Jen, I know allergic dermatitis is a common problem with that breed. I remember my brother's Golden was always licking at itself but I'm sorry I don't remember what they did to treat it. I think it was basically an allergy type treatment of some sort. She also had epilepsy which is another problem with this breed. You might also ask if your mom's vet has checked her dog's thyroid function. That was something they always monitored in my brother's dog as it had something to do with both the coat issues and the seizures.