My shihtzu constantly licks everything. She has to wear socks at night to stop her licking her feet. Then she will lick her bottom (I know her glands are fine). Failing all that she will lick her blanket or my pillow. She stops after a while but with that and her spinal problem, it's extremely stressful

Dogs in pain can lick a lot. Is she on any pain relief if she has a spinal issue?

I will second SJ comment. Worth getting a vet check

Pain definitely a possibility as she already has a known spinal issue, however, licking can also be allergies (and it can be both), and environmental licking can indicate digestive discomfort.  Reflux in particular.

She isn't on pain relief only if I think she needs it. She can sleep for hours and not do it. You may be right about allergies as she does suffer with yeasty ears as well

Maybe its worth increasing pain relief and seeing if it makes a difference. Dogs are so good at hiding pain as often they don't show it in the way we expect.
Mine has ear problems and when they are bad will scratch and sable her head but it doesn't seem to wake her just when she is awake

I'm sorry to jump on board but I just can't help myself.

Yeast and licking can both be related to food issues and allergies.
Could you consider going completely grain free, and feed a raw diet, this is reported to help many types of food allergies.

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I can't do raw. My daughter feeds hers that and mine won't touch it. She has chicken and kibble dry food which says it's grain free. Harringtons. She has a tooth chew in the evening and a dried duck strip. That's it

She is the same. When she's asleep the feet and ears don't bother her. As soon as she has her socks on she stops licking her feet. Soon as she wakes up she starts scratching her ears and licking her feet

This isn't a normal behaviour so you need to see a vet. The vet needs to rule out any possible physical causes and tell you if it is behavioural.

If the vet concludes it is behavioural, you should work with a qualified behaviourist to address it and you may need some meds from your vet to support that work (ie fluoxetine) - because it can be an OCD behaviour.

Chicken is a very common allergen, so that might be the problem.

Also, re. pain relief: much is designed to be used daily and is most effective that way, not used as and when and in addition, we cannot know what the dog is feeling - usually when a dog actually shows pain clearly enough for a human to spot it, it's significant.  They also learn to live with chronic pain so it may not show as clearly.

I agree that a vet trip is needed here.

This was the neurologist that said not to give meds everyday or they become less effective. My other two shihtzus wee allergic to chicken but this showed up as. Diarrhea

. It is unusual not to give even a small amount daily even for neuropathic pain . For example things like gabapentin need to build up and then tick over with daily meds
Perhaps a review is needed

On the chicken from if it is sensitivities to something including chicken then it can be gastric problems  or itching or both . I would start with a pain review and then think about diet excluding chicken

> re. pain relief: much is designed to be used daily and is most effective that way, not used as and when and in addition, we cannot know what the dog is feeling - usually when a dog actually shows pain clearly enough for a human to spot it, it's significant.  They also learn to live with chronic pain so it may not show as clearly.<br />

With Frankie, once prescribed with Metacam, I got it down to the minimum daily dose he 'seemed' be ok having as regards discomfort.  With our Ben, years ago, after he developed spondylitis when 8 years, he was on PLT tablets when at his worst but eventually, after going off his back legs and then standing up and walking again, I tended only to give him those tablets when I felt he needed them.

This not knowing about whether any pain was 'right' (for them), I'll always remember one vet who said re chronic pain perhaps they think that's how they 'should be'.  It's a fact that Bassets don't suffer pain without letting you know ALL about it!

> My other two shihtzus wee allergic to chicken but this showed up as. Diarrhea

Food intolerances and allergies present differently with different dogs.

Three of mine are intolerant to chicken to different degrees.

One eats his own poo within 24 hours of having chicken; no other effects, and the poo is normal.

One gets ear infections if he has it regularly over a week or two.

The third gets a slight ear infection, only in one ear, if she has it regularly over several months (it's taken me 4 years to work this one out because the onset is so delayed).

Other dogs might chew or lick, or be hyperactive, or have skin irritation (one of my grooming clients gets that).  They're all different.  And of course it may be a different trigger entirely!

> This was the neurologist that said not to give meds everyday or they become less effective.

I think that depends on both the medication and the dog.  Some will be less effective over time, often things like tramadol, while others will keep working and for individual dogs, they may grow tolerant to a particular med and need a change where another dog might benefit from it for years.

But in an active licking situation with a known problem, my first port of call (apart from the vet) would be to give the meds daily for a couple of weeks and see if that improves it.  If it doesn't, then I'd look into the allergies side.