My toy Yorkie is licking his mouth. When should I take him to the vet?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Otis. You are correct that his behavior can signify a problem with his mouth, such as severe dental disease or a broken tooth. There could even be something stuck in his mouth. Another cause is nausea. I'd have him seen by a vet for this, and you should take him into one in the morning. I hope this helps!

Is Yoshi still eating? The licking lips and burping can be a sign of nausea. I would recommend getting an exam done especially if he is not eating. If the sleeping is more than normal, then I’d be worried that he is lethargic. Nausea and lethargy are both good reasons to get avoid exam done. The veterinarian will be able to help you decide if there is a medical problem and what treatment he needs. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This behaviour could be related to a neurological problem (especially licking the air). Certain type of seizures can lead to this type of behaviour but a video of the episodes should be ideally analyzed before any final verdict can be given. At this stage this sign is unfortunately quite generic and it is difficult to give more precise differentials. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

It sounds like Holly could be having some nausea since she is licking her lips and swallowing or possibly abdominal/back pain. If it continues than she should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. Your vet can do an examination, run lab work, and take x-rays, if needed, to help diagnose and then prescribe medications to help treat her problem. She may need some gastric protectants, antacids and/or pain medication. Hope she feels better soon.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are describing sounds as if he is nauseous from something. It is difficult to say what is going on without seeing it in person or on a video. I would withhold food for at least 8 hours and then feed a bland diet of chicken and rice. Feed this at least 3 days beyond the resolution of the symptoms. If these symptoms persist or worsen, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Licking the lips can sometimes be a sign of nervousness, nausea, or even an issue with the teeth or mouth. If he hasn't had a dental cleaning recently, tartar on the teeth or gums could be causing some irritation and thus the licking behavior. Nausea such as from minor GI upset, may also cause drooling, or have signs such as vomiting or diarrhea, but this is not always the case. If it continues or you see any signs of illness/smell bad breath, etc, having your vet take a look is best. If you've changed something in his environment around the time the licking started (new pet, people, items in the house, etc) it could be that he's feeling a bit nervous or uncomfortable as well. Making sure he gets some extra attention and the cause of the nervousness is addressed (IE making sure he has someplace to go rest and hide, using a pheromone diffuser, etc) may help.

Hi there! Licking and chewing at the paws is typically indicative of an allergy; however, it sounds as though this is a new behavior for Deevo and is isolated to one paw. If he will allow you throughly inspect the paw, looking in-between the toes and paw pads to see if there is anything stuck in the fur or skin. It is also possible that he has come into contact with an irritant. You can wash his paws with a mild soap (Dawn dish soap works well) and see if that helps. If he continues to lick/chew or starts to lick/chew his other paws he should be seen by his regular veterinarian to discuss possible diagnostics and/or treatments for allergies. Hope this helps and Deevo gets better soon.