# chewing leg hair...help



## Nanika (Jan 10, 2008)

I am thinking about the upcoming (in May and July)conformation shows in the far north and I need some help. My dear "Copper" did very well last year at these shows and picked up her first 4 points...this winter she has taken up chewing the hair on her front feet and legs. She looks awful and I am wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to stop this. I am sure that she is doing it while in the kennel (while I am at work), maybe boredom...aside from leaving her an extra bone to chew on or using vet wrap does anyone have any other ideas?


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

Have you tried putting bitter apple on her legs before you leave? Does she have other things to do in her kennel, filled kong maybe? Maybe she's sensitive to something in her food or environment?


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## Nanika (Jan 10, 2008)

I did try the bitter apple...when I hid near her kennel and watched her to see what she was doing I was shocked to see that she was 'washing' her legs in the water bucket. So much for trying to outsmart her.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

I've never experienced this one but have heard it could be caused by an allergy, possibly food related. Worth checking out with you vet.


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## capa (Jan 7, 2009)

If she is doing it also with you present, then it might be really some allergy.
If she does it only when she is away from you it might be stress related.
Our Axel got very stressed the first few times at shows and started biting his legs. The vet said it had to do with all the noise around him and being confined to small quarters.


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## Nanika (Jan 10, 2008)

We have checked into the allergy thing and don't think that this is the cause. She was showing some signs of allergies last year and when we changed her food they all stopped. This hair chewing is something new. I also find that while my vet is fantastic about almost everything - I find that people who show, breed and love the golden like we all do tend to know more than they do.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Mix Bitter Apple with Liquid Heat, or Absorbine Junior liquid. And hang your water buckets high enough to drink but too high for her to "bathe". (My Lyric used to do the same thing.)


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## Nanika (Jan 10, 2008)

Thanks for all the suggestions...I will keep you posted on our success or failures with the chewing.


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## Conquerergold (Dec 12, 2007)

I too had a boy do this, he actually liked the taste of bitter apple. I got a spray from my vet, which is a much harsher taste then bitter apple, which they use to spray bandages etc. to prevent dogs chewing.

I also hung my buckets up higher (not only did this boy like to stand in them, he thought it a great game to pounce in them (like a bear killing a fish) until the hooks broke off.

To get the hair growing back, every night I would put some undiluted conditioner on his legs (do not wash out), and every second day bathe the legs (just a bucket of warm soapy water and a wash cloth). Clean hair grows, since after a while conditioner builds up they do need to be washed. After they are dry I would put the conditioner on, and once that soaked in sprayed with the bitter spray.

Doing this I noticed a difference within 7 days. Thankfully after a few weeks with the bitter spray, the habbit of leg chewing was gone, it does come back when the girls are in season though 

Cheers
Rob


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