Is your dog eating your hair, and you want to know, “why does my dog eat my hair?”. We will also tell you about the reasons behind your dog eating your hair, how to stop your dog from eating your hair, what happens if my dog eats my hair and much more.
Why does my dog eat my hair?
If your dog is eating your hair, there are chances that your dog is doing this out of boredom. Dogs are known for constantly chewing on something all day long. No matter whether it is treats, food, toys or your hair! Eating the owner’s hair is not common, and not every dog does this.
It is very puzzling behavior, but we will try to explain it below.
What are the reasons behind your dog eating your hair?
Here are some of the reasons why your dog is eating your hair:
Boredom:
Boredom can make your dog do many things, like chewing on your hair. When your dog doesn’t find anything to eat or utilize its energy on, it starts doing unreasonable things. Mostly puppies are the ones who do these types of things as they are full of energy.
So if you don’t give your pup or your dog enough okay or exercise time, they will end up doing meaningless things. Once your dog develops such habits, it isn’t easy to eliminate them.
Wanting attention:
Dogs love to engage with their owners. So they do unexpected things to have your attention. When they eat hair, you give them a response and call them. They don’t care if it is harmful or positive. They want your attention one way or another.
So make sure you’re spending enough time with them and playing with them because it is difficult to make them quit these habits when it is too late.
Teething behavior:
This behavioral thing is mainly found in puppies because they are young and developing teeth. During this time period, their gums become sore and uncomfortable and to try to compensate and make themselves relax; they chew on things.
Also, puppies live to explore things. They try chewing new things. If you don’t stop your puppy from doing so, it will grow up doing these things. That’s why you shouldn’t tolerate this behavior.
Give your puppy enough teething toys to chew on when developing teeth, so they don’t chew on your hair.
Anxiety or stress:
Dogs who suffer from stress or anxiety tend to develop a habit of aggressive chewing. They find new things to chew on. To cope with their fear, they eat inedible items. Stress can take out the worst of your pet.
As soon as you observe this behavior, take steps to eliminate this.
Pica:
Pica is the behavior a dog develops. It is also seen in humans and other animals. This behavior is created when there is a nutritional deficiency in your pet. To fulfill this deficiency, they try eating strange things.
In pica, dogs also eat plastic, whitewash, dirt, plants, hair and much more. Pica is a dangerous behavior as it makes your pet eat strange things. Your dog can engulf some larger object and will choke on it. It can also cause intestinal obstruction.
Following are the reasons that can develop pica in dogs:
- Metabolic conditions
- Neurological problems
- Nutritional deficiency due to poor diet
- Medications
How to stop your dog from eating your hair?
Following are the tips to stop your dog from eating your hair:
Introduce them to different activities:
Boredom will make your dog eat your hair. Give them proper time. Play with them and take them for a walk outside at least once a day. This will make them tired, and they won’t be left with extra energy to spend on eating unreasonable things.
Reduce anxiety:
They make your dog more comfortable at home. And if your dog has separation anxiety, make sure it doesn’t have to go through that.
Clean up your hair:
Don’t leave your hair accessible to your dog. He will not eat your hair if there is none. Discard your hair as soon as you brush.
Consult the Veterinarian:
Take your pet to the vet as soon as you observe this behavior. Your veterinarian will tell you whether it is because of pica or boredom.
What happens if your dog eats your hair?
Eating a small amount of hair is not a problem as it can easily pass out of your dog’s digestive tract, but if your dog has eaten an enormous amount of hair, it can cause intestinal obstruction by clogging its intestine.
Also, if your dog develops this habit and eats hair regularly, it can cause constipation and other problems.
Conclusion:
You wanted to know, “why does my dog eat my hair?”. We also told you about the reasons behind your dog eating your hair, how to stop your dog from eating your hair, what happens if your dog eats your hair and much more.
References:
https://petcosset.com/why-does-my-dog-eat-my-hair/
