Dog Self Cleans Too Much? Heres What Might Be Going On!

Okay, so, my dog, Buster, he's a golden retriever, and lately, he's been, like, obsessively cleaning himself. I mean, way more than usual. It's gotten to the point where I'm starting to get a little worried.

I noticed it first a couple of weeks ago. He was licking his paws a lot, and I mean, a lot. I figured, "Okay, maybe he stepped in something." But then it kept happening. And it wasn't just his paws. He started licking his legs, his belly, everywhere!

The Investigation Begins

So, I started playing detective. My first thought was allergies. It's springtime, and everything is blooming. I checked his food – no changes there. He's been eating the same stuff for months. I examined his paws really closely, looking for any redness, swelling, or anything stuck between his toes. Nothing.

Then I thought, maybe it's a skin thing. I parted his fur, looking for any dry patches, rashes, or anything unusual. Nope, his skin looked pretty normal, maybe a tiny bit dry, but nothing alarming.

I even tried switching up his shampoo, just in case. I went with a super gentle, oatmeal-based one. I gave him a good bath, rinsed him really well, and... still licking.

Calling in the Professionals

At this point, I was stumped. I decided it was time to call the vet. I made an appointment, and we went in yesterday.

The vet asked a bunch of questions, like if he was eating and drinking normally (yes), if he was scratching more (not really), and if he was scooting his butt (nope). She examined him thoroughly, checked his ears, his skin, everything.

Turns out, it might be a mild allergy after all, even though I couldn't see any obvious signs. The vet suggested a few things:

• Trying a different food, one with limited ingredients.
• Giving him fish oil supplements, which can help with skin health.
• Using a special medicated spray if the licking gets really bad.

The Current Situation

So, we're trying the new food now. It's only been a day, so it's too early to tell if it's helping. I also ordered the fish oil, so that should be here soon. I sprayed the area with special medicated, it works.

I'm hoping one of these things will do the trick. It's hard to see him so uncomfortable, and honestly, the constant licking sound is starting to drive me a little crazy! It's a process, I guess. Will keep updating on his condition.