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Why Does My Dog Eat Hair?

Dogs are incredibly curious and inquisitive animals.

They love to get their noses and mouths into everything, and often need to be watched and/or trained properly, for their own good as well!

Dogs do get bored fairly quickly if they are left alone, and can get into all sorts of mischief.

One thing that a lot of dog owners have reported is that their dog has developed the tendency to eat hair.

Owners will often have questions when they witness their dog eating his or her own hair, or even eating other hair found elsewhere.

There are a number of reasons why a dog would be eating hair. Most commonly, hair eating has been linked to feelings of anxiety or discomfort.

Some dogs will adopt this habit as a way to deal with stress, related to changes in their environment, negative emotions or other things that could be causing stress.

Other reasons include things like:

Boredom – Dogs that are bored will usually find some way to entertain themselves. Sometimes this means chewing up furniture or causing some sort of mischief around the house, but it can also lead to them chewing and eating hair.

Attention – Dogs will sometimes eat hair off of the floor, steal hairbrushes, or even chew on their owner’s hair. This is actually often a way of communicating their desire for your time and attention.

Parasites – There are a number of parasitic organisms that can affect dogs, including the incredibly common fleas and ticks. If your dog is itching, chewing and/or eating their fur, this could actually be associated with a tick, flea or other infestation issue.

Understanding Dog Digestion

Dogs have an very efficient and effective digestive system that has been refined over the years through natural selection and genetic development. Here is a  brief, simple breakdown that will help you understand dog digestion.

In through the mouth

The process of digestion actually starts within the mouth where food is being masticated and prepared for the rest of its digestive travels.

Food is chewed into smaller pieces and mixed with saliva, in order to make sure that it has been lubricated properly for swallowing.

Into the stomach

After the food has been chewed and swallowed, the esophagus carries it to the stomach. Dogs have “simple stomachs”, as they are basically a large muscular sac that is lined with excretory glands.

The stomach performs both mechanical digestion of food, as well as facilitating the beginning stages of protein digestion by secreting important protein-digesting enzymes.

The stomach has three general functions. It acts as a temporary storage site for food being digested, facilitates digestion by mixing enzymes with the food, and controls the releasing of food into the small intestine.

Small Intestine

Dogs have small intestines that are quite similar to that of a human. It is divided into three segments, and is the site of most of the body’s nutrient absorption.

The small intestine facilitates the release of bile, which contains salts that combine with fats and make them easier to be broken down.

Large Intestine

The final part of the dog’s digestive system is the large intestine, which consists of the cecum, the colon, and the rectum. By this point, most of the nutrients have been absorbed from the food being digested, also known as the “chyme”.

The large intestine’s responsibility is the absorption of water and electrolytes from the chyme, which will also help dry out and solidify the remaining chyme to be turned into feces.

Feces is the final product of food digestion and is stored in the rectum in preparation to be defecated.

Properly trained dogs will hopefully be doing this part in the backyard and not in the house!

Can Hair Eating Be Dangerous For My Dog?

The short and simple answer to this question is that yes, hair eating can be dangerous for your dog!

There are a number of potential complications that could arise with excessive hair eating that is left untreated.

Aside from the hair loss itself, there is one health issue in particular that has been recognized to be quite dangerous to your dog’s health.

Constant consumption of hair can lead to a condition called acral lick dermatitis, which is also known as lick granulomas.

These are actually infections that develop on the surface of the skin, because of excessive licking or biting at a certain area.

These self-induced skin lesions are usually found on the legs and/or feet, and will manifest as raised, red, hairless patches of skin found on the front surface of the legs and feet.

Digestion Problems:

Dog’s can develop digestion problems from the excessive consumption of hair. Hairballs are a quite common example of this.

Hairballs occur when fur is ingested and the hair is not properly passed through the digestive system, and is allowed to accumulate, which forms the hairball.

Hairballs can cause a number of issues, the most dangerous of which is digestive blockages and other gastrointestinal issues.

If a significant blockage develops that cannot be vomited or passed properly, it can lead to severe gastrointestinal issues and pain.

If left unattended, your dog will potentially need to be taken to a veterinary and have the obstruction surgically removed.

Hairballs can typically be passed with the help of laxatives or other digestive supplements to facilitate movement. However, it is ideal if owner’s can prevent the development of hairballs in the first place through careful monitoring and other preventative measures.

How To Stop My Dog From Eating Hair?

The first thing to remember when looking to stop your dog from eating hair is that you should rule out any allergies, fleas, ticks or other parasites as the root cause.

Consulting your vet about these potential causes is a good idea, as a professional will be able to officially rule out a number of underlying potential causes.

If your dog’s hair eating habit is something that is found to be behavioral, it could be attributed to anxiety, boredom, curiosity or potentially an attention-seeking response.

In this case, it is important to be diligent and try to figure out exactly what the problem or problems are that cause the behavior.

There are a number of solutions that could be implemented in these situations to help address the hair eating issue.

Things like providing your dog with a good set of toys that provide physical and mental stimulation are a great start, and could actually solve the problem all together.

It is important to implement positive reinforcement methods when using this method.

When you catch your dog eating hair, do not punish the behavior, but instead provide a toy as a distraction.

When the dog starts using the toy instead, praise this behavior so that the use of the chew toy in place of eating hair is recognized as a desirable and rewardable behavior.

It is also important to make sure that your dog is getting lots of exercise and plenty of attention from his or her owners and loved ones.

Anxious hair eating can be triggered by lack of exercise, boredom or insufficient attention and praise from owners.

Be sure to give your dog the chance to get outside and enjoy some exercise in the fresh air, while giving them the love and affection that they need!

Regular grooming sessions to remove excess hair can also help prevent them from eating hair.

Staying vigilant and being aware of your dog’s behavior is an incredibly important part of identifying hair eating problems and being able to stop them before they turn into real health issues.

What To Do If Your Dog Has Already Eaten Hair And Is Having Problems?

Depending on the severity of the issues that have occurred because of hair consumption, there are a number of things you can do as an owner to help.

  1. Lubricate their digestive system by adding omega-3 fatty acid or fish oil supplements to their food. This extra lubrication can help blockages or other hair build-ups pass naturally to provide relief.
  2. Using proper laxatives or other digestive aids (pumpkin is a great one), can help break down hairballs or hair blockages to the point that they are able to pass smoothly through the digestive system and be defecated successfully.
  3. Always ensure that you are keeping your dog properly hydrated, especially in situations of excessive hair consumption where symptoms are manifesting. Hydration will directly contribute to the passing of hair build-up. On top of this, a dehydrated dog will always be more prone to digestive blockages and gastrointestinal issues.

If your dog is showing signs of excessive discomfort, pain, constipation, lack of appetite, or a number of other symptoms that you think are related to hair consumption, it is always a good idea to consult a professional.