Q. Our Black Lab has always been a licker. She licks people, furniture, floors, etc. Her mouth is rarely closed. How can we curb this sloppy behavior?

-Emily Steadman
Evanston, Illinois

A. Excessive licking is most commonly a behavioral issue, though a medical cause (gastrointestinal or dental) should certainly be ruled out. The most common causes include attention seeking behavior, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and, in older animals, cognitive dysfunction. The behavior can often unintentionally be reinforced by her [person’s] reactions and the attention the dog receives from the action. Try to engage the animal in other activities like playing outside, taking walks, and engaging play with toys. If an obsessive-compulsive disorder is diagnosed, alternative medications could be considered, though behavior modification should be used as well.

- Sarah Izard, DVM, Leon Springs, Texas

A. As in any behavioral disorder, inappropriate licking must be differentiated from a medical problem such as gastrointestinal, dental or oral disease, neurological disorders, electrolyte imbalance and/or metabolic disease. Assuming the above conditions were initially addressed, the next step is to attempt to identify the cause of the compulsive disorder. Initiating factors and causes might include under stimulation, inconsistent training, environmental change, change in routine, additions or departures in family members, and household change. Teaching her to display a different, more acceptable behavior is recommended. When you observe her licking, be calm and interrupt her without saying anything or looking directly at her. Then, redirect her to another activity, such as playing with a toy. Once the licking stops, reinforce the desired behavior.

- Derrick Landini, DVM, Chicago, Illinois

Q. My husband and I recently adopted our elderly mother’s 12-year-old Cairn Terrier. Unfortunately, she suffers from separation anxiety and pees everywhere. We’ve tried “baby gating” her to one area, but she just cries and tries to chew through the gate. Should we crate her or would that just traumatize her further?

-A. O’Ferrall
Union, New Jersey

A. Separation anxiety is a tough behavior to deal with, especially in an older, newly adopted animal. As always, a medical cause should be ruled out first. Typically if a medical cause is underlying, the behavior will occur while the [person] is present as well. Phobias and cognitive dysfunction are other potential medical causes. With true separation anxiety, punishment is contraindicated. [You] should start with downplaying her arrival and departure, ignoring the dog for 15-30 minutes at these times. Counter-conditioning the animal is an idea as well—providing her with a chew item while preparing to depart. Drug therapy can be used in combination with the behavior modification techniques.

-S. Izard

A. It does not surprise me that she suffers from separation anxiety due to an abrupt change in her household and environment. At this time, confining her to a crate may only cause more anxiety and I would only resort to a crate if you felt she was in any danger of injuring herself. Due to her age, my first and foremost recommendation would be to have her examined by your veterinarian. [To diagnose] inappropriate urination in an older dog with no previous history, you must eliminate any related medical concerns initially. These concerns could be a urinary tract infection, which can be treated simply with the appropriate antibiotic or a more serious condition such as kidney disease, diabetes, or cushings. Your veterinarian will want to examine the urine and run some routine blood tests. Also, they may want to image the bladder and kidneys with radiographs and/or ultrasounds to rule out any medical problems.

-D. Landini

Q. One of my cats pees outside the litter box because she has a thyroid problem. My vet recommended new food and medicine, neither of which is working. Now she is pooping in my basement and I’m worried it’s seeping into the concrete.

-Diane Jacobs
Hartland, Michigan

A. Medical conditions can certainly play a role in the behavior (i.e. hyperthyroidism) Any condition causing pain during elimination or a sense of urgency can lead to an aversion to the litter box even after the condition has been resolved. Litter box size and type, litter type, box location, adverse encounters with other cats at the litter box, and cleaning habits of the litter box can all play a role. Things can be done to try and remedy the problem, starting with making the litter box more appealing. One may make a “litter cafeteria” in an attempt to find the cat’s preference. You can buy multiple types (different sizes, covered and not) with the same type of litter. Or you can try different types of litter in the same litter box type. Changing one variable at a time will help identify the aversion. The litter box needs to be in a quiet but accessible location. Improving litter hygiene by scooping routinely and completely emptying the box regularly [can help]. With multi-cat households, the rule of thumb for number of boxes is one for every cat plus one. Treating inappropriate elimination takes diligence, but can be very rewarding.

-S. Izard

A. Thyroid hormones are likely to have an effect on behavior, but their role is still unclear. It may take a few weeks after starting the thyroid medication before you see any improvement. One sign of improvement may be weight gain. My recommendation is to have her evaluated by your vet, especially since she has been on the medication for more than three weeks. Your vet will want to retest her blood values and make any appropriated changes in her medication if necessary. Also, at this time, they should reexamine her for any other reasons for inappropriate elimination. You may [also] need to make the area(s) such as the basement unavailable when possible or confine your inappropriate eliminators to an area with [her] individual litter box.

-D. Landini