Dog Keeps Burping and Licking Lips [5 Reasons Why]

Every dog licks their lips and burps pretty much daily, just like we do as people. Neither occurrence is a significant cause for concern, but if you notice your dog licking its lips and burping at an alarming rate, don’t assume it’s nothing!

Excessive burping and licking of the lips are not uncommon in dogs at all, so you should not worry too much. Several things can cause this kind of behavior to arise, and luckily, you can check for most of them yourself without needing to involve a vet.

dog keeps burping and licking lips
Dog keeps burping and licking lips.

In this short guide, we’ll give you the details on some of the most common causes you can check your dog for. That way, you can potentially identify what exactly is making your dog burp and lick its lips so frequently. 

However, if you find yourself unable to identify the cause, the best thing to do is contact a vet for professional help.

What Causes a Dog to Constantly Burp and Lick its Lips?

Here are five things you can check for that might cause your dog to burp and lick its lips constantly.

Itchy or Infected Gums

A dog’s gums can see just as much if not more work than human gums, and it’s easy for them to get dirty over time, especially because dogs don’t brush their teeth every day like us. Typical dirty gums alone won’t cause your dog to burp or lick its lips constantly. You want to check the color of the gums for any severe signs of discoloration.

Specifically, look to see if the gums have a pale or purple color. When the gums are these colors, it’s generally a sign that a dog is experiencing cyanosis or lack of oxygen in its bloodstream, making it difficult to breathe. When a dog lacks oxygen in this way, it can mean that they also have several other serious conditions like lung function issues or congenital heart disease.

Infected gums or gum disease is also common in dogs

small cavapoo licks lips
A small Cavapoo licking its lips

Stress and Anxiety

If your dog is stressed or feeling anxious, the constant burping and licking of lips is sometimes a way of showing how they feel. It’s not very different from how people bite their nails and show other physical symptoms when experiencing stress.

Think of whether or not there is a reason your dog is experiencing stress. Ask yourself: 

  • Are you in a new environment? 
  • Do you leave your dog alone often? 
  • Did you raise your voice recently or get mad? 

Several things can cause a dog to feel stress and anxiety, and they aren’t always obvious.

It’s essential to remain aware of things we do that may unknowingly create a stressful environment or living experience for our furry friends. So, if you notice your dog burping a lot and licking its lips, think of whether something you do or something in the environment is creating a stressful experience.

shih tzu puppy licks tonuge out
A Shih Tzu puppy with its tongue out. Expect a Shih Tzu puppy to lick EVERYTHING!

Upset Stomach

Nauseousness is a common symptom of burping and licking lips, and it’s the easiest symptom to detect out of all the ones we cover in this guide. When your dog has an upset stomach, the increase in saliva makes them constantly swallow and lick their lips to keep the drool to a minimum.

A dog’s stomach can become upset from something that goes into it, so try and think of what your dog has eaten recently to identify the potential cause of nauseousness. If you recently changed your dog’s food, this can lead to your dog having an upset stomach, as their digestive system may not agree with something inside the new food.

Also, check to ensure that they did not eat something expired! I almost made this mistake once myself, though I thankfully noticed that the food had gone bad before feeding it to my dog.

Eating toxic foods is another potential cause you’ll want to be aware of, as foods like chocolate, grapes, and raisins are things your dog should never eat.

Best Dog Food For Dachshunds
A beautiful Dachshund chomps down on dinner.

After Effects of Licking a Toad

Toads are primarily harmless creatures as they leave people and dogs well enough alone, but being the curious creatures they are, dogs don’t always leave toads alone when they come across one.

If your dog licks a toad, the toxin in the toad’s skin will spread into your dog’s mouth and gums, creating different effects depending on the type of toxin. One of these effects creates excessive levels of salvation, effectively causing your dog to start burping/licking its lips.

Unless you see your dog lick a toad, it’s difficult to know whether or not this is the cause of the burping and licking, so it isn’t as easy a symptom to detect. However, it is still worth being aware of, especially if you live in an area where many toads are constantly roaming.

dog sniffing
Dog sniffing through the water.

Illness

When you get sick, you have probably noticed that your mouth has increased saliva, making it difficult not to swallow constantly. Dogs sometimes experience a very similar thing when they are ill, and an increase in saliva will have them potentially burping and licking their lips a lot.

While this symptom is not quite the same as nauseousness, the same general rules apply to identifying what is causing your dog to feel ill. Check to see if your dog might have eaten something toxic or outdated food, and if you rule out both of those possibilities, your dog may have licked or touched something outdoors that made them sick.

sick brown poodle
A sick poodle lies on the bed.

What to Do if Your Dog is Burping and Licking its Lips?

If you notice your dog doing a lot of burping or licking of its lips, the first thing you should do is check for each of the above causes to see if any of them might apply to your dog. After that, depending on the severity of the cause, you should consider contacting a vet.

If nauseousness is the cause, there is a high possibility of it going away on its own. You can do many things to make your dog feel more comfortable and safe with stress and anxiety. However, for the other causes, it’s best always to contact a vet rather than wait things out or find a solution yourself.

happy vet and a dog
A happy vet with a dog looking at each other.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide provided the helpful information you’re looking for on why your dog is burping and licking its lips! There are more causes of this situation than you probably realized at first, and each of them can prove difficult to detect if you don’t know what to look for.

Because of this, always try and keep a close eye on your dog to catch wind of these symptoms before they can grow, and always contact a vet if you feel the need to seek any professional help or advice. Also, feel free to check out our other health and wellness articles!