Licking, blind dog, brain damage?

[Auntyhen]

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This is my five year old ex Dogs Trust rescue mongrel terrier. Got him at 18 months, ex Irish street stray. He always licked, I thought he could be trained out of it. He can't. I can stop him and do, but cannot stop him starting ( if you get the difference ). Within the last twelve months his progressive blindness due to genetic condition PRA was confirmed. The obsessive licking predated this and continues at same rate. Someone recently suggested the licking may be a retained juvenile trait, possibly indicating some brain damage, the equivalent of a human learning difficulty. He licks as though hypnotised, on and on until interrupted. He licks anything; people, furniture, carpets, the cat, his bedding....help!

 

[excuseme]

Hello,

Have you ever considered that this licking could be to do with diet ?

I am not a vet, but vets anyway are not nutritionalists themselves either.

Our every day "convenient" kibbles can be the cause of so very many health issues these days.

Your little dog may have been on kibble form a puppy and doing fine "or is he" !

Try changing to a raw diet, and stop all treats that are made with grain.

Many of our pet stores have a freezer in store where there is a good variety of frozen "complete" convenient nugget shapes or even a freeflow mince, they all thaw quickly.

I'm sure it is worth you giving it a try for a couple of months.

Change over can be very quick onto a raw diet with no problems. Try tripe or chicken first then go onto the "complete" nugget meals.

 

[Biker John]

I have no idea if changing to a raw diet would change its licking, but I am sure it would be better for the dog. Also if you do try tripe your dog will love it I haven't come across a dog yet that don't think its the best possible, and the more it smells the more they like it.