4 Mo. Old Lab/collie Mix Constantly Chewing/licking Self – Allergies? Bug Bites? Also, Chew Proof Dog Beds?
I have a 4 month old lab/collie mix puppy. He has been licking and chewing on his skin (and paws) constantly (he has to stop in the middle of walking/playing often). I switched his food from Puppy Chow to ProPac two weeks ago (I was told that the ProPac was much better, corn is not the #1 ingredient), and also bathed him with a soothing shampoo. It has only gotten worse, if anything. We have lots of mosquitos in the area, but it seems doubtful they could penetrate his fur, or can they? Pretty sure his fleas are all gone (Frontline). Could he be allergic to the fabric softener on his dog bedding? I am at a loss, I feel bad for him! Also, he licks the area where he was neutered often. What does that mean? One more thing: he has chewed every dog bedding we put in his crate: beds, sheets, towels… Can anyone recommend a bed that is chewproof but cheaper than Orvis ToughChew? Thanks everyone!
Tagged with: Allergies • Also • Beds • Bites • Chew • Chewing/licking • Constantly • Lab/collie • Proof • Self
Filed under: Flea Allergies In Dogs
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
i used to make a bed for my pups, out of Burlap fabric.. it is kind of stickery, and they don’t like to chew it.. i filled it with cedar chips, but as your dog has allergies, i would recommend pine chips.. it only takes a few minutes to sew on up..perhaps you or a friend have a sewing machine?..the fabric only costs about $5 at Walmart..the chips are about $3 at Walmart.
there are several hypo-allergenic dog kibbles available..all are not created equal! Solid Gold, Innova, Wellness, Wysong, all make great quality hypo-allergenic kibbles.. NOT Science diet.. you will find the ones I listed at most local pet suppies, but not the the grocers.
You might try this recipe that is excellent for such allergies. A canine dermatologist recommended it for a friend’s dog, who had a similar chronic problem..
A diet of lamb, rice and kelp often helps.
Cook the white rice with 3 cups of water per cup of rice, and cook until all is absorbed. Grind or chop the lamb and feed it raw, mixed in the rice with sea kelp… give this a try for 2 weeks, and if there is any improvement, begin adding vegetables.
my friend’s German shepherd went through the same thing….seemed to have no hope, but that diet finally gave him relief.
Most store bought meats have growth hormones, and antibiotics, given during the growing or ‘finishing’ feeding. but lamb is not fed that stuff.
The kelp makes a big difference.
If your dog doesn’t like the rice, you can boil fresh fish (not farmed) and pour the broth over the rice…If this diet works, then add vegetables for better balance…carrots, or sweet potatoes, peeled potatoes, and any veggie except tomatoes, corn and onions.
this recipe should be enough for several days, so that you aren’t cooking daily.
By the way, vets often over-look the household possibilities..often the allergen is carpet cleaners, or upholstery shampoo..or air fresheners..Swifter cleaner has been a common problem since it came out recently..
First off, has he seen a vet for the problem? Gotta rule out mange (there are two types…one they are born with,it is incurable…the other is curable)…we are dealing with a similar problem with our 6 month Dane…we have taken him to the vet two times (second was a follow up) and have skin scrapings done…so far it is not fleas, ticks or mange (either type)…He is on antibiotics 2x a day for a month for a “full body” staff infection he has developed because of his scratching, and benedryl…he have now changed to a corn free and wheat free (does have soy though) dog food called Nutro (we got the chicken, rice, and oatmeal) from petco (probably at petsmart also)…he has only been on it since yesterday night and it seems like he has not scratched as much today…try changing his food again to one without corn or wheat…see if that helps…stop using fabric softener, and when using laundry det. wash once with soap, and again without…as far as bedding, don’t put anymore bedding in there…You did not mention if you put chew toys in the crate with him…he may just be bored in his crate…we leave a rope chew and a beef hide (made in USA only…the others contain chems that I don’t want him to ingest)…after a couple of days, put some old towels or an old blanket in with him until he stops chewing.
Good luck on you baby.
It could be mange, little bugs on the skin. Your vet can do a skin scrap to check if that is what is it.
to us it might seem uncomfortable, but try having your puppy sleep on the linoleum. i have 2 grown dogs, the one has always chosen to sleep on the linoleum. our other dog use to chew herself, like your puppy does. found out she was allergic to grass. she took medicine for that. now we live in AZ and we have no grass. her skin has cleared up and she no longer needs the medicine. fleas were probably part of the problem. frontline is a good product, so it most likely took care of the fleas.
it could be fleas or ticks. there are some sprays you cam use on carpet or the dog beds. get some frontline or something like that. my dog waz doin that but she had ticks.
my dog has allergies. we give her benadryl (the vet told us to) you can feed them 1 pill for every 10lbs per day. as far as the chewing goes i don’t know cause my dogs don’t chew on their pillows.
i heard of this before on animal planet, it’s not fleas, or mosquitoes, it was something different, ask your vet about it.
Ok I don’t know about the bed thing but, the chewing and licking thing is probably allergies. Now to what I don not know. Dogs are just like humans when it comes to allergies. They can be allergic to grass, pollen, food, and just about anything else you can think of. Try benadryl (children’s) make sure it is not mixed with anything like pain relievers, just straight children’s benadryl. You can give 2mg per pound. This should help until you can get him to a vet. The vet can try him on some specific foods that are prescription only to see if it is that. If not they can also do allergy testing. Good luck and I hope your baby feels better soon.
Check his ears, I know it sounds silly but if the inside of his ears are rather reddish and not the normal pink he has an allergy to something.
It could also be he is having a bit of anxiety hence the chewing. you might consider putting a small radio on softly near by his sleeping area so he doesn’t feel alone and abandoned.
My miniature poodle did the same thing with the chewing it turned out she was kennel raised and once we got her a training pen kennel she felt safe and secure and wonders of all wonders stopped the chewing problem.