First, allergies caused by things

Many dogs have allergies, which may be due to exposure to certain allergens, such as food or things found in the environment. Finding the allergen can solve this problem.

Second, possible skin problems

Various skin problems may cause dogs to bite their tails excessively. Possible causes include wet dermatitis, caudal column, neurodermatitis, allergic dermatitis, and others.

In some dogs with long and thin tails, when they are in a closed place (small room, crate), excessive swinging of the tail and collision with walls or furniture may cause damage to the end of the tail. This may cause the dog to chase its tail.

Third, the presence of parasites

Fleas are one of the main causes of itching in many dogs. One of the favorite places for fleas to bite is at the base of the tail. Don't assume that your dog doesn't have fleas just because you haven't seen them: Fleas can easily hide themselves in thick fur. Some dogs are allergic to flea saliva, and even a single flea can cause severe itching on the dog's tail.

Other parasites that may cause itching in your dog's butt are tapeworms, which release oocysts through your dog's butt. These may cause itching, triggering licking and biting of the dog's butt. The egg sacs look like small grains of rice. The drug that removes tapeworms is praziquantel. In addition, given that fleas play an important role in the development of tapeworms as intermittent hosts, dogs need to be dewormed regularly.

Fourth, the problem of glands

There is a special gland under the dog’s tail, just around their buttocks. Ideally, these glands should be empty when your dog poops normally, but sometimes they fail to empty, in part due to chronically loose stools. When these glands are affected, the dog will experience discomfort, which may lead to excessive biting at the base of the tail.

If your dog chews the base of his tail excessively, take your dog to the veterinarian to have the glands checked. If these glands become infected in the tail, your dog may need a course of antibiotics.

5. Potential Pain

Buttock pain or any pain that affects your dog’s hind legs may be the culprit of your dog’s tail biting behavior.

Intervertebral disc disease, such as lumbar disc dislocation or subluxation. Pain is sometimes difficult to diagnose, and some veterinarians may decide to do a trial of an anti-inflammatory drug to see if it can reduce this behavior.

The influence of psychological factors

In some cases, psychological factors may trigger tail biting behavior in dogs. The psychological cause is usually rejection, which means rejection is assumed only after the veterinarian has ruled out a substantial degree of medical illness.

Sometimes, dogs mayTail biting may begin due to an underlying medical condition, but even if the medical cause is addressed, the tail biting behavior may continue because the dog has become accustomed to it. Here are the psychological reasons why dogs bite their tails:

Sixth, craving attention by biting the tail

Many dogs that crave attention may learn to bite their tails because they quickly notice that this behavior attracts the attention of their owners. Dogs that are not socialized often behave like this when their owners are around.

For example, if a young, energetic dog is left home alone for most of the day, when the owner comes home, going home is likely to be the dog's greatest benefit of the day. However, if the owner ignores the dog and just sits in front of the TV, the dog may become frustrated because it is full of energy, wants to play, or wants to go for a walk.

So, dogs may find ways to get any type of attention. It will bark, yawn, scratch itself, and then it will start chasing its own tail and biting its own tail.

Whether the owner is laughing, talking, or scolding the dog, the dog has gotten what it wants. interactive! The dog's owner looks at him, talks to him, etc., which makes the dog happy. With this finding, do you think tailgating behavior will increase or decrease? It will increase because it is reinforced by attention and may also provide some self-reinforcement (dispersion of energy, release of frustration).

Seventh, obsessive-compulsive disorder

A form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that includes routine, stereotyped behaviors such as fly-biting, sucking, tail-chasing, and tail-biting.

Potential causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs include living in poverty, exposure to conflict, frustration, and anxiety-provoking stimuli or circumstances.

Eighth, other possibilities

Boredom, separation anxiety, inability to cope with frustration, excess energy, lack of stimulation, etc., may all lead to tail biting and, in some cases, obsessive-compulsive behavior onset of disease.

Sometimes dog owners (accidentally or intentionally) encourage this behavior for recreational purposes, which only exacerbates the behavior and makes it harder to eradicate.

How to prevent a dog from biting its own tail

Allowing a dog to bite its own tail constantly will be counterproductive. The more times a dog is allowed to chew, the greater the damage to its tail. This increases the chance of infection and will only worsen the condition.

To prevent a dog from biting its tail, it is important to treat those underlying health conditions, so if the problem occurs after a medical problem, the source of the problem should be found. For example, if fleas are a trigger, visit your veterinarian to see if there are products that are safe to use. If you have a skin problem, your veterinarian may prescribe products to help the skin heal.

Protect dogsTips for tail biting

Seek veterinary treatment to rule out disease and treat any underlying problems. For persistent cases, a battery of tests, usually including metabolic screening, a complete blood count, biochemistry profile, x-rays, and neurological exams, is a must.

Consider buying an Elizabethan collar to wear on your dog until the skin disease area heals, then remove it to ensure that your dog will no longer bite its tail.

How to address tail biting in dogs:

For less serious cases, teaching your dog to respond to certain verbal cues will allow it to focus on other things. For example, teach it to sit, since it's almost impossible for a dog to sit and chase/bite its tail at the same time. Of course, this should only be attempted after all medical causes have been ruled out.

For boredom, lack of mental stimulation, and excess energy, you need to provide more exercise training and a rich environment, in other words, interact with your dog.

For attention-seeking behavior, ignoring the behavior is the first step. American veterinary behaviorist John Chirabasi recommends that owners should turn a blind eye to their dog's behavior for two weeks, paying attention only when the dog is being fed or taken out.

For compulsive behaviors, dogs benefit from increased exercise, training, and mental stimulation, but this is only one part of the puzzle.

For anxiety-induced tail biting, a behavioral professional can guide you on how to implement counter-conditioning and how to effectively guide the behavior when it occurs.