Dogs express a lot with their tails. Or simply you can say they talk with their tails. You must be thrilled when your dog comes running towards you with her wagging tail and express his ecstasy. However, it can be really depressing when she continuously start to chew this appendage near her base.
Like there are unusual communication patterns of dogs like wagging tail to show their faithfulness and affection, there are specific ways to express their pain and discomfort too! So, you need to pay keen attention to the bodily expression of your pup.
There are times when your dog starts to chew her tail a lot. From a lot, we mean a lot more than average. This chewing can be indicative of several diseases and parasites. When your dog starts chewing him raw, he can be suffering from dermatitis, psychological problems, mites, or fleas. Therefore never ignore this very vital symptom!
Continue reading to learn a lot more about the causes of dogs biting their tails and how to deal with it.
Table of Contents
Parasitic Infestations
Parasites are the most common cause of dog’s scratching themselves madly. It is like they cannot help themselves to get rid of naughty little creatures disturbing and to irritate them. The following can be the effects caused by parasites.
Ticks And Fleas
Most common of these parasites are ticks and fleas. These two parasites cause multiple seasonal afflictions which result in dog’s scratching their body parts. Most common spot of ticks and fleas is tail and bum. So, when you see your pet running madly around its tail, orbiting its bum or tail, look for any kind of parasites in there. It is mainly because the parasites are moving, bouncing or have tucked themselves in there. You can quickly get rid of them by medicated collars, prescriptions, and regular baths.
Parasitic Secretions
Just like some humans are allergic to the saliva of horse, cat or dog, they can also be allergic to the saliva of the parasites residing on their body. So, the culprit here is the secretions, not the parasite itself. So, the essential task is getting the allergy test and get the treatment accordingly. It is because the dog may bite itself repeatedly until he gets relief or dissolves that secretion with his saliva. The irritation and discomfort will persist until the secretion is dissolved or break down itself on the skin.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms cause severe irritation in the anal area, which cause the dog to gnaw towards the base of their tail. The irritation is so severe that the dog may start biting the bum until it bleeds—the pain due to chewing the skin cause it to whine as well.
Allergies
Like discussed before, dogs can be allergic to the saliva or other secretions of the parasites. However, that’s not the only cause of allergy in them which leads the dog to chew their bum and tail. Other types of allergies are listed as under
Environmental Allergy
Dogs may get allergic to the pollens in the atmosphere. Moreover, dandruff can also become a cause. The pollens and other common irritants may cause super irritation on the skin resulting in the scratching the part heavily.
Contact Dermatitis
Most dogs suffer from contact dermatitis when they are biting their bum and tail. It is the type of allergy which begins as soon as anything comes in contact with the skin. Dogs can be allergic to any chemicals which can be as common as the one you use for house cleaning, in lawn and so on. Moreover, moulds or contact with other animals may also cause an allergic reaction in the pets. If your dog has a skin that is sensitive or prone to sudden reactions, he may also get allergic to the chemicals in soaps and shampoo you use for bathing. So, you always opt for hypoallergic products to avoid any unpleasant experience.
However, whatever the reason might be, the symptoms are most severe in younger pups of age three to 6 months.
The response can be mild to severe inflammation and constant itching. What will you do when you face any kind of skin allergy? Scratch it, right. It is the same for the pups too. Interestingly, when you try to discover and treat one kind of allergy or that is the most visible one, you will also discover numerous others in testing or treatment procedure. So, you can protect your dog from more severe kinds before the symptoms appear.
Hot Spots
You must have heard of mobile hotspot. You can easily share and acquire internet connections with it. For, dogs, it is the area where they attract germs or spread them. Dogs may develop hotspots on their body due to extensive scratching and chewing. This may lead to the development of multiple wounds which serve as the most feasible environment for the pups. The warmth, optimum ph and moisture facilitate the growth of bacteria and mould, which can lead to severe irritation and infection. The infection developed in this case is of the second type, which can get a lot severe depending on the time its left untreated.
How To Recognize A Hotspot?
You can easily recognize a hotspot by the matted hair in the area, pus or blood. If you get the notion of hotspots in the body, contact you vet immediately and don’t leave the wound unattended anymore.
However, there can be another case. Suppose your puppy is biting its bum or tail so frequently that it causes it to draw out its blood. In that case, a secondary infection may not be the primary cause. It may appear as another symptom developed due to severe irritation which caused start biting its own body. You should contact your vet immediately to et the proper diagnosis and to know if the root cause is linked to nutrition, hygiene or any other factor.
Impacted Anal Glands
Here is another common reason for dogs biting their tail, the base of it or chewing it to the base. Impacted anal glands may cause such a severe irritation that the dog may chew up its parts to the extent that they start bleeding heavily with deep wounds.
Anal glands are the most essential parts of the dog’s body. They are of the same importance as do hands have for us. Anal glands serve the same purpose as do the hands in our body for us socially. You shake hands with folks when you meet them, dogs secrete secretion. Interesting, right.
Dogs secrete multiple very interesting secretions when they meet with each other. It is the primary reason why dogs are so interested in sniffing each other back when they meet at any opportunity.
One of the most prominent and clear signs that can help you indicate the impacted glands is scooting. The dog will drag its butt every time it sits up. Other common symptoms are fouler than the familiar smell from the rear, difficult in defecation, pus or blood in feces and excessive irritation.
Stress And Anxiety
The most common result of stress and anxiety is an extreme reaction and destructive behaviour. The dog may be facing continuous anxiety, stress or boredom, which leads to repetitive behaviour and also the intense one. It may also be ripping your couch, tearing your favourite shoes or biting other people and also themselves!
The most common cause of pet’s depression is leaving the pet unattended. Some people may also crate them before leaving to a place. If the dog stays confined to a place for long, they turn their eyes to themselves and start something which can kill their boredom and provide them relief. Leaving the dog in a place where there is no sunlight can play havoc in this case.
The same case applies to the pups who do not go out much for walk or exercise. Moreover, suppose you do not pay attention to proper interative plays or the activities requiring mind stimulations of your pup. In that case, it may develop some kind of mental illness. The intensive behaviours then may be presented by the tail biting and even chewing it to the base. So, now who is to blame for in this case? You can better decide.
Injury
Your pup cannot tell you about any kind of trauma or injury it is facing. Most of the time, any kind of injury, from mild to severe, for instance, like a broken or fractured tail, often go unnoticed, and you behave and treat your pup naturally. However, the dog is in constant pain and is trying to get your attention to his problem. So, to decrease the intensity of the pain, rub the afflicted part or get your attention, the dog may start licking that part or excessively biting and chewing it. Never ever leave the problem unattended if you see your dog biting or licking his bum or tail excessively. Contact you vet who will perform an X-ray to make a proper diagnosis.
How To Deal With The Dogs Chewing Their Bum Or Tail?
Following are the points you can consider when you find your dog chewing their rear:
- First thing you do is look for any kind of parasites in there. Parasites are the most common cause of such behaviour.
- Look for any kind of pus, blood or matted hair in the area. Recognize if the wound was old or is new due to excessive chewing. Never leave any wound unattended.
- Practice better hygiene. Focus on regular bathing and combing your pet. Look where it is sitting and playing.
- Contact your vet immediately if you feel any kind of foul smell or blood from the rear.
- Wash all the areas thoroughly with some hypoallergic cleaner. Also, wash your covers and sheets. Consider changing your detergent if it contains potent chemicals.
- Contact your vet and get your pup examined for any kind of allergy.
- Look in what you have been feeding. If the response is new, you can consider changing the brand or shift to another dog’s food.
- Indulge your pup in some kind of provoking and stimulating games if the behaviour is due to depression or anxiety. Spend more time with your little friend. Take it out for a good walk and exercise.
- Contact your vet as soon as possible and don’t leave the problem unattended.
Hey, I am a licenced veterinary practitioner. Since my childhood, I have always dreamed to be a vet and play with these adorable creatures all day long. My love to write and spread awareness pushed me towards blogging. So, I decided to merge both of my passions and create highly knowledgeable blogs for the people struggling with their new pets. There are multiple cases you may face with your pets in everyday life and also multiple odd behaviours may pop hundreds of questions into your mind. Every behaviour has a reason, and I am here to provide the very logical reasons and easy solutions. Let us take care of our pets in the best possible way!
