Self Mutilation
Kathy Diamond Davis’ Self Mutilation:
Dogs Who Chew, Lick or Scratch Themselves to the Point of Harm
Copyright Kathy Diamond Davis, author of the book “Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others”
The work was originally published by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), and is republished with VIN permission.
Dogs don’t understand why they shouldn’t pick at themselves when they itch or hurt. As a result, many dogs will do so much damage that they remove tissue all the way down to bone. All degrees of damage from self-mutilation in dogs are common. Some signs you might note on your dog are a hot spot (raw area with no actual wound), a foot that is swollen and perhaps red in color (the saliva stains, which shows most on white fur), damage to ears from scratching, and chewed-off fur.
If your dog lives closely with you, you’ll see the dog doing the self-mutilating behavior, and likely hear it, too. This gives you the opportunity to help your dog through the problem before it does serious damage or becomes a strong habit that can be hard to overcome.
Causes
Fleas are a leading cause of self-mutilation, and these days there are good, safe products to eliminate them. Beware of buying flea and tick products from other than a veterinarian. Some products sold in the open market don’t work, some harm dogs, and some are not even what the label says they are. It’s a buyer beware situation, and your veterinarian is a real ally in getting the right treatment.
If your dog is worrying at a tick, you are likely to spot that although many are tiny. Some other parasites that can make your dog itch and even suffer severe harm are invisible to the eye, and can be detected only by microscope. This is a job for your veterinarian. When a parasite cannot be identified, it’s time to start considering asking for a referral to a veterinary dermatology specialist.
The veterinary dermatology specialist is equipped to deal with the more complicated cases of skin problems in dogs, of which there are many. A dog’s skin has the reactivity of human lung tissue. The problem may be something the dog has eaten, something that has come in contact with the skin, a genetic skin condition your dog has inherited, or something else.
Itchy feet and itchy ears also may be due to allergies, though there are other possibilities, too. Sometimes what is at the root of skin problems is hypothyroidism. Because thyroid hormone is essential to healthy skin and a lot of other bodily functions including the immune system, skin problems that may look like allergies (sometimes combined with ear infections) can involve hypothyroidism.
One thing that happens when a hypothyroid dog is diagnosed and goes on the right medication (which is low risk in terms of side effects and is likely to substantially lengthen the dog’s life) is that in the first 24 hours the dog’s facial expression changes. You may not have realized until you see the change that your hypothyroid dog has had a “tragic expression.” It’s unforgettable when you see this change.
Diagnosing hypothyroidism is not always easy. It requires the right laboratories, and follow-up testing to get the dosage regulated. The typical form of hypothyroidism that dogs get is progressive, as the thyroid destroys itself. More is being learned about this all the time. If this is the reason for your dog’s skin problems, it is causing other problems, too, and getting the dog regulated on the simple medication will save you money and make your dog much healthier.
Contact dermatitis can come from things the dog walks or plays on, such as lawn treatments, ice melt products, and other things you may not know are there. It may be necessary to change your walking route or have the dog wear boots.
Of course be sure to check the dog’s feet meticulously for stickers and cuts whenever the dog is paying extra attention to them. Dogs can burn their feet walking on pavement that doesn’t feel that hot to us. The pads may peel off and take considerable time to regain their former toughness. Walking barefoot means dogs need those tough pads.
Sometimes a thorn, foxtail or other sharp item will enter the pad and the surface will heal over with the piece inside. These things can work their way up the leg and require surgical removal. Veterinarians have to be real detectives, scientists and doggie mind-readers to find a lot of these problems.
Other problems that cause chewing, licking and scratching can include orthopedic issues. You wouldn’t expect a dog with back problems to be chewing a foot, but that may be one way the dog reacts to the pain. Dogs with docked tails can have pain later in life. Hip dysplasia or anomalies in other bones and joints can cause self-mutilation, too.
Broken bones in dogs go undiagnosed at times, as do knee ligament and other injuries. Any change in the dog’s movements, such as difficulty getting up, a limp, or reluctance to do something the dog formerly did can be clues. Keep in mind that a dog may be worrying at a spot away from the injury or orthopedic defect. It is important to find these physical problems and relieve them.
When a dog has surgery, it’s natural for the dog to want to disturb the stitches, but of course not safe. Your veterinarian may recommend a special collar that limits the dog’s head movement, or other measures. The management methods discussed in the section below will work, too.
For dogs, fear causes great suffering, as much or more than pain does. Dogs will sometimes respond to this with self-mutilation. In such a case the relief of that anxiety is just as important to the dog’s care as it is to relieve pain.
Behavior Modification and Management
Dealing with self-mutilation is a challenging behavior modification task, but extremely rewarding. It’s not something you just “train” a dog to “stop” doing. Like a child, the dog is going to need your help and support.
With your veterinarian’s approval, you may be able to keep an area wrapped to give it time to heal. Have the veterinarian show you how, or approve your method.
Also with the veterinarian’s okay, it can work to put a bittering agent on the area. Use only a product labeled for this use that your veterinarian approves. These substances deteriorate quickly, so plan to apply it three or four times a day. In the case of a dog chewing a foot or leg from anxiety, it may also be wise to apply it to the foot or leg on the other side of the body. Otherwise some dogs will just turn the damaging attention to that other limb.
Continue applying the bittering agent three to four times a day for three weeks before you test to see if the dog will go back to chewing without it. You want to fully interrupt the habit long enough for it to no longer be a habit, so do not stop too soon.
While adequate exercise can help a dog be mentally well adjusted and physically fit, overdoing it can worsen a physical problem. Running a dog to the point of exhaustion can be risky in multiple ways, and isn’t likely to help with self-mutilation. Keeping the dog out of a crate and able to trot and saunter around the house interacting with people will help, though. You’ll be much better able to supervise the dog, and many dogs will feel less anxious when not confined to a crate.
Dogs calm themselves by chewing, so we need to provide them with this outlet. The ideal time to build a good chewing habit is in adolescence when a dog is inclined to destructively chew. During this life stage, consistently redirect your dog’s chewing to toys, and make sure you have a variety of textures available to the dog at all times.
Teach the dog a word for “toy” (that word will do fine). You can teach individual toy names, too, if you like, but teach all dogs a word for those things that belong to the dog.
During that teenage chewing stage (or anytime you get your dog), teach the dog to “get a toy.” Just go with the dog to a toy, wiggle it around until the dog wants it, and then leave the dog to chew it. Have toys always within your dog’s reach to do this.
You can sleep with dog toys on the bed. Having the dog sleep on the bed is another way to supervise, when having the dog there is otherwise acceptable in your home and with that particular dog.
Sometimes, whether at night or other times, it helps to just hug the dog awhile, or give a massage. This might also help you narrow down a physical problem’s location. Be sure to go over your dog thoroughly by touch every day. Daily grooming is an ideal way to do this.
Put a small bell on the dog’s collar. This is extremely helpful anytime a dog needs supervision. Experiment to find a bell you will hear, but will not find too nerve wracking.
When you hear or see your dog start to lick or chew his or her body, get the dog to chew a toy instead. Use toys that are available to the dog all the time. For one thing, this gives the dog the ability to eventually be able to turn to a toy without your direction. For another thing, you don’t want to reward a dog for self-mutilation by running to put treats into a toy and give that to the dog! So, the toys need to be there all the time.
If you have to tie the dog to yourself in order to keep up with this supervision, do it—it’s worth it. Start intense supervision the minute you see a dog begin to self-mutilate. Do not wait until you’ve been to the veterinarian and had tests. The veterinary care is urgent, but the self-mutilation often will not be solved by taking care of the physical problem if it has been going on long enough to become a habit by the time the medical care is effective.
If routine veterinary care doesn’t quickly manage the self-mutilation, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behavior specialist. Medications can help with this problem, and some dogs will need it. This is especially likely if the habit gets established before you start working on it. Start behavior modification before it can become a habit if at all possible.
Lifelong Management
Any scratching, chewing and licking a dog starts to do to his or her body needs to be a call to action for you. If you will do this, your dog will gradually become more inclined to go get a toy to chew for relaxation—which is a major reason dogs chew.
When a dog has a physical or anxiety problem, self-mutilation can make it worse. As a habit, it can do terrible damage. We need to relieve whatever is bothering the dog, while at the same time interrupting and redirecting any self-mutilation behavior. This saves the dog a great deal of misery, and makes your bond closer, too.
