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Dogs express a multitude of things with their bodies. You've probably noticed how they communicate very well when they want to "say" something: they wag their tails, their ears, change positions and many other things to make us understand what they want. But the truth is, sometimes there are gestures or behaviors that are complicated for us to understand.
As an example of this, you may have ever seen your puppy looking very interested at the tail, chasing it and starting to bite it non-stop. And you've probably wondered why you're doing this and what you're trying to communicate with this behavior.
At PeritoAnimal we want to help you better understand your faithful friend and offer you possible solutions to your health and behavior problems through our articles. Therefore, to clarify your doubt of why does my dog bite its tail, keep reading this article and find the most common reasons for your dog to behave like this.
Health problems that cause the dog to bite its tail
When you see your dog biting its tail, the first thing you should see is if it's illnesses or physical problems. To find out why your puppy bites its tail you should rule out some of these health problems:
- external parasites: It is possible that the dog has fleas or ticks in this area of the tail and is trying to get rid of them and the itch they cause with bites. Be sure to deworm your puppy externally and internally at the intervals indicated in each case to avoid skin problems and other diseases.
- wounds: Especially when your friend is a great explorer, it is possible that he will come back from the tour with some skin wounds. Check the skin and hair all over your body after each walk, so you'll be able to make sure you don't have sores and if you do, you can heal them. Of course, if you have a sore on the tail, it will rotate until it reaches the area due to the itching and will try to lick and bite itself, it's normal, but we must prevent it from getting infected and help it.
- anal glands: When the anal glands are not emptied as often as they should, they can cause a variety of problems from inflammation to cysts and other diseases. This will cause your dog great discomfort and pain in the anus area and at the base of the tail. For this reason, he will not hesitate to try to scratch to relieve himself and will see how he bites his tail. What you should do is take him to the vet to examine the glands and empty or heal them depending on the severity of the problem.
- skin problems: Perhaps you are biting your tail and other parts of your body due to some skin conditions such as fungus, scabies or allergies. Again, the best you can do is check the skin in the areas you see biting and scratching and talk to your veterinarian to see what the problem is and get it fixed quickly.
- Disc herniations and other spinal problems: Puppies can also suffer from problems along the spine such as osteoarthritis, which can occur in all joints in the dog's body including the spine, and herniated discs. You should bear in mind that a dog suffering from any of these problems will notice pain or tingling in the affected area. If, for example, the problem is developing in the tail, the base of the tail or the lower back, you will see how you turn to see this part and bite it.
These are the main physical health problems that can cause a puppy to bite its tail. We recommend that in the face of any symptoms or discomfort that your faithful companion presents, consult your veterinarian to carry out the necessary tests and to advise you on the appropriate treatment.
A joke
It could be that the fact that your dog chases and bites its tail is a simple joke. But this will only be the case if you have never seen him do it or if he has done it a few very distant times in his life and there has been no change in his character. Also, before thinking that this is entertainment, you should make sure that the problems mentioned in the previous point are not really the cause of him biting his ass.
You may have simply been bored out of your mind for hours and in the end opted for this game. This not really the most common, since if you start like this once, if you don't see the cause and if you don't correct it as soon as possible, it will soon become a serious behavior problem. For this reason, if you see that your dog does this, it's like a first step towards a behavioral and mental health problem, don't scold him, you should start inviting him to do other activities and try not to get bored or spend too much time alone.
A behavioral and mental health problem
What tends to be more frequent is that a dog bite your ass for a behavior and mental health problem. What starts out as a "simple joke" soon becomes a serious problem that is difficult to fix if not caught in time.
A dog will start chasing the tail until it grabs and bites it, even in serious situations it can get wounds and mutilate itself, due to a case of lack of socialization, boredom and abandonment by whoever is responsible for it. It is typical especially in dogs that spend their lives locked or tied in the same place. In the end, like the weather, they must write the energy and distract themselves as they can and this is one of the most common ways to do this. This is one of the most common causes of a dog's tail biting.
This type of repetitive behavior and used as an escape route is known as stereotyping and all kinds of animals that are locked up or tied up can suffer from it, whether in zoos, animal refuges or private homes. But, it is possible that this problem of biting the tail, happens to your dog and you think that you don't have as bad conditions as the ones we just mentioned. But the truth is that a dog can suffer from stereotyping without being in such extreme conditions. If so, you should think about what you are not doing correctly with your mental health, as it is likely that you are lacking exercise, routine, socializing with other dogs and animals, among other things, and that you are highly stressed.
If you see that your puppy compulsively bites its tail and has already ruled out physical health problems, you should consult a specialist ethologist to help you improve your partner's quality of life and solve the problem. Remember that, as with anything related to health, the sooner the problem is diagnosed and started to resolve it, the better the prognosis for recovery.
