Clanad

[gulliver1]

Thankyou for your reply, the salt sounds possible, but I take her for at least two lovely walks a day and she is very well fed but very fussy sometimes, she drinks a lot of water, she is a big dog 40k and has a kidney problem so I don't expect her to be very active, she doesn't bother with other dogs we see on her walk, and completely ignores us most of the time, is this what they call Alfa Dog, we have two other dogs who play around her but she never joins in.

[Clanad]

Thanks for the reply, gulliver. (By the way, you may be new to this site and not know that you can simply answer a reply to your question within the question frame or thread itself rather than answer in a seperate frame.)

At any rate, I'm in the western U.S. and have always had dogs around. Most of them are or were stock dogs... working dogs. Those types of dogs usually don't suffer the seemingly psycological problems often seen in truly pet type dogs. I would say (not knowing any more about your situation) your dog may have separation anxiety seen in some dogs. It sounds like he/she is attached to you and sees you as the pack leader taking in to consideration your comments about the pet not paying attention to other dogs. That's really not usual. All dogs receive about 60% to 80% of their information about the surrounding world through the sense of smell. Greeting among dogs is a simple sniff in the anal/genital areas to determine if they recognize the other dog or not. This activity is missing in your dog.

Although I did say "salt" in the walls or bricks, it's actually the lime in the mortar or plaster that's enticing the dog if the activity is based on the taste. If the dog returns to the same place each time, try spraying just a little hot sauce or other disagreeable (but safe) substance near the licking site.

(Contd.)

[Clanad]

(Contd.)

Although you say she ignores you "most of the time", I would guess the dog is never far from you and is content just to be in your presence since you are the leader and is known by your dog to provide all it needs. Hence, if the licking is mainly done when you leave, the dog is showing it's inner turmoil in the only way it knows. (It would help to know what the kidney problem is and if it's being treated,as well as what breed of dog it is).

I'm certainly not a Vet by the way, but do have a lot of experience with several differing dogs (and larger animals as well). Try this... when you leave the dog, place an old but well worn piece of clothing or blanket that is sure to have your scent on it in a place where the dog can access it. May help... then again, may not.

At 88 pounds (again, I'm in the U.S.) your dog is obviously a large breed. If the water drinking is greater than normal, it is indicative of possible Cushings or other renal disorders. What has your Vet said?

Best of luck!

[gulliver1]

Hi Clanad thanks for your advice, I am in Southern Spain, our dog is a Mastif Alsation x aged 7 we had her from a rescue home when she was 2 so we don't know what happened to her before we had her, except that she was found wandering pregnant in a very bad state, the vet aborted the puppies and spayed her, we had her straight after the operation with the stiches still in,
then 2 years later she had her spleen removed, and now she has blood in her urine, we had tests and a scan which revealed stones in one kidney, the vet said they don't normally operate on dogs for stones, but she has always had this same temperament, even before all this, we have changed her diet to chicken rice & veg with other variations but she still has one meal a day of special diet biscuits for renal problems low in protien, and the blood has stopped.
When she walks she does a lot of sniffing but never leaves her sent, and only a very priveliged few dogs ever get to smell her anal regions. The water is normal for her about 4/5 litres a day. When she is sleeping she licks the tiles or rug or her bed wherever she is, I just thought perhaps she was lacking some vitamin.

[Clanad]

Good talking with you gulliver. I don't know, but having had German Shepherds (our equivalent of the Alsation) 1.25 gallons of water a day seems quite remarkable. Our 60 pound Shepherd drank maybe 1 quart of water (about a liter) a day... and that was in the summer. It's probably related to the renal problems.
It sounds like you've done everything you can to help the pooch.
The licking is not uncommon in a lot of dogs and probably something you'll have to just live with. It is possible that with that much water consumption the dog may be craving salty sensations. See if your vet might recommend placing a piece of the salt lick block we have for cattle where she can access it.. It would at least be a healthier source of salt and it's not likely she would over do it... but get a recommendation.
Again... ¡Que tengas suerte!