Baxter chews his hair

[Patti Livanos]

Hi!  My one-year-old goldendoodle, Baxter, sometimes chews his hair.  He was chewing on the hair on his ears, so we had to shorten them a bit.  And he sometimes chews the hair on his front legs or chest.  He can actually sever it from his body in a big clump.  I'm attaching a photo that shows the damage to his ear...

[Patti Livanos]

See on the right hand side--his left--how it sticks out?  And on his legs, it almost looks in places like it did after he was neutered and they'd shaved a place on his leg for the iv and it was growing back.  How do I get it to stop?  Do I have to shorten up his hair every time he does this?  Any ideas WHY he does this?  He can't be bored.  He gets a long walk every day, rain or shine.  He has my lab and other members of our household who play with him.  He is being trained in a variety of venues to get him used to all sorts of stimuli, and he's training for Good Citizen.  Also, he is brushed every day.  I check his skin in the places he is biting the hair and see nothing unusual.  There is no signs of fleas or ticks, and he is on a preventative for both.  Help!

[Tammy & Gracie]

Not sure why he does it but I find my Gracie sometimes chews the hair off her front legs.  When she chews on a particularily nice bone, she lays it on her legs and manages to chew her hair off at the same time.  It does look like the leg has been specially trimmed in that spot for some reason.  I just try to ignore it and it grows out on its own.

[Donna P.]

Sometimes, licking and chewing can start for one reason or another, and just become a habit pattern. Also, he might have itchy skin. You might try a medicated shampoo formulated for dry itchy skin. Also, you might try bitter apple spray on the areas that he tends to chew and try to break the cycle. Good luck and I hope you find a solution.

[Patti Livanos]

Thanks for your response, everyone!  I don't think it's his shampoo because my lab has pretty severe skin allergies and would rip out his fur after every bath (prescription and other medicated shampoos or those formulated to be especially gentle) until we found the one we currently use for both dogs--earthbath Totally Natural Shampoo for Dogs, Aloe & Oatmeal.  I thought his skin might be itchy, but after I correct him with a "leave it" I will often rub the area vigorously or scratch it for him and he'll go right back to doing it when I stop.  Not only does he damage his appearance with this behavior but I am also becoming afraid he may give himself hairballs like a cat!   I haven't tried Bitter Apple on him in case it IS a skin thing, because I don't want to do anything that might further aggravate things.  Also, Bitter Apple for Baxter only works when it's wet; after that it has no affect on him at all!  I think I may spray some on my hand and apply it to the tops of the affected areas...  He's so beautiful and I don't want anything to detract from that...  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

There are other aversives than bitter apple in those store sprays that you could try.  I know my Springer liked them all but at least there are others to try.  What about making a solution using red pepper and or lemon and putting it on those areas he chews?  If it is just a habit, hot or sour might be just the reminder.

[Patti Livanos]

I will look into it.  Mostly it's just an appearance thing, but I want it to stop!  I was also thinking about reminding him with a pet corrector or something.  I've never used one of those before.  (It makes like an air spray sound or something)  Obviously that would only work when I am there to see the behavior...  Maybe one of those other sprays will work for him if I'm not there.

[Bernice Parrott]

Our two year old Goldendoodle, Rufus, has a bad habit of chewing on one of his back legs and has even had a few large hairballs over the last year or so.  We changed his food to Blue Buffalo Fish and Oatmeal as our breeder said he may have allergies to the food he was previously eating that contained chicken and corn.  We haven't noticed him chewing his fur recently, so perhaps the change in diet has helped?  When he was chewing the fur on his leg it used to look like it had almost been shaved for an op!!

[Patti Livanos]

Exactly!  It's not there yet, but getting there for Baxter.  I didn't think chewing the hair could be a sign of allergies.  He has such a sensitive tummy he's on a prescription food.  Maybe allergies are the cause of it all!

[Helen & Kirby]

Baxter is so cute!  My dog occasionally chews the hair on her ears too.  It's almost like she is chewing away as if it was a stuffed animal, and then I pull it out of her mouth, and she has this expression like "Oh my, that was MY ear?" 

I find that I have to have enough stuff ready for her to chew on --frozen kongs, marrow bones,etc.  and that stops the hair chewing.   Remember they are part lab( or golden)  and they are notorious chewers. 

[Patti Livanos]

Thanks for your response.  I did forget about the retriever being a chewer!  Helps to put it in some perspective.  However, my house is full of appropriate things to chew on!  Guess I'll just have to find a way to teach him his hair is not appropriate!  

[Patti Livanos]

It very well could be allergy related; what I meant was that it didn't occur to me that it could be coming from an allergy.  It isn't that the skin is itchy, he just chews off the tips of the hair.  We may have to change his food; he really just doesn't have good digestion unless he takes probiotics and metronidazole, so something isn't right somewhere...  I just don't want him ruining his hair because I want him to be as beautiful as he can be!

[Helen & Kirby]

I have to give my dog, Kirby, probiotics as well.  And I cook chicken and rice for her.