Hello

My 15 month old dog has been licking his bum excessively now for a few months.

His worming programme is up to date, he has had his anal glands checked and emptied and the vet said that they were not very full, he is fed on Dr Burns food.

He does not drag his bum across the floor or do it after going to the toilet it is mainly just in the evening when all the animals and jobs are done and we are sat down in the evenings to watch tv.

If anybody else has had a similar problem or knows of any way to can stop and discourage it, or has any new ideas of what may have caused and can prevent it then i would be very greatfull as it is concerning and also beggining to mark his coat around the area, i think possibly the fur may be dieing from the friction of the licking?

any help or suggestions welcome and will be greatfully received.

Hi,
If you're certain there's nothing wrong in that area, ie full anal glands, normal poo, no sores or anything else that could cause this, it might be a "habit". Sometimes dogs keep on doing certain things, just because they usulally do them :p  If your boy did get a bit itchy originally, he then maybe kept on licking himself out of habit? Especially if the skin is getting a little irritated from his licking, it can become a bad circle, that needs to be broken. Try discourageing him from licking, and if he still can't resist it, even when told not to, an elisabethan collar might be needed,.
This is only in the event of you being absolutely certain there's nothing  wrong. If it's been a while since the vet checked him, maybe a new visit at the vet's should be undertaken, before you actually hinder his licking.
Giving this kind of advise over the internet is always difficult, and a new examination by a vet, before you do anything would be my advice.
Good luck,
Karen

What breed is he.  There are a number of prolems in that area, th worst of which would be Anal furunculosis, to which some breeds seem pre-disposed.

My ckcs bitch does the same in the evenings when we are all settled down i have had her checked out but the only thing i have found to stop her itch stop wipes they have a bitter taste.  She also groomed one of our kittens so excessivly he ended up with a bald patch on his cheek.

Hi Balloo
Does he also lick his paws at all?  And are his ears ok?  I only ask because these tend to be areas that allergy sufferers go for.  Some dogs that suffer from allergies worry the area around the anus.  One of mine is an allergy sufferer but she leaves that area alone.

Hi
Thanks for the replies, he is a Dalmatian. He doesnt lick anywhere else either? Where would i buy these itch stop wipes from? Would any one agree that putting on an elizabethan collar to break the habit cycle might be an option after the vet has checked him if there seems to be no other under lying problem. Becuase he has licked so much i think it has become irritated and he has to lick more but then the area becomes worse, bit of a vicous circle? What do people think. Thanks again for the help and opinions so far x

have you had his anal glands checked.i think it might be that

If he has been wormed thoroughly, anal sacs emptied, and tested for allergies the only other thing I can think of is prostate problems which can occur at any age.