How do you keep a dog from chewing on itself? Not really a hot spot

[WIChookchick]

So here is the history and dilema.
I have a Sharpei/lab mix, she has some of the wrinkles of a sharpei and the coat type somewhere between the two breeds.
We have fed a dog food with no issues, until last summer we switched slowly from our brand to Pedigree as we were watching a
relative's dog who is on pedigree. A few weeks later she started having hot spots, then got fleas from a dog, probably the neighbor's dog.
We dealt with the fleas, which took a long time, and the hot spots... She also got stung by ground bees during all of this, and a quick visit
to the vet and prednisone and benedryl shots.. and pills..
We thought we had it licked (so to speak), baths, sprays, medication...
We had her on a different dog food, and that was fine, we were slowly starting her on a different style (probably a different recipe) of the same
brand of our normal dog food, and she has started chewing on herself, but its not hot spots.
It must be a type of dermatitis, similar to a hot spot.. but after chewing three bald spots on her tail, and finding scabs under her fur, causing her
fur in small areas to start to fall out as the scab heals.. Just not sure what this is.
I have tried something similar to Bitter Apple, she seems to have acquired a taste for it... We have her on a grain free diet for 2-3 weeks and are slowly introducing her
to the original dog food we had her on. Our border collie mix shows no signs of any hot spots...our sharpei mix also licks alot, before chewing...
And more bathing with a medicated shampoo, rinsing very well... i have found the only thing
that stops her now is I have a t-shirt on her, she seems to prefer my DH's shirt to one of mine.

Any ideas that can help with this?

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

My first thought is maybe she developed the habit of chewing on herself with all the other issues going on.

I would give her something else to chew on and see if that helps. I give my dogs 4-5" cow bones that I smear peanut butter in.

I would also stick with the grain-free food. Just because one dog doesn't have an itch problem on food full of corn doesn't mean this one wouldn't.

Good luck with your guy.

 

[Akane]

Once you set off allergies the animal or human often becomes much more sensitive and has issues with things they didn't before. It also takes months ( a breeder friend said it can take 6) for them to recover completely from a bad outbreak and immune system stress. You may have to keep her on a grain free diet (also check the meat ingredient chicken is a common allergen) for a lot longer to let things settle back down.

 

[teach1rusl]

I would definitely keep looking for a food that doesn't cause these reactions. Have you tried Blue Kote? Supposed to have a nasty taste and may deter your dog from chewing that area. If it works, you may have to reapply every day or two.

 

[WIChookchick]

~*Sweet Cheeks*~ :

My first thought is maybe she developed the habit of chewing on herself with all the other issues going on.

I would give her something else to chew on and see if that helps. I give my dogs 4-5" cow bones that I smear peanut butter in.

I would also stick with the grain-free food. Just because one dog doesn't have an itch problem on food full of corn doesn't mean this one wouldn't.

Good luck with your guy.

Thanks for all the good info. The food I had her on was not a corn based. It was a soy based and she has been on it for over a year and a half. It wasn't until the change to the pedigree that
she got the hot spots, itchy spots.


My pups have bones, hooves, toys and tons of things to keep them occupied.

I think she has gotten into the habit now that you mention it. She mooned about the fact she had the t-shirt on, last night, I had to put it back on today..
She isn't licking on her front legs, or chewing.. and she isn't trying to chew or lick THROUGH the t-shirt on her flanks, she can reach them but the t-shirt covers them, but
she can reach her tail and hasn't chewed on that. SO perhaps its habit...​

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

If these itchy spots are allergies then it may take 6+ months to get them out of her system. Allergies in dogs and people can last a long time in the system once the immune response is triggered. My GSD has some issues with grains and when I have accidently given him my other dogs food, even just one time he itches and scratches for a few weeks after.

 

[Skyesrocket]

It could also be demodex. Common in Shar-Pei. Have your vet scrape her to check for it.