Is your dog licking and over grooming? It may be a behavioral issue, or it may actually be a sign that something is upsetting his or her digestive track. This is definitely something you want to get checked out by your vet, so you can address it accordingly. It can be anything from parasites to an upset in the GI tract.
“They found that 14 of the 19 dogs had some kind of gastrointestinal condition, including “eosinophilic and/or lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the GI tract, delayed gastric emptying, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, gastric foreign body, and giardiasis.”
Once these issues were treated the licking subsided substantially. Check with your vet about adding a good probiotic to their diet as this supports good gut bacteria which in turn helps calm the mind.
There are good acupressure points to support the digestive system, and many of these points will also help to calm the mind and alleviate obsessive licking and worry . So either way they are good points for your pooch….
To learn more read the article below and the abstract.
http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(11)00122-5/abstract
Here are a few points to try:
LI4 is on the inside of the dew claw of the front paw If no dew claw put your finger where the dew claw would
LI11 located on the outside or lateral crease of the elbow.
ST36 find the front of the knee and slide your finger down into the little groove on the lateral side of each knee
Sp6 2 fingers above the medial malleolus or ankle bone this point is on the bone so just follow it up two finger widths on the inside of the back leg.
Liv3 between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bones
