[SOLVED ] Q. My Boogers (is my chow's name) and he is chewing himself to death and I have tried everything and even things from the vet and he is still i...

tching.

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. Place an e-collar on him to prevent further chewing. Recheck with your vet or a veterinary dermatologist. Rule out fleas and other parasites, infection (yeast or bacterial) and allergies or food sensitivities. Your vet can submit blood work to test for allergies however, a dermatologist will be able to do more in depth skin testing for allergies. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, usually a fish oil, to the diet to promote healthy skin and coat. EFAs may also decrease inflammation. Food trilas may rule out sensitivities. Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose since they can have many causes (inhaled, contact, food) but if that’s the diagnosis reached, you will need to determine the allergen(s) then decrease or eliminate it (them) from the diet or environment.

How to Identify Common Pet Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

It is a symptom caused by dry skin, allergies, parasites, or other underlying conditions. Anxiety and boredom can cause dogs to lick, chew, and bite as a response. Changing your dog`s diet may be the key to stopping obsessive licking behavior. Fatty acid supplements can help ease pain and itching from dry skin.

In dogs, rather than sneezing, allergies make their skin itchy. We call this skin allergy “atopy”, and Chow Chows often have it. The feet, belly, folds of the skin, and ears are most commonly affected. Symptoms typically start between the ages of one and three and can get worse every year.

Yeast or Bacterial infections

One of the foremost causes of dogs biting themselves is a highly itchy and aggravating infection. Although most dogs stick to licking, the frustration of an itch could drive a dog to chew and eventually to biting to stop the irritation if it`s severe enough.

There are a few potential causes for why dogs bite themselves, including skin irritation or allergies, boredom or anxiety, and compulsive disorders. Some breeds of dogs in particular, such as English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs, seem to be more prone to this behavior than others.

Whether they`re rough- or smooth-coated, chows require daily or near daily brushing to keep their signature double coat mat-free. Additionally, although they are low odor, chows need to be bathed at least every six weeks to keep their coat and their skin—buried under all that fur—healthy.

In warmer climates, the dog`s thick coat can actually serve as an insulator to keep the dog cool. When the fur is shaved away, your dog can overheat more easily. This breed is prone to hot spots more than other breeds, and shaving may worsen this problem in some cases.

Chewing is a perfectly normal behavior for dogs of all ages. Both wild and domestic dogs spend hours chewing bones. This activity keeps their jaws strong and their teeth clean. Dogs love to chew on bones, sticks and just about anything else available.

But to your dog eating vomit isn`t weird at all, it`s a natural behavior. Dogs eat their own vomit because to them it`s seen as a food source. When pups are being weaned mother dogs will regurgitate food for their young to help them adjust to eating solid foods.

Some nibbling is out of boredom, or as a reaction to an itch, they can`t reach. Another nibbling may be due to separation anxiety and the dog`s need for comfort from you. Most dogs nibble because it feels good – like chewing gum!

Brushing helps: Brushing out the old, dead hair on your dog will make him feel less itchy. Remember hydration: Especially during the winter season, rooms are dry and this can worsen itching. Don`t forget to place a bowl of water on the heater. Your dog will thank you for this!

An oral fast-acting tablet that contains Nitenpyram is the safest way to kill fleas on dogs instantly. You can also bathe your dog in hot soapy water with Dawn to kill adult fleas, but this is not a good long-term solution.

Taste deterrents take advantage of your pet`s dislike of bitter and spicy flavors by using those sensations to discourage chewing. Bitter apple sprays and spicy or hot sprays are commonly used deterrents.

Some Chows might follow you wherever you go, while others may not even look up when you walk through the door. The American Kennel Club says no dog should be left alone for more than eight hours, regardless of breed.

They might look very cuddly, but a chow chow tends to be quite aloof and independent. This makes them ideal as a dog that can be left alone because they don`t crave physical attention as much as other breeds. Chow chows also don`t need a huge amount of exercise, so a walk when you`re home from work will be plenty.

Chow Chows are very devoted dog and form incredibly strong bonds with their owners, making them loyal and loving companions. With a strong guarding instinct, Chows can be quite wary of strangers so early socialisation is important for this breed.

This is because Chow-Chows are extraordinarily independent and proud dogs, who will likely bite or attack if they are hit or are shown overtly aggressive behavior from their owner or a stranger.

Chow Chows behave like cats in that they prefer to keep some self-autonomy. Despite their looks, they actually don`t enjoy snuggling. Chow Chows like to bond with one person and are the ideal breed for a single-person household. They can be protective and are quite alert.

The Bottom Line. Chow chows are not dogs who should be taken lightly. They can be loving pets when properly trained, but they also have the potential to be very aggressive towards you and others around them. If you have a Chow, be careful to watch their behaviour so that your dog does not become a danger to others.

Clean Eyes and Ears are Essential to Your Dog`s Health

Check for redness or other signs of irritation. Healthy eyes are bright and clear, and the white of the eye is pure white. You can help keep them that way by gently wiping away discharge in the corners with a cotton ball or soft washcloth moistened with warm water.

While dogs are known to eat anything and everything and seem to have stomachs made of steel, eating any sort of dead animal can pose a health risk. Dead animals may carry bacteria, parasites or toxins that could make your dog seriously ill.

Research has shown that dogs can literally smell things like stress in humans. Changes associated with death occur months before the event takes place. These changes can affect subtle differences in the smell of a person or another animal, an indicator that death is near.

This intense chewing phase usually starts around four months and typically lasts two months. Adolescent chewing may follow for six or so months and is a part of how your puppy learns about the world. Many dogs will continue to chew for life – some dogs enjoy it, while others may chew when bored or anxious.

Dogs need food and water to survive. However, if they are otherwise well, they can survive for around 5 days without food, as long as they are drinking. It`s true that dogs have survived for much longer periods without food, but there is a great risk of irreversible damage to their organs and tissues, or death.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. How do I get my dog to stop chewing on things? I kennel her when I leave for a few hours, but I can’t go to the mailbox without her eating something.

ANSWER : A. If she’s young, then this is just normal puppy behavior. Don’t worry about it. The thing about puppies is, they explore using their mouths. If your puppy grabs a coat hanger, or a slipper, you should roll up a newspaper, and smack yourself on the head with it for leaving those things out.. your puppy is going to explore things, that’s normal! It is 100% up to YOU to keep those things away from your puppy when your puppy is unsupervised… even for just a moment.

Remember to never scold your puppy for grabbing these things. They are just curious little cuties, and they don’t chew things up to bother us.. Dogs do not have intentional thought, so they aren’t ever doing anything ON PURPOSE to us.. The most important thing you can do when your puppy is chewing something you don’t want her to be chewing is TRADE her the inappropriate item with a toy of hers, so she understands “no honey, that isn’t what puppies chew on… THIS is what puppies chew on!” and then begin playing with her using her toy to show her that TOYS ARE FUN.. Way more fun than a boring ol’ coat hanger.

Another helpful thing you can do is have two bags of toys. In each bag is many different kinds of toys. Lots of chew toys, lots of soft squeaky toys, lots of rope-type toys, a bunch of balls.. All kinds of things! For one week you have bag#1’s toys out for your puppy to play with.. At the end of the one week, you collect those toys, and you bring out bag#2! The toys will be more interesting/feel like new to your puppy, which will in-turn, make her chew less inappropriate things. Her toys are too fun to care about that dumb Wii-mote that you left laying around.

Hope this helps!

Read Full Q/A … : Stop Dog Chewing – Put A Stop To Your Dog's Or Puppy's …

Q. My Boogers (is my chow’s name) and he is chewing himself to death and I have tried everything and even things from the vet and he is still itching.

ANSWER : A. Place an e-collar on him to prevent further chewing. Recheck with your vet or a veterinary dermatologist. Rule out fleas and other parasites, infection (yeast or bacterial) and allergies or food sensitivities. Your vet can submit blood work to test for allergies however, a dermatologist will be able to do more in depth skin testing for allergies. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, usually a fish oil, to the diet to promote healthy skin and coat. EFAs may also decrease inflammation. Food trilas may rule out sensitivities. Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose since they can have many causes (inhaled, contact, food) but if that’s the diagnosis reached, you will need to determine the allergen(s) then decrease or eliminate it (them) from the diet or environment.

Read Full Q/A … : What Can I Do To Stop Itching? – ChowChow.org

Q. My dog has no fleas, but is scratching and licking continually. He has been through a round of prednisone and it hasn’t helped. What can I do?

ANSWER : A. Itching can be caused by more than just external parasites, and if your dog is already on a flea medication, then it is possibly not the case. Itching can indicate anything from allergies to even minor skin infections causing problems. If your dog has been treated with prednisone (a steroid that inhibits the immune system) and it did not help, then looking at other options may help.

Food allergies are very common in dogs and can present with itching and licking all over the body rather than on just one spot. Common food allergens include ingredients such as wheat, corn and soy products, however dogs can be allergic to almost anything! Starting a food trial of an allergen-friendly diet from your vet or pet store that avoids these common ingredients may help. The food should be switched over a period of 7-9 days and then given about a month to decide if it is helping.

Small skin infections or yeast in the skin can also cause itching, however this itching is often more specific to a certain area of the body (such as the toes, or base of the tail). Your vet can perform a skin scraping of the area to be cultured at a lab to look for any yeast or bacteria. If they are present, a medication given either orally or placed on the affected area can clear up the infection.

In some cases, licking and chewing can actually be due to a boredom or anxiety behavior. Dogs may lick one spot obsessively to the point of creating sores or wounds in the area. Stopping your dog from licking and chewing either through the use of dog booties, no lick strips, T-shirts or even Elizabethan collars can break the habit and give the area time to heal. Licking and chewing can also cause the spread of bacterial infections so should be deterred even if not behaviorally caused.

Read Full Q/A … : Why Is My Dog Or Cat Itching & Scratching – Allergic Skin Disease

Q. My 8 month old puppy is chewing off her hair. She does not chew to the point of raw skin, only the hair. Any ideas?

ANSWER : A. I’d agree with the answer below, and I’d add that with a puppy as young as yours the most common cause of chewing is external parasites and fungal disease. It’s important to realize that almost always, chewing is caused by being itchy. It’s essentially a way that dogs scratch.

The first thing to do is to rule out parasites. Even if you don’t see fleas, treat her for fleas. Use a good product like Frontline – it’s easy to apply (avoid the hairless areas, it should be placed between the shoulderblades. You should also consider that your dog might be getting bitten by mosquitos – a common problem in thin-skinned dogs, and depending on where you live they can still be a problem this time of year.

Your vet also needs to perform a scraping of the skin to rule out mites. And again…even if no mites are found, I would recommend treating for them. They are almost as common as fleas in puppies, and depending on her recent situation (rescued from a shelter?) stress can depress the immune system and cause a mite infestation to take hold.

And finally, ringworm, which is actually a fungal disease, should be ruled out. It’s also almost universally related to conditions, like overcrowded shelters, but it does happen and puppies are more susceptible.

One more note: allergies are possible, but other things are probably more likely at this point. If your vet doesn’t know what to do, I would recommend looking for someone who does.

Read Full Q/A … : 7-to-12-Month-Old Puppy: What to Expect – Dogster

Q. How about a name? Should I decide on a name for my puppy first?

ANSWER : A. Yes, to avoid confusion or disagreement amongst family members, it might be better to select the name of the puppy before he/she comes into the home. Just select a few names and settle on one that everyone can agree on and start calling the puppy by that name as soon as he/she comes. If you use this name from the start, the puppy will become more familiar with the name and will develop more affinity with you and your family. Of course, if you find that the puppy just does not seem suited to the chosen name and you change your mind and decide on a different name, the puppy will recover.

Read Full Q/A … : 3 Ways to Name Your New Puppy or Dog – wikiHow

Q. My puppy will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. I’ve had her for a week now, and she still isn’t responding to any training or her name. What can I do?

ANSWER : A. Try clicker training her to come when called. Clicker training is an effective way of training you dog to not only come when called, but can be used to teach a variety of tricks and tasks.

Have treats on hand that you know she loves, then simply click and treat. She will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so she has to come to you. Call and click and when she comes to you for that treat, treat him and give her lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When she comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if she doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If she takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until she comes eagerly. Next, try her off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point she should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If she does not, go back to the last step she performed reliably and work on that again until she responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating her every time, but still praise her. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until she comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time she is overly excited so that she can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something she already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Read Full Q/A … : How To Teach Your Puppy His Name – Puppy In Training

Q. My sister’s dog is digging the hair off from his legs. Any advice?

ANSWER : A. Biting and chewing to the point of hair loss can be caused by a number of things. Allergies, skin infections, and even metabolic illnesses can all cause the skin to become bothersome, or hair to be lost. In some cases, the behavior of licking or chewing at the hair can become chronic, and lead to infections or sores on the leg.

It is best to have your sister bring her dog in to have the legs looked at. Your vet can check for any signs of infection, allergy or even external parasites and provide treatment for relief. If there is no apparent cause, your vet may also recommend a blood test to check for internal illness as the cause.

Until you can get to the vet, it is best to prevent the dog from licking or scratching at the area. An Elizabethan collar (cone) is best to stop the behavior and allow the legs to rest some until they can be examined. If there is any dirt or debris in the area, a warm clean washcloth can be used to keep the area clean and prevent secondary infection until it can be examined.

Read Full Q/A … : Why Is My Dog's White Hair Turning Brown? – Pets

Q. My yorkie is now a year and 5 months and he still likes to chew up everything he can get his paws on. Why is this?

ANSWER : A. It sounds as though he was never properly trained NOT to chew things. Do not let your dog out unattended as he cannot be trusted not to chew things. These behaviors can lead to medical problems such as an obstruction. Make sure you provide him with plenty of fun toys. Also buy him bones, bully sticks, or kong toys that you can fill with peanut butter to make them more rewarding. Do not let him out of your sight when he is loose. Reprimand him if he picks up something that is yours by saying “NO”, then redirect his attention to his own toy, if he begins chewing it praise and give him treats.

Read Full Q/A … : All About Yorkshire Terriers, Yorkies, , training, care …