Wee has always been an obsessive licker and he startles very easily. Another factor is that Penelope (the cutie pie in my avatar) is definitely the Alpha and she can be agressive towards him and she obviously intimidates him. So where am I going with this? I learned that with some dogs, providing a distraction when the behavior starts has proven effective. So, immediately after he eats, I give them both a Calming support supplement and a Kong with a treat inside. Guess what? The "licking the air" has almost stopped! I also learned that the B vitamin complex can help with stress as well as strenthen the immune system. A stressed dog gets sick easily and can attract fleas and ticks more easily as well. And guess what? Pee Wee has always had a problem with both, in spite of being on raw. So I am going to supplement them both 3 x's a week with 50 mg of B-vitamin complex but divided between the two of them.


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## Brodysmom

I commend you for getting to the root of the problem!!! That's so great! So often we just chalk things up to "one of those things" and go on, but you did a lot of digging/research and it seems like you have come up with a very feasible answer to the licking problem! Good for you!


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## chula75

Thank you Brodysmom!  I have heard so many people say in reference to their dogs " On, it's just a dog!" Like dogs don't deserve the best treatment possible. That makes me angry. If you decide to get a dog, take care of it!!!!!! They deserve the best we can give and they depend on us. I hope I am right about what is going on with him, ( I feel that I am) but still I am going to take him back to the vet in about another week to see what she has to say about it. I know with smaller dogs you have to be very careful about supplements but I've learned that alot of times in processed foods, the B vitamins can be easily damaged and almost useless since they are so fragile. Since I feed them commercial raw food with some meaty bones in between, I figured it would be okay to supplement them with the B-vitamin complex and the Calming support by Pet Naturals of Vermont.( It contains per chew: Thiamine (vitamin b 1) 31.25 mg, L-Teanine- 10.56 mg and Colostrum Calming Complex- 5.28 mg) However, I have stopped all other supplements (nupro, fish oil, vitamin e and the GI support) because I feel they probably get everything else they need in their diets. Plus b-vitamins are water soluble and very hard to over dose. Anyone else give B-vitamin complex to their dogs or have any more insight or experience using them?


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## susan davis

I've been reading these posts carefully. I have an epileptic pup that has 'air snapping' as one of her problems. She has been breaking through the phenobarbital and I don't want to give her more meds. Soooooo yesterday I put a thundershirt on her a hour before she goes in her pen (9pm) Worked fine. Tonight I gave her a bully stick in her pen 1/2 hour before, and that worked fine too. I now have 2 options I can use when she gets to that point of breaking through and air snapping! Thanks for your ideas.Sue


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