# Lickfits?



## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Has anyone heard of lickfits? I've seen on a GSD and Swissy forums that describe what happened with my golden today. My soon to be 5yr old female golden Tiffany is currently at the eVet. This afternoon she woke me up licking the air repeatedly and gulping air. She then was frantically trying to chew on her blankets. She puked a small amount of hair (guessing she was also licking the carpet). She seemed to be in distress so off we went to eVet. She puked on the way there which seemed to bring her some relief but the licking and gulping air continued (though at a much slower pace). Since she was able to puke, there was relief that it wasn't bloat. X-rays were taken of her abdomen and a small object showed up, I went ahead with the scope and a small amount of hair and a small (1 inch long) piece of string from one of the blankets was removed. She was running a fever upon intake and her gums were dark red which the vet was concerned with. Anyhow, she's being watched overnight and is on fluids. In the AM they'll introduce food & water and if she can keep it down, I can bring her home tomorrow afternoon. I'm at a loss of what's wrong and don't know which came first chewing on blanket while I was sleeping and then the upset stomach or the upset stomach/lickfit which prompted the eating of the blanket (she's not a chewer so this is all out of character). Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these symptoms.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

I am so sorry to hear that your baby is not well. I have no idea what it could be but it sounds scary! Hope she feels better and that you get some form of diagnosis.


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## pwrstrk02 (Aug 11, 2010)

The licking and swallowing usually means that their belly is upset and they feel like throwing up. Their mouths salivate and they constantly feel the urge to throw up. Hopefully the doc got the obstruction out and that is all it is. ( this is just one of many things it could be, but if it were my dog, this is what I would say it was.)


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Bumping up...


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Susan, call Bob and talk to him, he has seen just about everything and he might have some answers


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Susan*

Susan

So sorry to hear that Tiffany and you are going through this.
Mary said to call Bob at Dirk's-he might know something.
In the meantime, she is in my prayers!

Did they take any other x-rays?


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

I have gone thru this with my female Kaya - it happens periodically and always at night. To me it almost seems like a 'panic attack' - she'll be fine, even sleeping, but then she'll get up with the very worried look on her face and frantically start licking everything, and if I let her outside she will devour grass like crazy and then vomit. Once she has gotten sick, she will settle down again, and often have another 'attack' a while later but she is fine by morning. I discussed it with my vet and he suggested that it could be stress related -Kaya is a worrier, anything 'out of place' makes her worry, and if it moves it is scarey, if it is new- she will approach with extreme caution. I have yet to figure out the stressors or been able to pinpoint a specific event that causes this reaction.


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

Gladys did this once, then barfed up a small about 1 inch hairball.

Boomer does it when he's licking his hotspots, my friend said its from having a bad taste in his mouth. He also does it when food sticks to the roof of his mouth. Now that he's older, he goes around gagging and honling all the time.

I hope it was just the hairball and string in your case. Good luck w/ everything.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Tiffany is having another episode and the docs have yet to be able to give a firm diagnosis and it doesn't help that each time this has happened, we've been in a different state. She's had an endoscopy 2x's, plenty of x-rays, evaluated by a gastrointestinal specialist, biopsies of her intestines which ruled out IBD and they felt she showed no signs of mega-esophagus either. After seeing the specialist who then shared her video with the neurologist, they feel she may be having focal seizures that present themselves as her having gastrointestinal issues. During these episodes she's been pumped full anti-nausea medication which did not relieve the symptoms. We were a year between the first 2 episodes and now were at 6 months this time. Blood work was normal last time and I'll run it again this week, but I just don't know what to do for her. The vet this time didn't think it was an emergency and called in a prescription of Valium for her which I'm on the way to the pharmacy to pick up.

Video: Aug 12, 2012 10:09am | Facebook


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

How long do the episodes last? If they stop, what seems to be the thing that stops them? Or do the fits stop on their own? Is Tiffany a "nervous" type dog? Could be stress, as others have said.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

SheetsSM said:


> Tiffany is having another episode and the docs have yet to be able to give a firm diagnosis and it doesn't help that each time this has happened, we've been in a different state. She's had an endoscopy 2x's, plenty of x-rays, evaluated by a gastrointestinal specialist, biopsies of her intestines which ruled out IBD and they felt she showed no signs of mega-esophagus either. After seeing the specialist who then shared her video with the neurologist, they feel she may be having focal seizures that present themselves as her having gastrointestinal issues. During these episodes she's been pumped full anti-nausea medication which did not relieve the symptoms. We were a year between the first 2 episodes and now were at 6 months this time. Blood work was normal last time and I'll run it again this week, but I just don't know what to do for her. The vet this time didn't think it was an emergency and called in a prescription of Valium for her which I'm on the way to the pharmacy to pick up.
> 
> Video: Aug 12, 2012 10:09am | Facebook


I watched the video and besides the licking Fiona did this once last month for several minutes, worried me so. In her case I think it was from grazing upon and eating the blackberries. I figured a few teeny thorns might have been stuck in her tongue.

Doubt that helped but know the worry with our friends.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I always think of licky fits as being associated with possible bloat or seizures. So sorry you all are dealing with this again. Please keep us posted. Sending some good healing prayers her way.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Her episodes go on for hours, with the 2nd round lasting off & on for a week. She doesn't chew on anything inappropriately or graze grass. However, during the episodes, I do have to crate her otherwise she's frantic to chew & swallow anything she can get a hold of. She's usually relaxing or asleep when these kick off, so it's not like she just drank or ate a lot or was in a stressful situation.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I always think of licky fits as being associated with possible bloat or seizures. So sorry you all are dealing with this again. Please keep us posted. Sending some good healing prayers her way.


I'm terrified about bloat as when she's had x-rays, she does have pockets of gas show up, but she has not bloated. My last vet in Georgia was concerned about the same thing which is why I was referred to a specialist. This new vet in Alabama isn't concerned at all about bloat. I'm just stumped.


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## Marjorie (Jul 3, 2011)

I watched the video, too. I have no knowledge to help, just a thought. I'm sure you and the vet have checked her throat and the back of her mouth. The only time I've seen dogs do that I stuck my finger down their throats and felt around the rear molars. I always found something to pull out or dislodge.

My prayers also headed your way!


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## tikiandme (May 16, 2010)

One time my dog had a similar episode of what you describe but of much less severity. He also had gas in his stomach. A barium swallow was done and the vet said he had a duodenal ulcer. The barium swallow was curative. Could it be something as simple as that? I don't know. Also maybe a good worming with panacure might help if there could be parasites causing a problem. This was recommended by some sources when I researched for my dog's problem. Also, has your dog's thryoid been tested? My dog turned out to be hypothyroid. After he started supplementation he had a lot fewer episodes of digestive problems and less licking. I hope you find an answer to the problem. Good luck.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Tiffany is hypothyroid and is well regulated with her meds. She also takes monthly HW preventative which contains a wormer and we do a every year so I don't see any signs of parasites. I swept her mouth and throat this round, nothing is there that shouldn't be. With the last round she had, she was given a large dose of anti-nausea meds and to relieve gas, it didn't help her which makes me think that there may be a neuro component to it. I've scoured the web and see many talking about lick fits with videos matching Tiff's symptoms but there is no diagnosis/"cure". I am leery about treating her with seizure meds and just wish there was more research on this.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I wanted to watch the video (because Brooks sometimes does a funny swallowing thing when he lies down at night and I wanted to see if what your dog does resembles it an any way) but when I clicked on the Facebook link, I could see text but no video. Can someone post a different way to look at the video clip?


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

My mother's elderly Maltese went through something like this. She was in and out of the vets for about a month, they treated her for an upset stomach ( which was probably a secondary issue ). Ended being it was a bad tooth causing the nausea.


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

my guys get something similar.. it seems like acid reflux and a pepcid usually takes care of it pretty quick... with my two it seems like when they eat kibble (they are typically on a raw diet) but when they do eat kibble they get an upset stomach...


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I always keep the Gas X strips handy for any time I think they're gassy. You might want to try that next time when she first starts and see if there is any relief. Certainly won't hurt and is always a good thing to have on hand for any chance of beginning bloat.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Tiffany's "episode" appears to have officially ended ~20 hrs after her symptoms first started, the vet was surprised that even after being dosed with valium that she was still showing symptoms. Her blood work today, physical exam & urinalysis today showed no abnormalities aside from her back right leg having an exaggerated reflex. The vet was able to find 2 cases of goldens presenting similar symptoms one of which was treated as a gastrointestinal issue and the other as a seizure issue--which still leaves us stuck in the middle. Her vet consulted with a neurologist at Auburn and I have to send videos of the episodes into him this evening to see what the next step/recommendation is. As of now, she's been started on Carafate to coat/protect the esophagus and stomach in the event that her symptoms return.


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

For some reason my computer won't let me watch your movie but what you are describing is similar to something I have dealt with with Jersey over the years. In his case he will be flicking his tongue out, usually with a big "gulp" in between and just generally look a bit anxious about it. 

What is it? I really don't know. I've tried any number of things over the years: 3 meals a day to ensure he never has an empty stomach. Different antacids (both the after the fact kind - Tums - and the prevention kind - Prevacid). I briefly tried Gas-X. I've tried switching foods. I've tried keeping a log of what we do and what he's exposed to/eating/doing/etc. I haven't been able to find any definitive links. 

This has been more and less of a problem throughout different periods of his life. The "attacks" are less frequent and severe now than they were a few years ago. During his fits, he likes to eat grass but has only ever vomited once or twice during an episode over the years. Sometimes grass settles his stomach, sometimes not. At one point I noticed that twice in a row after giving him pizza crust (bad mommy, lol) he had episodes, so he no longer gets those types of goodies. I've tried a gentle rub on his esophagus, read that somewhere but it didn't help. What I do now is usually give him a bit of a belly/gut massage. I usually hear a bit of a gut noise (like a gas bubble moving on perhaps?) and then he's usually good. So maybe it is gas, but I don't remember the Gas-X having any sort of positive effect so who knows. Only twice have these episodes lasted for hours on end (both times I took off work, brought him to the vet and couldn't get him to repeat the symptoms there.... of course, lol). 

I wish I had a better answer for you but I do hope you guys are able to figure this out since it seems to be so severe in your case. Good luck!

Julie, Jersey and Oz


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

After another mini-episode this morning, Tiffany has her consult scheduled at Auburn Univ for next Wednesday--hoping to get to the bottom of this all.


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

Good luck!


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

*Update* Tiffany had her consult at Auburn and the docs their don't believe her episodes are seizures. She was transferred over to the internal medicine folks where she had a complete GI workup (x-rays, add'l blood work, ultrasound) which showed nothing out of sorts. Today she had exploratory surgery and will be spending the evening in ICU. No signs of cancer; however, it was noted that she has a small liver, her stomach still contained bits of carpet that they feel should have already passed, and several adhesions that occurred from her spay surgery back in 2009. Hopefully, will know more in the AM but will have to wait for the results of her biopsies.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Geez, good luck!!!


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Thanks...unfortunately, I still don't think there is going to be an aha moment that will explain everything. If they don't find anything physically causing the symptoms, they want to try her on Prozac which I am having difficulty with as these episodes are constant/consistent as compared to OCD behaviors. Also, the statements about the small liver are concerning to me, but thankfully her labs are all normal. She's quite the mystery.


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## lynn1970 (Feb 6, 2011)

I hope that you find an answer to what's going on! This has got to be frustrating for you.

On a side note I work with a guy that is originally from Prattville. His parents still live there. Small world.


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## Goldens R Great (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm just seeing this thread. I'm so sorry to hear about everything you are going through with Tiffany. I've never heard the term lick fits before, but I would say that's what my third golden Annie used to do. I adopted her when she was two and it started a few years after I got her. She would gulp air, run around the house frantically and try to lick and eat fuzz off the floor or try to grab any little thing she could to eat. She would also cry and whine to be let outside. If I let her out she would then frantically try to eat grass and leaves. It was very upsetting to watch and the episodes would last up to four hours. I talked to the vet about it and he gave me liquid Reglan to give to her and said it was acid reflux. One night it was particularly bad and I took her to the emergency vet. They x-rayed her and said she was full of gas. The Reglan didn't always work so I would give her lettuce and bread. I figured the lettuce was better than eating grass and leaves (obviously!) and the bread would help sooth her. It actually did seem to help a little bit. She had these episodes sporadically. 

A few years after these episodes started she became ill and would vomit bile with specks of blood several times a week. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink, was extremely lethargic and lost about 20 pounds. I detailed this more in my first post on the forum, but we ran all kinds of tests, had her x-rayed, scoped, did an ultrasound, tried a lot of different meds, etc., but couldn't find anything wrong with her. We finally got to the point we were going to do exploratory surgery or put her on prednisone. We decided to try the pred first. The vet had me switch her cold turkey to a limited ingredient food with a novel protein - Potato and Rabbit - and we put her on prednisone that same day. She improved in a matter of a few days - she started eating and drinking, quit vomiting and was like her normal self. We eventually weaned her off the pred over a four month period. She ate the limited ingredient food the rest of her life. The reason I'm telling you all this is because she never had another episode of the acid reflux/"lick fit" again. Whatever caused her to have the vomiting issue obviously caused her to have acid reflux too. The vet thought all the issues were caused by a food intolerance. The only ingredient that was in all her previous foods was rice. Did that cause her problems? Unfortunately I have no idea. It seems like a pretty bland food to cause such trouble.

I don't know if any of this will be of any help to you, but I certainly wish Tiffany the best. It is so very frustrating when our dogs are having problems and we can't find an answer. 

I'm sorry this was so long!


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

For those that pray, Tiff needs them, she's having complications, septic bowel suspected--guarded prognosis


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

So sorry things are not turning out better for Tiffany. Prayers and good thoughts sent your way.


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Poor you and your girl! My heart, and thoughts go out to you! I hope Tiff recovers, bless you guys!


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## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

Sending healing vibes and prayers for your girl.


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