Help! Need some answers!!
 

My daughters little yorkie started acting funny this afternoon. She has been perfectly healthy, eating, drinking, pooing and peeing normally, but a little while ago she just started licking the air. They are short little licks to the air. She has never done this before and she will not stop. We have called the vet, but have not gotten a call back yet. I am a little concerned (and yes, I will admit to being a worry wart) and was wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what this could be. Her gums are pink and she is eating and drinking still and acts fine except for this licking thing. Please give me some advice!!!

Could she have a hair that may be bothering her somewhere on her face?

I have looked and I cannot find anything.. I was thinking that maybe she might have a tooth ache...would this be normal behavior for that?

Gracie would chew and lick and make odd grinding noises when she was teething. How old is she, could she be messing with a loose tooth?

She is 2 1/2 years old and I am thinking that it may be some kind of tooth problem, but she will not let me in her mouth.

Has it stopped? Can you get her to drink some water? And/or eat a small something?

Is she acting normally other than "licking the air"? My Kooper will do that, but only when he is looking at me - almost like he is giving me invisible kisses. I find it annoying, so I ignore it and look away and he usually stops.

She is asleep and is not doing it now. She was eating and drinking normally...I know that I am probably overreacting, but she has just never done this before...I am imagining all kinds of seizure things...I am babysitting my granddog and would just die if something happened to that baby (especially on my watch)!! I never heard from my vet, but rest assured we will be there first thing tomorrow morning. It is going to be a long night, I just cannot imagine what might have happened all of a sudden to cause her to do this licking biting the air thing!!

Has she had a head tilt?? or been head pressing against things?? Does she have any weakness in her limbs?? or circling when walking?? Dizzy walking, unsteady?? If so, it could be neurological and I would see a specialist, if it is neurological. My Brooke, has GME, Granulomatous Encephalitis, which is an inflammatory brain disease and she used to try and catch things in the air too! I don't want to scare you but if it is neurological you will need to get an MRI to properly diagnose. Good Luck, I hope she is just being quirky!!

Cinnamon does this as well, but only when I or my friends or family is scratching her or kissing her neck or back. I call them air kisses because once she sees an area of our skin she can kiss, she kisses it instead of the air. She stops once we stop scratching her.

No, she has none of those symptoms. We will be at the vet in the morning! Thank you for your concern and advice!!

OK so I took Mailee to the vet yesterday and of course she would not do her "fly biting" thing while she was there, but as soon as we got in the car she started it again. I am really worried now and am taking her to a different vet this afternoon...one that specializes in small dogs. She is acting so weird. I have researched the net and it sounds like she may be having focal seizures. Does any one have any information or advice on epilecy or focal seizures? I would appreciate any advice on this at all! My daughter is beside herself as am I with worry and concern!!

Types of Seizures | epilepsy.com

Seizures can really vary - I've seen many types, so it's good that you're looking into this thoroughly. Of course, it may not be seizures at all. Besides the licking, does she seem "present" during these episodes? Did they look down her throat as best they could? Bc sometimes dogs can get a piece of string stuck on a tooth, then it sits down their throat for days - and the dog will lick the air and/or their lip/mouth - just a thought.

She is very present during these "air biting" episodes. She is alert and knows everyone and all that is around her. She actually opens her mouth really wide like she has something stuck inside, but my regular vet that I took her to yesterday looked and could not see anthing. She only does this when she is awake and not preoccupied (as she was in the vets office yesterday). They told me that maybe she was allergic to my perfume...but do not think that is it. I have searched and found a vet that is supposed to be a good diagonistic vet and maybe he will get to the bottom this. Am not happy with the one yesterday (my regular vet) because they just acted like I was overreacting to a dog who was only trying to catch a fly or a mosquito. I do not think they are really up on small dogs...mainly horses and cows! OH, I so hope this is nothing serious, but I have to know!!!

Please keep us posted, good luck.

The only thing that i can think of is that your daughter's Yorkie is stressed out. She was/is in a new invironment for a while and it was change.
When I first got suzi she was always opening her mouth and yawning too. :aimeeyork

OK, we saw the new vet yesterday and he did complete blood work and it all came back normal...he did find that she had inflamed tonsils and a runny nose, but before we left, she did start her "fly-snapping" thing and he called in another vet that was in the office and they seemed to think that it was mild epeliptic seizures. They gave her a shot of antibiotics and a shot of valium (which did not faze her yesterday) and some phenobartibatol (which I decided not to give after more research) and a recheck appointment for Friday. THEN, we woke up this morning and that dog is completely back to normal...NOTHING if the scary behavior of the last three days. It is crazy, I think that it was a combination of several factors...my daughter has started to work and she is left here in a different house, then when she does go home, it is to a new house...they sprayed for mosquitoes in our town on Saturday and Sunday morning, she licked mosquito repellent off of my husband that morning and I gave her Iverhart-Max last Wednesday...plus we feed her Wellness 5 small bites, but I had gived her some Blue Buffalo Venison wet food mixed in. Yesterday, I threw that away and mixed Merricks Trout Dinner with it. Anyway, I am not saying that we are out of the woods and whatever it was will not come back, but for now she shows NO signs of the "fly-biting" symptoms that she has had continously since Sunday at all. We are all very hopeful that whatever it was is over and all is back to [U]normal!! It was so scary and we were so worried. Please everyone, keep Mailee in your prayers for us that this is history! I appreciate the concern of everyone on this board...Thank you for you thoughts!!