Fur bitting that won't stop

[698carolh]

Hi Everyone:
I am in desperate need of some information and guidance. You were all awesome on how to get my chow chow (named chub chub) to not growl and get him controlled at the door.
Thank you all so much, it was the best advice.
Now, I have another dilemma with Chub.
He will not stop bitting his fur. he is bitting all the time. His tail looks like a stick, and he is biting anywhere he can reach.
I have done the following:
Taken him to the vet twice now. Got him steroid/allergy shots. No effect.
Given him the anitbiotics, once they are gone he bites again
The spray to put on areas he is bitting. No luck
Gave him fish oil 4 per day
The vet also told me to give him allergy medicine which did not work either.
He has been checked for fleas and has also had the hair shaven where he was bitting to get the matts out.

Any suggestions would be so greatly appreciated.

Please help chub chub look like a chow again, instead of a poodle
Carol and Chub

[chowpups]

What is chub allergic to? If its his food you must start eliminating what it is he's allergic to or his allergies will just keep coming back.my chows had chicken allergies and it took awhile to figure out cause even when I thought the fish food I gave her was chicken free I found out it had chicken in it!

[698carolh]

The vet figures he is allergic to dust.
I will try eliminating different things from his diet.
The strange thing is that he always had the same food, same treats etc.
Any suggestion where to start with the foods?

[chowpups]

Dust is a hard one to eliminate for sure.. I would ask my vet about switching cause you don't want to cause more problems if he really thinks its dust and not food.. We switched our golden retriever to bison when she was a pup around 8 months, cause she had a problem with chicken and corn. It took awhile for her to settle into the new food, but shes much happier now.. goldens are just as bad with skin issues as chows.

[698carolh]

I thought it rather strange about the dust, but I will give the food a try.
Did your vet give an allergy test to find out the problem? Mine just figured dust, so we really don't know.
When he goes to my daughters for sleep overs (lol) he doesn't bite there, nor at my parents when he visits the chows my parents have.
So maybe it is the food. Never even gave it a second thought.
We once had a cat allergic to fish, yes fish. That was fun needless to say.
Thank you for taking time with me.
Will keep you in the loop as to how things go
Thanks
Carol and Chub Chub

[Cocoa]

It is possible that it is a seasonal allergy. Cocoa has real issues in the fall every year. The first year we thought it could be the food, I had switched her to a bison based food a few months earlier, so we switched to the Taste of the Wild fish formula and things seemed to get better. It was also when the fall weather was getting cooler so as it turned out the change of the food was just coincidental timing with the itching abating. Come August the next year (last year) scratching and chewing started again with a vengeance to the point that she had some pretty bad hot spots, vet put her on steroids, we got the hot spots cleared up and she was fine. She tends to be itchy in the spring when she is blowing her coat but nothing out of the ordinary. Fast forward to August and the crazy itching started again. I was determined not to have her put on the steroids again so she has been spending a lot of time in the "cone of shame" this fall (only when I'm out, she seems to control it when she knows she's being watched). My vet and I both think it is a seasonal allergy, some pollen or mold that is in the air in the fall, but don't know what exactly. I just tell people she's allergic to autumn!
My point is that if the itching goes away when the weather gets cold (assuming you are somewhere that has cold winters), Chub may have a seasonal allergy as well and you will just end up having to find a way to manage it every year.

[698carolh]

That sounds exactly like Chub. I just feel so bad for him having all these sore spots. He looks so ruff right now, I don't even want to take him out lol
Thank you for your input, and if I find out anything, I will keep you all posted.
My vet actually said to give him allergy medicine. That worked for a little while.

Thank you all for your time
as I am going to ask one more thing on the forum. BATHS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rory's Dad]

Seasonal is definitely a consideration, as is the food source. Trial by elimination is the best bet. For the food, bison is a good choice if its in a quality food. I currently have my 2 on Earthborn Holistic. No filler and they like the taste. Not a bad price is bought online. Pricey if bought by a local vendor.

My Amber is a chewer of anything...i attribute a lot of her chewing, whether it be the coffee table, my shoe, or herself to boredom. As soon as i offer an alernative toy, she behaves better. She is craving attention, and we have actually had to be careful not to teach her that chewing results in a reward.

I mention it only because i don't see it in the post string, but be careful on over bathing. Sometimes our first instinct with an itchy dog is to wash him. Over bathing can actually dry out the skin and make the condition worse.

Sorry that i dont have anything more definitive, but it really is trial and error.

[698carolh]

Thank you for the input. Any information I can gather to help him with chewing his fur, the more avenues I can try. I have had him at two vets, with not much help.

Thank you for taking time to reply.

Carol and Chub Chub

[King_louey]

i frequently have this issue with my chow and goes away after 2 days but then a week or a month from now hell start up again. ive given him the allergy pills for dogs and benedryll. they both worked, helps relieve the itching but makes him mope around all day which i dont like so i stopped doing it. but i only do that if im desperate and cant watch him itch anymore. i also give him the cone:/ he always turns to nip at his but and when i search in his fur theres no fleas and no signs of hot spots forming.
when i first got him he was itching like crazy so i switched his food, he has been on the purina sensitive skin and coat(pink) for a few months now and have noticed a difference in the change of food.
sorry if my story isnt much help! as im having the same issue lol but i figured more info might help!
good luck! hope you find a cure soon!

[698carolh]

I may have found the solution for Chub Chub's fur bittng.
I took the advice you all kindly gave, and came up with food
Changed to the Brand called Blue Buffalo, Lamb and Brown Rice combination.
It has been 5 days now, with no fur biting and no more allergy medicine.
I will keep you posted on the progress, so if any of you have fur biters, it may help.

Thanks so much
Carol and Chub Chub the Chow (not poodle anymore lol)