# Dog licking fur & vomiting



## bee902 (Sep 6, 2011)

My one-year-old beagle mix (Fonzie) has a habit of licking his fur incessantly, and then vomiting a clear yellow liquid filled with fur. 

I know that dogs will often eat things that they know will upset their stomachs (ie: grass) to induce vomiting if they don't feel well, so we have tried to monitor Fonzie's diet on days when this happens - but it seems to be sporadic and we can't narrow down exactly what is causing him to do this.

Any ideas? Or similar experiences? Any help would be great.


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## mom24doggies (Mar 25, 2011)

It kinda sounds like a hairball sort of situation. You know how cats will sometimes vomit up hair after they groom themselves? That's what it sounds like to me...although I'm just spitballing, I haven't had personal experience with it. 

On another note, licking his fur excessively isn't necessarily a good thing....might want to have him checked out by the vet to see if he has a skin problem or something. Especially if he licks at one spot a lot.


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## lisahi (Jun 19, 2011)

I would consult a vet, but you may consider that the vomiting and the fur-licking may not be related (they could be, though--hence, talking to a vet).

The yellow liquid sounds like bile. My puppy will sometimes throw up bile in the morning because her stomach is empty and she's being finicky about her breakfast. I have to make sure to keep her on a strict feeding schedule so she doesn't go too long without food. Is Fonzie vomiting in between meals? In the morning? Could his stomach be empty and that is why he is vomiting bile?

As for the fur, excessive licking could indicate a number of things, although my first thought would be allergies. But it could also indicate stress or, in rare circumstances, OCD. I'm sure a vet would know of other conditions. My parents chihuahua-terrier mix, Missy, used to lick her back excessively causing two hot spots (or rather, stripes) on her back. The vet thought it was allergies so he put her on a special diet. The licking didn't really stop altogether, though, until my parents brought Cricket, a female yorkie, into the home. The vet now believes that the licking could have been from stress--being without a companion during the day when my parents were at work. Missy is such a docile, sweet dog otherwise, who never showed any real signs of separation anxiety, so the vet didn't think of it. Of course, it could be just a coincidence that the licking stopped when Cricket arrived (perhaps her allergies simply cleared up on their own). But I do know there are other instances of compulsive-type behavior being caused by stress.


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