# My dog keeps biting himself



## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

Hello,

My Golden Retriever named "Jersey" keeps chewing at his skin. He will chew on his tail, the back of his legs, and on his belly. It gets to the point where he is bleeding. Since he has longer fur we can't always see the wounds and they get infected.

We've taken him to the vet for it in the past and they gave us antibiotics and didn't really help us figure out what was causing it. The vet visits are very expensive and I'd like to get to the bottom of this.

Recently my mom has been giving him antibiotics when she sees him biting to prevent infection (the same dose and type that the vet prescribed to us when we brought to the vet in the past). 

He does not have fleas or ticks.

It has gotten to the point where he is biting so much that it is rare to see him not biting. We now have a giant collar thing on him to prevent him from doing any further damage, but we'd like to figure out why he keeps biting himself so he doesn't have to wear that forever.

Thanks, 
Rachael


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I wonder if it might be a food allergy. Heidi gets v itchy if she has a food with lots of cereal so I feed her hypoallergenic or sensitive foods and she is fine. The minute she has any food with cereal, she starts again. She also has problems with dairy so either of those could be a trigger if it is allergy based. 

I hope you manage to ge to the bottom of it. He must be v uncomfortable if he has made himself so sore. If it were me, I think I would try another vet. Heidi only ever got to the itchy stage and I was lucky enough to get to the problem before it got any worse.


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## tafwoc (Nov 12, 2009)

Are they like hot spots? Or just that he chews. Like someone else pointed out, could be food allergy. What is he fed on?


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Our old BC chewed all the fur off round the base of her tail once turned out to be anal glands.


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## new westie owner (Apr 30, 2010)

Hi could be food or biting lice


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## MontyA (Feb 3, 2010)

There was another thread on here recently where a certain condition was suggested, and the owner was going to the vets to ask for tests. The dog was biting their pads, their belly and so on. I can't remember what it was, but maybe someone else can point you in the right direction.


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

if it is a food allergy, a good way to tell is the elimination diet. In this, you gradually eliminate the foods that the dog reacts to. For a few days just give boiled or raw chicken meat (no gravy, no treats, no biscuits etc.) If the dog keeps scratching it is likely that chicken is a problem so do the same with fish, or lamb. If, however, the dog seems better, add one more item - rice is a good option, so the dog will eat cooked chicken (if tolerated) and rice. If rice causes scratching try potato. (I have a friend with a poodle allergic to chicken and rice - it is possible). 
You then carefully add other items, one at a time. If any cause a flare-up, you know not to feed it. 
The problem with allergies is that they can cover a range - I had a dog allergic to colourings, some pollens, and cat fleas! it took years to work out what was wrong. 
Look up Atopica - it is a condition where the immune system is weakened and the dog reacts to various `triggers`. If you feel your dog might have this, I found Stronghold useful (kills mites living normally in the skin which multiply when the immune system is compromised) plus a dogfood with no additives, plus home-cooked treats.


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## rocco33 (Dec 27, 2009)

Could well be an allergy, but if it's not uncommon in dogs that are stressed.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

Rocco, he's definitely not stressed. There is nothing that doesn't make his tail wag with excitement. 


Thanks for the tips about food allergies. I've read that before, but I wasn't sure if it was a good source. 

I'm not sure what we feed him. I think there area few different brands that we get. My mom will usually get whichever is on sale.


Where can I find hypoallergenic food? Could I find that at the supermarket or would I need to go to a pet store or order online? Can anyone recommend any brands? Preferably the less expensive ones 

Sorry for the delay on my response, I have some friends visiting from out of town


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

There are a few on the supermarket shelves but altho they are marked hypoallergenic, they aren't the best quality and probably work out more expensive than something like Skinners hypoallergenic that you can get at some pet stores, feed merchants and online. Vitalin Adult Maintenance is a v good one but is probably less available locally, altho I managed to find a stockist. Its the chicken one and is completely cereal free. Possibly the cheapest cereal free you will find.
Hope you manage to find something to help him


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## rocco33 (Dec 27, 2009)

> Rocco, he's definitely not stressed. There is nothing that doesn't make his tail wag with excitement.


That's good - just thought I'd mention it as it hadn't been mentioned, although a dog that is constantly excited can be stressed (not saying yours is, but stress is not always obvious).

You can try the elimination diet or if you want a shortcut (albeit not cheap) you can get him allergy tested.

The hypo allergenic diets the vet sells have been modified to neutralise the ingredients that cause allergies, so they may help, but you may find it easier to simply eliminate things. Although, it may not be diet related - it could be pollens, grasses etc.

Good luck


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## ploddingon (Jun 15, 2010)

If you are up to date with all your anti flea and worming treatments, then I would think it may be an allergy, and food is the first thing to consider. I would give her a bath using some gentle and natural dog shampoo as a starter though and give her a good groom. It will help cool her down and remove any dead hairs which can be annoying.

Buying the cheapest dog food, although tempting to do, can sometimes mean that you are getting a dog food full of additives, preservatives, artificial colours etc.

Have a look at the ingredients on the packet that you are feeding your dog at the moment and see what it says, then compare it with one of the ones most recommended on here - Fish4Dogs.

The information on their dog food shows -

*Ingredients
Salmon 30.5%, Potato 30.5%, Herring Meal 21.4%, Salmon Oil 7.6%, Beet Fibre 6.4%, Brewers Yeast 2.1%, Minerals 0.8%, Vitamins 0.7%*

Nothing artificial at all.

You might be better either looking at your local pet store, or online and see what ypu can get in your area, and keep the dog on whatever you get for at least a month to see if it changes things.

You could also ask your vet about getting something like Piriton, which is an antihistamine and would help your dog feel less itchy.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

I looked into some of the foods you guys suggested and they look very good, but I live in the U.S. so I'd like to find something over here so I don't have to pay loads on shipping.


Also-- my god some of those foods are pricey. I don't think we are going to have a choice, though. If we need to spend some extra money on his food to prevent him from eating himself I think we will do so. 


any other brand recommendations that I could possibly find in the U.S.?


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## Bearpaw (Dec 10, 2009)

Hi,have a look and see if you can get foods like; 
Fish4dogs,Origen,Skinners,Arden grange,CSJ etc.Then have a look at what is available in your area and compare the ingredients.You may fine you can get a local brand at a better price.Also have a look in animal feed stores.
Have you gone down the route of eliminating foods? if so,hows it going?
Itll be easier to know what to buy when you know what is causing the problem.good luck x


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

Bearpaw said:


> Have you gone down the route of eliminating foods? if so,hows it going?


We have not started eliminating foods yet. My mom wants to finish off the current bag of dry food that we have before we buy a different kind


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

I love his Name :thumbup: although ''Guernsey'' would have been better :lol: :lol:

Maybe take 'Guernsey' for a scratch test at the vets?


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

Just need to point out - the original poster is in Florida, USA..... so foods we get here in UK are not going to be available there.

We need to be careful when recommending things to people in other countries - not only are there different parasites there but a lot of vet treatment has different protocols, and of course they can't get hold of the same foods we can.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

MerlinsMum said:


> Just need to point out - the original poster is in Florida, USA..... so foods we get here in UK are not going to be available there.
> 
> We need to be careful when recommending things to people in other countries - not only are there different parasites there but a lot of vet treatment has different protocols, and of course they can't get hold of the same foods we can.


This is very true. You guys have some great suggestions, but It's not worth shipping over seas... I found some good stuff that they sell here but it is still very expensive....

Anyways Jersey doesn't seem to be biting much anymore. I'm sure it will spring back up sometime, but I'm thinking it may be with the seasons or something..


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## moboyd (Sep 29, 2009)

My friends lab was exactly the same, my friend tried all sorts and eventually had tests done on him, turned out he was allergic to grass, 

Mo


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

Dally Banjo said:


> Our old BC chewed all the fur off round the base of her tail once turned out to be anal glands.


That's exactly whay I was thinking - had a dog do the same thing. 

Would have thought an allergy would affect other area's too.


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## tiddlypup (Oct 4, 2008)

i had this with oscar,cured the first bit with benzyl benzoate,he now has a horrible patch on his cheek right next to his eye,this im convinced is stress related,its flared up since alfred came and for some reason oscar hates alfred,tonight hes having a collar on,ive also started him on propolis withzinc n vit c and echanacea,all help to boost the immune system,sadly with anything like this its a long road of process and elimination
oatmeal shampoo is very good for soothing itchy skin,heres a link,lots of info on there
remedies for skin allergy in dogs - Google Search


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## fluffybunny2001 (Feb 8, 2008)

rachael said:


> Recently my mom has been giving him antibiotics when she sees him biting to prevent infection (the same dose and type that the vet prescribed to us when we brought to the vet in the past).


you really shouldn`t be giving a dog antibiotics if they haven`t been prescribed by the vet.i know they have been prescribed in the past but it`s not a good idea,
my dog has food allergies and is currently on ZD prescription diet on advice from my vet.i was advised that just changin to a hypo allergenic diet wouldn`t help,and it didn`t.
he`s doing very well on the zd and i should be able to start re-introduce other foods soon.
if it is food allergies your vet should be involved in the diagnosis.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

fluffybunny2001 said:


> you really shouldn`t be giving a dog antibiotics if they haven`t been prescribed by the vet.i know they have been prescribed in the past but it`s not a good idea,
> my dog has food allergies and is currently on ZD prescription diet on advice from my vet.i was advised that just changin to a hypo allergenic diet wouldn`t help,and it didn`t.
> he`s doing very well on the zd and i should be able to start re-introduce other foods soon.
> if it is food allergies your vet should be involved in the diagnosis.


My family has been really tight for money for the past few years after overwhelming health problems left us paying an unreal amount of money to keep our insurance. When Jersey first started biting himself a few years ago we were living off of credit cards and spending money we didn't have just to pay for necessities.

We just recently we paid off our debt and no longer use credit cards. Giving Jersey antibiotics without the vets approval could be considered risky, but given our tight financial situation, we did the best thing we could have at the time. The antibiotics we gave him were left overs from all of his previous vet visits.

A month or so ago when I started this thread Jersey was going through a really bad time with his biting and it was getting out of hand. Once we noticed an open wound we put a cone on his head and started antibiotics to prevent infection and clear up any infection that already started.

As of now, the problem has almost cleared up entirely. Jersey has no open wounds and has not been biting.

I'm a pre-vet major so I can assure you that I understand the importance of animals seeing a professional veterinarian, and if Jersey needed medical attention it is very important to me and my family that he gets it.. But given the current financial situation it just isn't practical for us to be spending money for antibiotics that we already have.

As far as diagnosis goes, that is something we will look into with a veterinarian if the problem springs up again in the future.


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## mark 1310 (Aug 29, 2010)

WOULD DEFO RECOMMEND CHANGING HIS DIET AS IF ITS TO rich it can cause him to scratch a lot. ONE great way of telling ig it is a reaction to food is check in between his toes if its a food alergy it will show up there with red blothes. dogs can only develop food allergys if they are over two years of age. if under two other reasons for scratching and biting could be washing the dog with a shampoo, try dilute it a little before using it and aalso if the dog sleeps on your bed or clothes or even if u washed his bed he could be sensitive to the washing powder, hope this helps


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## Lil Lola (Aug 30, 2010)

My dog had a horrible itching condition and would break out in a canine "staph" infection. I would go through the cycle of vet visit, anti-biotics and it would go away then come back one month after completion of the medication.
I did not want to keep on this loop of treatment and asked a friend of mine who has 6 dogs, horses, goats, chickens etc. She told me to try "CLOVITE", it's a horse mineral/vitamin supplement. On the package it says it's good for cats and dogs too. I started her on it Jan. 2010 and she hasn't had an outbreak since, nor is she itching very much. We also have another dog who has had horrible hot spots and biting herself, I just started her on the Clovite as well and it seems to be helping. There was a new hot spot starting and it just went away.

Perhaps Clovite will help your dog. I send a way for it at horse.com, but it's for sale on amazon.com also.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Great to hear that he is much better now. He must be feeling lots happier.

Hope you manage to find what triggered it off so that it doesnt happen again.


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## Bearpaw (Dec 10, 2009)

Both my daughters dog and my new pup both have been suffering this summer with an allergy rash,thankfully whatever the allergen was has now gone (grass seed/pollen etc) and both dogs are almost rash free.The vet said they have been inundated with allergy rashes this year.
Im glad to hear your dog is much better now,hopefully we will all be prepared next year should it happen again xx


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

When I first joined this forum Fizz was doing the same....we'd spent almost all of her 7 years (at the time) going to and from the vets/having tests etc etc and she still did it, she has bald patches where she'd chewed and a nasty rash all over her belly/sides/bald bottom area...even her mouth area was balding and red
The vets visits had cost a fortune and the treatments and tests included...

First time,,,,treat for fleas because of the environment she'd come from....no fleas

Given Prednisilone steroid/ cream/antibiotic and piriton allergy meds

years of the same as above

Different vets.....tested for allergies including wheat/yeast/milk/ and everything else you can think of.....still couldnt find the culprit.....although one allergy was fleas they still couldnt find anything else. They also tried a dietician, ACUPUNCTURE! would you believe....I have done everything with the poor girl out of despiration but still she gets allergies, it must be something in food though because on JWB the nibbles are localised to just 2 areas....if she has anything outside this and that includes treats she comes out in this awful allergy rash. Changing food is great but it wont work if treats arent changed too.....fizz has JWB crackerjacks as well as her food and other than that it's freash chicken and nothing from the doggy treat section because you just dont know whats in it.
The foods and treats for dogs with allergies are slated by many as too expensive but if you think about a once a month lay out for the food/treats and maybe a good cream just in case as opposed to the vets bills there's a huge difference. When I first got Fizz I would say off the top of my head one months vet bill might have cost me 400 quid, one month just looking after her allergies cost about 40 inc food/treats.shampoo/cream/washing bedding etc etc....
lare xx


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## Debi (Feb 1, 2009)

my mum's dog is pretty much allergic to everything. he can only have soya, wheat and i think potato. everything else makes him come out in the worst scabs and rash that make him miserable and takes months to clear up.
our lab is allergic to couch grass and licks her feet after every walk. last year she went running through some and had a huge lumpy rash across her body!!
if your dogs rash seems to have cleared then it sounds like a grass type allergy (does he sit and lie down on grass, this would explain the problem on his belly and back of legs)?


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

Debi said:


> my mum's dog is pretty much allergic to everything. he can only have soya, wheat and i think potato. everything else makes him come out in the worst scabs and rash that make him miserable and takes months to clear up.
> our lab is allergic to couch grass and licks her feet after every walk. last year she went running through some and had a huge lumpy rash across her body!!
> if your dogs rash seems to have cleared then it sounds like a grass type allergy (does he sit and lie down on grass, this would explain the problem on his belly and back of legs)?


I was considering it may be grass related.. He does lay down in it a lot.. but that also opens up the doors for all sorts of bugs that we have here in Florida.

He's biting again... I noticed it today.. he has a big beat red spot on his lower belly.. I'll tell my parents and see if they will make a vet visit.. Poor puppy


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