Short version:
What should I feed to my dog to help him eliminate hair balls.
Long:
My dog washes himself the way a cat does; but without the cute sand paper tongue. And like a cat he periodically vomits up a bunch of hair.* Lately though he is having a problem.
- In the morning he will not eat his kibble
- His stomach makes really loud noises.
- He will have a BM (usually does not occur until after he eats.)
- Finally he will vomit up a huge long tube shaped hair ball.
Additional possibly helpful info:
The vet said she had no idea and from the look on her face seemed to doubt the veracity of my story.
Age 9.5 Weight approx 70 lbs
He eats kibble divided into three meals a day; with one of the serving having canned pumpkin added. He gets treats: small dog cookies, romaine lettuce, marrow bone dogs cookies, apple slices. I am very careful with the amount he eats since he has a tendency to gain weight.
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
*in the farthest corner he can find making it super difficult for me to clean it up:smack:
I’ve heard of people using coconut oil to help with hairballs. Put it in the food or on his fur where he will lick it off. It apparently also helps with dry skin, which may be one reason your doggie grooms himself. My friend puts a teaspoon in her cat’s food each morning. They seem to like it and it seems to help.
Two things, maybe helpful, maybe not, PLEASE check with your vet first:
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I give my rabbit pineapple daily. Pineapple dissolves hairballs (at least in rabbits). Ding-dong lagomorphs groom like cats but can not physically vomit; hairballs will plug up their guts and they will starve. Try this article about pineapple for dogs.
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I would think dogs could expel hair on their own–ours seems to have no trouble passing it :eek: . Your dog might have a different digestion problem. Our two (late) Border Collies used to greet the sun every morning by spitting up a nauseating amount of bile (yellow and stringy). Our vet recommended one Famotidine tablet before bedtime for each dog–bury it in a piece of hotdog and watch out for your fingers–and everything was copacetic thereafter.
Again, CHECK WITH YOUR VET first. If vet balks at listening, time for new vet.
Good luck. I’m pulling for you.
What if you shaved your dog?
That cures the symptoms but not the problem.
Then how about a good coat of shellac?
Is your dog a Bernese Mountain dog? They are notorious for having this type of issue. Mine will lick for hours. Not just himself, but the comforter, other dogs, the couch. Me, if I let him. If yes, talk to your vet about the breed and/or find one that knows about the behavior.
If not, one thought: brushing the dog regularly or getting it groomed to reduce the amount of hair. This might also help you test whether it’s his fur that coming up, or whether he’s gotten into something else.
He was a free dog on Craig’s list so I do not know the breed other than the vet guessing Terrier mix.
He absolutely has not gotten into anything else. The house is extremely dog safe and he is my only pet. I monitor his toys for rips and breakage. We live alone together and are never apart so I know what he is up to except when I am sleeping. He is not at all a chewer; but absolutely licks his toys as if they were his babies. He does not chew on himself just washes his feet; but not in an obsessive way just an after meal clean-up as if he used he paws to eat. He also rubs his face against his bed after meals.
Cutting his fur is a good idea except he looks so cute. He is mostly black but has longer fluffy white hair on his feet the way a Clydesdale horse has furry ankles*.
More diligent brushing is a great idea.
He looks like a Wolfhound (except for the furry feet) but much smaller. I had a picture on flickr; but I can not seem to find it.
He is not allowed raw hide, pig ears or any human food other than dog safe veggies and apples.
Thank you everyone for the replies and suggestions.
*fetlock?
He might be bored. Exercising him more might cure his licking habit.
It’s worth trimming the hair on his feet & face, just to see if that cuts down on his lickings. It might be itchy to him.
What sort of kibble is he getting? My dog had coat problems when I got him. I feed Nutro Lamb & Rice, small bites, and he itches less and has a better coat condition. It might be worth investigating food allergies.
Terrier mix may be a clue. My Scottie licked her paws until they dripped saliva. My Irish Terrier also licked, but not to such an extreme. The Scottie would lick anything, actually.
If more frequent brushing doesn’t help, consider stripping your dog’s coat or using a shedding tool such as a Furminator. My terriers and my terrier mix don’t really shed; you have to pull the dead hair out of the coat.
I also used Laxatone, don’t know if it’s still available. Hairball treatment stuff, very palatable.
I would change his diet slightly to try to figure out if the dry kibble isn’t right for him. I would try changing one portion of kibble to plain boiled chicken and rice, just to see if it makes any difference, if it make him better it would be an indication that there is something about the kibble.
Also, I would brush, and brush to make sure he doesn’t ingest hair.
