My dog constantly licks

she is well behaved and has no bad habits except one....she is constantly licking her entire backside and legs. We've tried a product called FOOEY and that's exactly what it is. It gets on our hands when we pet her and then on our food and yes it is FOOEY! I guess Bitter Apple is the next remedy and failing that, does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks. Joel

get the vet to check her out my springer does this and hes pink underneath but i found it was fleas!

Thanks, we did take to the Vet to check for fleas....negative. He did say that Shi Tzu's have very alergic reactions to many things. He even gave her cotizone pills for the condition. No luck so far.

Hi Joel how old is your bitch, how long has she been licking excessively , is it just the back legs or the front ones as well, do you know when it started ?

I would hesitate to put any substance on your dog to prevent licking, putting substances on a dog can actually encourage licking, better to try to find the cause of the problem and to eliminate it.

She's 2 1/2 years old. This has been going on and off since she was a puppy.

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I would first check the anal glands, then the skin for any signs of a skin condition or parasites.

Sometimes licking may begin because there is some small problem with the dogs skin . The dog finds licking rewarding and continues long after the problem has cleared up. This is more likely to happen if the dog is bored or under stimulated.

If you see your dog licking it is a good idea to distract her with a game or a toy. Also provide an alternative form of licking with toys, the 'Everlasting Treat Ball' (a ball which contains replaceable chicken flavored discs) is a licking toy and a Kong can be use for a similar purpose.

ETA Joel you didn't reply, is it just the back legs?

Also is she spayed, is it worse at some times more than others ?

Yes, she is spayed. It is only her back thighs and genitalia. She doesn't scratch excessively so I know it's not fleas. We use Frontline once a month that I get from the Vet. I think you're idea of a licking toy is a good one and I'm going to try that right away. Joel

Hi Joel I would check the things I previously mention to eliminate them (anal glands and skin) , also make sure the is no discharge from the vulva which could indicate something like vaginitis.

If only the back legs are licked the cause is less likely to be an external substance related allergy (like carpets/household cleaners etc ) .

The other thing you could do is to keep a diary to see if the problem can be linked to anything.

And lastly what are you feeding, look at the content of the food and think about feeding a food with very few additives maybe a fish and potato based food. There are a number of them available in this country.
Watch treats, some are full of additives .You could also try feeding an exclusion diet for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement . This involves feeding a minimum number of foods for a couple of weeks like boiled rice and white fish and observing and noting the results then gradually adding a normal food . This can help to indicate if the problem is food related.

I`m wondering if the bitch is leaking urine at all?
I can`t help feeling this should be checked properly by a vet, especially as it`s been going on for a while.

We've taken her to the vet several times and no she is not "leaking". I'm going to try some distractions toys like Kong.