What Your Dog might be Telling You when they Lick their Lips

It is common for dogs to lick their lips when they feel uncomfortable, anxious, nervous, or threatened. Lip licking is a way for dogs to show their submissiveness and to avoid confrontation, showing that they want to interact in a friendly manner. However, it could also be a sign of depression or disease. Therefore, it is essential to take care of your dog's health and provide them with a stress-free environment. Here are three awesome ways to prevent your dog from licking their lips: 

Schedule Regular Vet Check-Ups 

It's easy to forget to schedule regular vet check-ups for your dog. However, an experienced vet can help get to the root of the issue if they're showing signs of discomfort. Dental disease is a common cause of lip licking in dogs, and regular dental check-ups can minimize oral discomfort and alert us to the first signs of a more serious medical problem. Dental hygiene is crucial in dog oral care. Speak to your vets about a regime for your pooch. 

Maintain Good Oral Care 

Dogs who have gingivitis, rotten teeth, broken teeth, abscesses in the mouth, and other types of dental damage can be seen licking their lips often to ease the pain. Therefore, keeping good oral care is necessary. Regularly brushing your dog's teeth can help prevent tartar buildup. Again, speak to your vets about a regimen for your pooch. 

Provide a Stress-Free Environment 

Dogs licking their lips may be trying to signal that they are anxious, afraid, or depressed. As much as possible, keep stressors to a minimum. Nutraceuticals can also be used to soothe your dog. There may be something in your dog's environment that is making them uneasy, so pay attention to your dog's behaviour and surroundings. 

Five-Minute Dog Health Check 

Finally, it is essential to check your dog's health regularly. I recommend performing a 5-minute health scan of your dog at least once a month, preferably weekly if you have time. By routinely examining your dog, you will quickly learn what is normal for them. It will be easier to detect abnormal changes or problems much sooner, and a faster diagnosis means a better prognosis. Here is what you can do: 

• Check their eyes. They should be clear and bright with no clouding or foreign objects. 

• Check their ears. The skin inside the ear should be clean. If there is an excessive buildup, clean the inside of the ear with damp cotton wool. 

• Check their teeth. They should be clean, white, with very little or no brown colouring, and their gums should be pink.  

• Check their feet. Look for any unusual brown staining on their feet, which could be a sign of excessive licking and/or underlying inflammation. No cracks or calluses should be present on pads. Regularly check between the toes for any foreign bodies. 

• Check their body. Their coat should be healthy with little or no dead skin. The skin should appear clean, with no lumps, fleas, or ticks.  

• Check their weight. Visually check your dog’s shape regularly. Monitor for weight gain and weight loss.  

I truly believe that getting to know your dog better by assessing them will help you detect problems sooner.  

A healthy dog is a happy dog.