Golden Retriever and Allergies
Answered by: Kerry Hackett
Question from: Karen Berckenhoff
Posted on: June 17, 2009

We have a 6-7 year old Golden Retriever who scratches persistently on the right side of his head neck and front leg and for the past 4-6 months seems to have developed a habit of chewing on his right paw. The chewing on his paw seems to be a nervous habit since we cannot find any indication of any injury or other abnormality. On the itching several years ago our vet explained it only as "Golden Retrievers have a tendency for allergies" and nothing more. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Could there be a possibility that your dog has an allergy or sensitivity to his food? Persistent scratching, biting, licking and chewing paws, legs, the groin area as well as at the base of the tail can often point towards an issue with a dog’s diet. There are lots of postings on this website (www.richters.com) that go into this subject. Here’s a few to get you started: "Dog and Allergies", "Dog and Allergies IV", "Dog Biting and Licking Self", "Dog and Scratching" and "Pug and Allergies".

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