# Rubbing face raw on carpet??



## TonyRay (Feb 5, 2008)

does anyones pet have a habit of rubbing there face on the rug or carpet?

Karmin's nose and around her eyes are raw from her doing this.

she is losing hair on her face..
The vet said that in place of allergies, sometimes dogs will have OCD[ obsessive compulsion disorder] or just out of boredom will rub or scratch themselves raw...

sometimes we will see little blood around her eye from rubbing so hard.
Her sister is fed same food and everything else is the same for both so we don't think it is allergies.

any info or suggestions???
older pix here so it doesn't show on her ..


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## Sneeks (Mar 8, 2010)

couldn't you get her bloodwork tested for allergies? I don't think because he sister has allergies means anything at all. It is still possible.


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## Noey (Feb 26, 2009)

Have you cleaned the carpets recently? I know my Noah gets itchy face when the carpets get cleaned. Maybe a cool cloth to the face would help.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Is this a new behavior or is it ongoing? What will prompt it to happen? Does it happen more at some times of day than others?

How widespread is the hair loss?

Has the vet looked for parasites/mites/other possible factors?

If it may be a compulsive behavior, a veterinary behaviorist would be able to make a diagnosis and help you come up with a treatment/care plan.


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## Looni2ns (Mar 26, 2010)

I'd go w/a food allergy. Just because her sister is fed the same food, and doesn't have a problem, doesn't mean that Karmin doesn't have an allergy. 

Whatever is driving her crazy is on her muzzle, and she's trying to get it off. I had a dog who was allergic to wheat, and did the same thing Karmin is doing. Finally dawned on me after making her homemade dog biscuits, and seeing the wheat flour on her muzzle as she starting rubbing her face on the carpet. Switched her diet, used potatoe flour in the recipe and issues stopped. 

Allergy testing would be the way to go. In the meantime, change her to boiled rice or potatoes instead of the dry kibble in her food, and see if that helps. Benadryl or Claritin will help to alleviate her symptoms.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I'm thinking allergies too, food or seasonal. I don't know where you're located, but the tree pollen this Spring here in Maryland has been terrible. Like the earlier mention, benadryl will help with the itching until you figure out the source of it. You might also put natural tears drops in her eyes as I'm sure they're bothering her also. 

My Ike is on a soy, corn, and chicken free kibble as he's allergic to them.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

It could be allergies, hypothyroidism, or simple boredom. Once she starts, it's a self-perpetuating problem, since the raw spots are probably very itchy.

She could also be responding to pain or discomfort in her eyes or ears and the raw spots are simply collateral damage as she tries to scratch.

I assume the vet looked in her ears and there was no swelling or exudate (gunk)? Did the vet check out her eyes carefully?

My next step would probably be a big exercise and training regimen to come at the potential boredom issue (because it's a nice thing to do anyway, even if it's not boredom) and to get a full thyroid panel done.


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## emmahodges (Aug 22, 2013)

My pet had this habit for sometime in between although somehow it automatically got off. But yeah as my rugs were extremely soft wool rugs, we didn't had any other problem due to this.


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