My dog has started kicking his back leg when I pet him. Even when it's not his belly. Should I be worried?

[Coyote Starrk]

I know this might sound dumb, but he is my first dog. He didn't do it before the last couple of weeks. Now he does it when I scratch his belly like most dogs do, but as well as the small of his back and under his chin. He doesn't seem to mind though because when I stop he very clearly wants me to do it some more. Especially when I get his chin. I'll stop and he will throw his head into my head so I start up again.


Is it weird that he has started out of nowhere? Is it weird that it's in spots other than his belly?


Oh and there are no other weird things. He is eating fine. Sleeping fine. Still plays. A bit scratchier than usual, but I think that's allergies because it's warm again.

 

[DevilMayGuy]

There's a couple of spots that popped up on my dog that kind of rotate. Her chin, armpit, belly, spots on her neck that move around, and her chin. I think it's fine, but I'm not a vet

 

[Moppeh]

I think you're fine. I had a dog whose "kicking spot" also changed occasionally.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

If he's scratchy and has allergies he may be licking his feet excessively which can cause some irritation and may make him reluctant to let you touch near his feet/legs. If you can, try and get a look between his toes and see if it is pretty red in there. If so, might not be a bad idea to have him looked at.

 

[DevilMayGuy]

If he has allergies, consider getting some allergy meds. My poor pup has really bad allergies and the pills help

 

[Rise2Ragnarok]

You can ask your vet about it, but it sounds exactly like the scratch reflex that most dogs have. I have had 4 dogs in my life so far, and all of them did the same thing and lived long, happy lives with no problem. Kinda like when a doctor hits your knee your leg will move.

 

[B.K.]

Your dog is broken.

 

[Cenauru]

Only experience I have is with our dogs and no studies, but I have similar experiences with our dogs kicking to different spots being scratched, with absolutely no side-effects or issues. Always visibly happy when it happens too.

 

[hydruxo]

Most dogs do this. It's normal.

 

[Cantaim]

You can ask your vet about it, but it sounds exactly like the scratch reflex that most dogs have. I have had 4 dogs in my life so far, and all of them did the same thing and lived long, happy lives with no problem. Kinda like when a doctor hits your knee your leg will move.

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Yeah it read like this. Doesn't mean anything bad either OP! Just a pure reflex that dogs have in some spots when scratched.

 

[Coyote Starrk]

If he's scratchy and has allergies he may be licking his feet excessively which can cause some irritation and may make him reluctant to let you touch near his feet/legs. If you can, try and get a look between his toes and see if it is pretty red in there. If so, might not be a bad idea to have him looked at.

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Oh he has 100% been doing that. Little turd keeps licking the inside of his front legs and back legs. He does it every spring. The vet just told us to give him allergy medicine every night before bed, but this time around it seems to not work as well as it usually does. I didn't even think of that. It may be time to see if he needs a bigger dose I guess.


He is a Maltese btw. So he is a little guy. I think it's his legs because he rub up against the grass everywhere he goes.

 

[signal]

Can we get a doggy pic

 

[Coyote Starrk]

Can we get a doggy pic

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Spoiler

 

[signal]

Spoiler

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:)

 

[Coyote Starrk]

:)

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He always sits like that. Throws his arm on the arm of the couch like a person lol

 

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

You just hit a funny nerve, it's totally normal

 

[benzy]

you mean like this? Pretty sure it's normal.

 

[Chance Hale]

Wrong thread

 

[Coyote Starrk]

you mean like this? Pretty sure it's normal.

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Yeah exactly like that except it's whenever I pet him basically anywhere on his body. Especially the places I listed. And he has never done it before so that's what made me slightly concerned.

Now that I talked about the kicking and the scratching at the same time though I think what has happened is that his whole body is just really really dry or just really really itchy and so when I'm scratching him I am hitting all the right spots.

 

[Ashhong]

He always sits like that. Throws his arm on the arm of the couch like a person lol

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so CUTE

now we need a video of him kicking

edit: I always thought that was just my dog wanting to scratch the spot as well. I usually moved his foot away and scratched that spot for him and he would stop lol

 

[Calabi]

I think its a bug, you should probably wait for an update before trying it again.

 

[stn]

Probably normal but speak to a vet. I don't recall either of my doggos doing that when they were alive but I would just ask a vet to be safe.

 

[Bulby]

my dog starts kicking if I just brush by him. He just loves his scratchies.

 

[Tangyn]

Have a small white dog army (bichons and chinese crest/bichon mix) and they all have issues with allergies and scratching and what not. Much like us gets better and worse depending on the time of the year.

For one of my bichons leaving London legit fixed his eye stains and leg chewing so there was either something where we lived before he was allergic to or the house or errr yea just London?? Never figured it out.

We give em allergy tablets when it gets bad, have switched foods a lot. Raw food did help a lot but one dog couldn't cope with that diet (made her sick after a few days and then she refused to eat it) so had to stop that sadly.

No help to offer really just the rambles of a fellow owner of allergy ridden dogs!

As others have said though you could just be hitting the nice spot.

 

[Coyote Starrk]

Have a small white dog army (bichons and chinese crest/bichon mix) and they all have issues with allergies and scratching and what not. Much like us gets better and worse depending on the time of the year.

For one of my bichons leaving London legit fixed his eye stains and leg chewing so there was either something where we lived before he was allergic to or the house or errr yea just London?? Never figured it out.

We give em allergy tablets when it gets bad, have switched foods a lot. Raw food did help a lot but one dog couldn't cope with that diet (made her sick after a few days and then she refused to eat it) so had to stop that sadly.

No help to offer really just the rambles of a fellow owner of allergy ridden dogs!

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Are the allergy tablets that you use prescription? Or can they be bought over the counter?

 

[Praxis]

My dog becomes more sensitive to scratches and kicks his leg if he has picked up flees, even though he has treatment every month he occasionally picks them up for a short time.

 

[Tangyn]

Are the allergy tablets that you use prescription? Or can they be bought over the counter?

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It was initially but not anymore no. Wont give advice on what dosage or whatever as not a vet but errr yea we found a generic one from a chain shop in the UK with the same ingredients and use that as and when required

 

[Coyote Starrk]

It was initially but not anymore no. Wont give advice on what dosage or whatever as not a vet but errr yea we found a generic one from a chain shop in the UK with the same ingredients and use that as and when required

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Oh no I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't something that I needed to take him to the vet to get. I'll head out to the different pet stores in my area sometime tomorrow and see if I can't find something similar.

We have just been using the doggy equivalent of Benadryl.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

Most pet stores will sell a doggy dosed benadryl over the counter. My pup gets apoquel, you would probably need a vet to prescribe that one.

 

[Coyote Starrk]

Most pet stores will sell a doggy dosed benadryl over the counter. My pup gets apoquel, you would probably need a vet to prescribe that one.

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I'll make a note of the name. Also he is due to get groomed this Saturday and I will see if they can do something that would help moisturize his skin a bit more than what he usually gets.

 

[Doggg]

Depends. Is it like maybe it's kicking back to push your hand away? Because there might be an injury in the area, if so.

 

[giancarlo123x]

I always thought that was just a dog being tickled

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

I'll make a note of the name. Also he is due to get groomed this Saturday and I will see if they can do something that would help moisturize his skin a bit more than what he usually gets.

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I honestly don't know a lot about what is most effective for which situation, we believe our boy has food allergies and he's particularly prone to ear infections, vet put him on the apoquel to try and help us control his symptoms and mitigate his ear infection risk. He still gets ear infections but less often than before, lol.

 

[Buckle]

Spoiler

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Oh my goodness. ;_;

Is he a peekapoo? I used to have a black one. She was the most gentle and quiet doggo I ever met.

 

[Coyote Starrk]

Oh my goodness. ;_;

Is he a peekapoo? I used to have a black one. She was the most gentle and quiet doggo I ever met.

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He is a mix of a lot of things. We rescued him. The test from the vet though said he is mostly a Maltese.

 

[The Albatross]

Sounds about normal to me. Tho could be seasonal allergies too.

Human benedryl is usually fine for dogs too, usually 1mg per 1lb /day. So 25 lbs dog usually fine to do 25mg benedryl per day. Affects are usually similar to people, drowsiness, but a lot of dogs show no side affects. We give our dog benedryl a couple times a year if he's oicking his paws. Usually he gets seasonal allergies on his paws in the spring and fall.

 

[Mirado]

My cat used to do this, further cementing the idea in my mind that she was a dog in a previous life.

I miss her. Dumb as a sack of hammers.