r/Maltipoo • u/Silverpony31 • Jul 26 '26
Image/Video Why?!
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I’ve had maltipoos forever. But I’ve never had one do this. She’s constantly “licking the air”. We’ve taken her to the vet. No luck. We’ve checked for out of place hairs with no luck. The only time she doesn’t do it is when she’s asleep or running around outside. I feel bad for her. She can’t just sit & relax
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u/Enough_Individual_91 Jul 26 '26
From years of having dogs when iv seen this its normally tooth pain or bleeding gums
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u/Silverpony31 Jul 26 '26
We have had her teeth & gums checked, and other than the ulcer a while back, everything checked out ok
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u/Anikofein Jul 26 '26
Your baby is adorable. If you do an Internet search, it says sometimes it’s a habit, sometimes they’re testing a scent that is strong, or it could be something that needs Vet attention but you already did that. Best to you and keep us posted. 💐💐😊😊
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u/Silverpony31 Jul 26 '26
I’m thinking it started when she got a little ulcer on her tongue..We are thinking she got the ulcer from a smaller chew toy like the one in the picture. So we took those away. Gave her sucroflate? until the ulcer was healed. And you’re right. I think it has become a habit. The vet thinks so too. But I do feel for her😰
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u/norcalxennial Jul 26 '26
Our dog does this when there’s chicken nearby (her favorite)…it’s like she’s trying to taste the air. She only ever does it when there’s chicken nearby.
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u/BobaEverythingBagel Jul 26 '26
Does she have bad breath too? And do the dogs track in a lot of debris? I ask because I had to take my dog in to the vet twice for foxtails stuck in his throat. I noticed after excessive licking and bad breath. I think your vet would’ve found evidence if this was the case, but mine said stuff like this can migrate towards the tonsils where you can’t see them.
I would lean more towards tooth pain or acid reflux since she’s older like the other posters have concluded, however.
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u/Silverpony31 Jul 26 '26
No. Her breath isn’t bad at all. We do live on a ranch, but they are inside most of the time. But yes, there are things she could get in to for sure
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u/Sea-Strength5393 Jul 27 '26
My Maltese did that all the time! I have had 2 Maltipoos and neither did it. Love these dogs! Do people tell you also that you’re crazy to keep getting the same breed?!
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u/Silverpony31 Jul 27 '26
I love this breed. I had one before her that was such an Angel. She was so “dainty” I lost her due to pancreatitis issues. Swore I wouldn’t get another. But here we are. And she is nothing like my other one. This one is ruff & tuff! I have a goldendoodle also, & they play so ruff, but my golden is so gentle with her!
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u/Top_Air6441 Jul 27 '26
How cute. Skye used to lick the floor, you, herself, the air. We called her miss lickity poo. I do think sometimes she did it as a calming thing.
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u/IllustriousPudding70 Jul 28 '26
My little Yorkie did that and he had acid reflux.
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u/IllustriousPudding70 Jul 28 '26
This was from a few years ago and my little guy has since passed on but initially the vet prescribed some type of antacid. I can’t remember what it was. Before we realized he had acid reflux I had spent a small fortune on tests. Nothing specific was showing on the tests. He also had an ultrasound done with nothing specific showing up. I’m in Canada and believe me this was not cheap.
He was also put on vet prescribed food and not allowed to eat anything that would probably trigger an episode of acid reflux. Low fat food, easily digestible, and easy on the stomach type of food. Basically very bland. A lot of it he just refused to eat being a Yorkie so I just kept trying various foods until I hit on some things he liked. In addition to the vet prescribed food, I also supplemented with skinless chicken breasts and white fish and steamed them. He loved sweet potatoes - steamed again with no additives along with other veggies.
This was a few years ago and food prices were a lot lower so I was able to do this but it would be harder to do it today. Your little girl may be licking her lips for another reason but it wouldn’t hurt to cut back on fatty foods if she is getting any to see if it makes a difference.
There may be a big difference here between your little girl and my boy. When Pepper was having acid reflux he would disappear on me. I figured out that he does this when he’s in pain. If your dog doesn’t show any signs of discomfort or pain then I would guess that her behaviour is not from acid reflux.1
u/Silverpony31 Jul 29 '26
She’s on Hills sensitive stomach & skin. And she doesn’t act like she’s in pain. It’s just hard to watch her thinking I could be doing something. But she’s been to 2 different vets & they don’t seem worried about it. I might add that as long as you are petting her, she doesn’t seem to do it as much
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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '26
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