Mary Allen
Does your dog bite its tail, maybe even until it bleeds?
Such behavior can be very distressing for you and your dog.
It can be difficult to tell if your dog is just going through a phase or has real medical and health issues.
In most cases it is boredom, fears, allergies, hotspots or affected anal glands.
You can now find out how you can tell what your dog could be suffering from and when you should consult a veterinarian.
In a nutshell: Why is my dog biting its tail?
Chewing and biting your own tail can have various causes. These can be psychological or physical.
The most common reasons are:
- boredom
- anxiety or stress
- injury or inflammation
- parasites
- Affected anal glands
- obsessive compulsive disorder
In any case, you must ensure that your dog’s feeding is checked. In addition, you should first ensure that your dog is exercised and occupied in a manner appropriate to its species.
Dog bites its tail: 7 causes
Broadly speaking, there are seven different causes that could trigger your dog’s behavior.
1. Allergy
Your dog may have an allergy or intolerance.
This allergy can be acted out both externally and internally.
This means your dog may have irritated skin from not being able to tolerate the shampoo.
On the other hand, it is also possible that your dog does not tolerate a feed and is in pain. Side effects such as strong abdominal noises, diarrhea or even vomiting usually occur.
2. Anxiety or stress
Dogs are pack animals and don’t like being alone at all! Some dogs de-stress on the sofa and chew on it, others chew on themselves.
If your dog is more of a couch potato and doesn’t get much exercise, your dog may be prone to such behaviors because he doesn’t know what else to do.
However, your dog may have also learned that chewing on the tail gets your attention and you then engage with it.
3. Affected anal glands
The anal glands are very important for dogs, as they are where the secretion comes from, which dogs are known to sniff at each other’s buttocks.
If the anal glands are inflamed or blocked, your dog will bite them or show blood in their stool. Some dogs then also suffer from constipation or drag their buttocks over the floor.
4. Injury or inflammation
No matter how well you take care of your dog, you don’t always recognize all injuries immediately. Sometimes your dog will point it out to you, sometimes it will hide it.
Often these are small cuts or sores on the backside that your dog wants to clean and scratch.
In worse cases, it can also be a fracture of the coccyx.
5. Boredom
Do you sometimes play around with a quilt end or click your pen when you’re bored?
While you are happily playing around with your pen unconsciously, your dog is just chewing on itself or other things.
Chewing can only be an activity – after all, your dog cannot get himself a chew bone.
6. Parasitic infestation
Parasites like worms or fleas are pretty nasty. The animals’ saliva itches and burns – so the dog licks and chews on the painful areas.
With a tapeworm, the dog’s ailments are more likely to be in the rear end. That’s why he chews there more often.
7. OCD
Unfortunately, there are also dogs that have not experienced very good things in their lives.
As a result, some dogs develop OCD when they are moved to a new home or endure great suffering.
These disorders are similar to self-harm in humans – the dog suffers and doesn’t know what to do with it. So he starts destroying his own rod, chewing off claws or otherwise expressing his frustration.
In this case, it is advisable to hire a dog trainer or psychologist who is well versed in the subject.
When should you visit the vet if the dog is chewing its tail?
Does your dog have these symptoms?
- irritated skin areas
- frequent bum slipping on the floor
- small visible animals
- compulsive scratching, sliding or biting at certain parts of the body
Then consult a vet to be on the safe side.
If you want to get a professional and expert opinion quickly, arrange a video consultation with a real veterinarian now.
5 possible solutions: stop the dog from biting the tail
1. Check and change the chuck
Take an allergy test to the vet.
After that you can change the feeding with the help of an expert.
As a first step, you can also stop using any new feed or grooming products and see if the symptoms go away.
2. Increase utilization
Keep your dog busy and give him something to do. Get out more, get new toys, or pick new tricks from our list!
3. Remove parasites
You can use a specific detergent to wash your dog as a precaution. There are also flea and parasite collars that prevent infestation.
4. Reduce fears
If your dog is afraid of certain situations, you should approach these situations with an expert.
5. Eliminate OCD
From experience, I can advise you to first deprive your dog of the possibility of self-harm. A neck brace may be suitable for this.
This will prevent the injuries from getting worse. Dress your dog’s wounds and then tackle OCD either yourself or with a dog trainer.
Energetics, animal alternative practitioners, or animal psychologists can also help you with this.
How can tail biting be prevented?
Make sure that your dog is adequately exercised and does not get any substances that it cannot tolerate.
Regular baths with parasite shampoo and thorough grooming are also important. You can also use parasite collars.
For other problems, you should primarily work on your dog’s psyche.
Conclusion
There are many reasons that can lead to tail chewing.
It is best if you give your dog a good workout, check it regularly for parasites and know if your dog has any allergies, and if so, which ones.