Why Do Dogs Bite Their Tails?
If you are a dog owner then you have probably observed your dog biting its tail or the base of its tail. While this might be a common behavior (mainly in puppies), sometimes it could be a signal of other potentially harmful conditions affecting the dog.
From quite a young age, puppies are often intrigued by their tails. This might lead them to chase their tails or bite them but as they grow up and find more interest in other activities, their fascination with their tails eventually fades out. However, (as many dog owners have witnessed) this behavior can return during adulthood with varying intensity.
Before you find a solution and correct the tail biting behavior, you should first investigate the underlying cause of the behavior so that it can be addressed accordingly. Tail biting may be caused by various factors (some of which we will discuss below) including medical, psychological and environmental factors.
Allergies
Just like us, many dogs have allergies when they are exposed to various allergens such as food or other things within their environment. While it is usually difficult to know all the things your dog is allergic to, one can try to find this out by observing the dog’s reaction to different substances. Allergens will often lead a dog to bite its tail as a way of easing the discomfort caused by the allergic reaction.
When you suspect allergies as being the cause of the tail biting behavior, you should consult your vet. The vet can conduct a food trial to know which foods the dog is allergic to and advice you on which meals to avoid. The vet can also conduct an allergy test to find out which other substances the dog is allergic to. This will help you know the products which are not to be kept around the dog or used on the dog.
Parasites
Parasites might be the reason your dog is excessively biting its tail. Parasites like fleas cause irritation and your dog might be biting its tail to relieve the itchiness they cause. Some dogs are also allergic to flea saliva. Some of these parasites know how to hide themselves deep within the dog’s fur, making it hard for you to easily detect them. If you suspect that parasites are the cause of the tail biting behavior, then you should visit the vet.
Skin Injuries and Infections
Dogs which have various skin infections like moist dermatitis, stud tail, neurodermatitis and allergic dermatitis might bite their tails due to the discomfort and the pain caused by the infections. You should visit the vet should you suspect a skin infection is causing the tail biting condition. The vet might be forced to conduct a skin scrape to identify the type of infection.
Dogs with long tails and those who like wagging and banging their tails are highly susceptible to tail injuries. This might lead your dog to bite its tail to relieve the pain emanating from these injuries. Dog owners should design their interior in such a way that leaves enough space for the dog to wiggle their tails without getting injured.
Incorrect Tail Docking
People often feel itchy after a part of their body has been amputated. Dogs are no different. They too feel itchy when their tails are docked mostly if it is done incorrectly. If the remaining skin edges and skin are not properly trimmed it can cause the dog to feel pain on its tail leading to it biting its tail tip. It is always advisable to have a professional dock your dog’s tail.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
An OCD disorder can cause your dog to excessively bite its tail. OCD was found to cause tail biting behavior in an experiment in the Scottish Terriers by Thompos. In the experiment, dogs which had been kept locked for a year were found to develop the tail biting behavior. From the experiment, it is thought that dogs kept in unsanitary and stressful conditions develop OCD leading to tail biting behavior. It is therefore advisable that you raise your dog in a comfortable and dog-friendly environment.
Anal glandular problems.
Your dog has glands located below its tail. The glands secrete a fluid which helps dogs identify one another and socialize. If your dog develops complications in these glands, it can bite around the base of its tail to ease the discomfort. If you suspect that anal glandular complications might be causing your dog to bite its tail, then you should visit the vet.
Hormonal Imbalance.
If your dog’s hormones are not being produced in the right quantities, it might lead your dog to bite its tail.
Boredom, attention seeking, stress and anxiety.
As a result of your dog experiencing the above emotions it can develop tail biting as a behavior. Any change in the normal environment of your dog, for example separation from its previous owner, can affect its emotion. It is therefore advisable that where such occurs you should engage your dog in various activities to keep it busy.
Learned Behavior
A dog which over a period of time trains itself to regularly bite its tail eventually develops this character as its behavior. It is therefore very important to prevent your dog from developing this into a behavior. In case you observe your dog beginning to develop this behavior, you should command it to stop every time it bites its tail. You should also try out other activities with your dog to keep it busy.
For man’s best friend to lead a comfortable life it is important that we prevent it from developing this behavior. We must ask ourselves if we usually feel irritated by this action how must these wonderful animals feel. We should regularly take our dogs to the vet so they can detect these conditions before they deteriorate. It’s always better to prevent than to treat therefore let’s take all steps to prevent the behavior.
