6 Possible Reasons Why Do Dogs Bite Their Tails

Have you ever caught your dog biting his tail? At first, this may seem funny, but when you think about it, there should be some reason behind this dog's behavior, isn't that right? Tail biting can occur for different reasons; if your dog does it, you must find out why. Most of the tail biting is connected to some medical problem that is bothering your dog, and to help your dog, you will have to recognize why this behavior happens.

Why do dog dogs bite their tails?

When you first see your dog biting his tail, it may seem like crazy dog behavior and that there are no specific reasons why he does it. On the contrary, this behavior in dogs indicates that something is bothering your dog, and he will need your assistance. There are a few possible reasons why dogs bite their tails, and they include:

Parasites – internal and external
Impacted anal glands
Bad hygiene
Allergy
Tail injury
Behavior problems

No matter the main cause, your dog will need your help to stop this behavior. For some of the reasons mentioned above, you will have to take your dog to the vet for examination. So, let's take a closer look at mentioned reasons.

1. Parasites

There are two main types of parasites – internal and external. Both can be a reason why your dog bites his tail. External parasites are more common, including fleas, ticks, and mites. All of them can cause discomfort for the dog.

Internal parasites include tapeworms and roundworms. While tapeworms will be transmitted over flea bites, roundworms will be transmitted over contaminated stools of different dogs. Either way, your dog will need proper care and therapy to eliminate parasites from its system completely. Your vet will prescribe you the best treatment for your dog's needs.

2. Impacted anal glands

All dogs have anal glands, and they are placed on your dog's anus. This anal gland will produce fluid when the dog defecates. This fluid serves for territorial marking. If this fluid is not expressed, the anal gland could get clogged and cause a lot of pain and discomfort for your dog.

To ease discomfort, the dog will start to chew and bite that area, including his tail. Also, your dog could begin dragging his butt on the floor. You must take your dog to the vet, or you can express anal glands yourself. We recommend that you seek vet help.

puppy biting his tail

3. Bad hygiene

If your dog doesn't receive proper grooming and other basic care, he could start having problems with bad hygiene. His response could be tail biting if his anus area gets itchy. Also, bad hygiene could cause skin irritations and infections, and your dog will bite infected areas.

4. Allergy

If you catch your dog biting his tail, allergies could be a reason. Different allergies can cause discomfort for your dog, and he will respond with biting to remove his discomfort. Allergies can be caused by fleas, dermatitis, inflammation of the skin, etc. Talk to your vet about your next steps to remove allergies from your dog's life.

5. Tail injury

It could be broken or injured if you notice something strange with your dog's tail. Dogs have bones in their tails, and the tail could also get fractured. Dogs that have long tails are in danger of breaking their tails. If you see an unusual position of your dog's tail, he is probably broken.

dog biting tail

6. Behavior problems

Behavior issues could also be a reason for this dog's behavior. Although it is not common, it could certainly happen. Stressed or anxious dogs could start biting their tails to feel better. Did you bring a new pet to your home? Did you recently move to a new place? This could all be why your dog is feeling stressed, and to help your dog, you first need to find a reason why your dog is stressed.

Should you be worried?

If you catch your dog starting to bite his tail, in most cases, he will need vet help. In most cases, the reason for this behavior will be medical, and your dog must visit the vet. Your vet will help your dog and instruct you on your next steps. All mentioned reasons can be easily solved, and your dog will heal quickly. The most important thing is to visit the vet as soon as possible because if this problem is not treated right away, it could lead to many health problems while your dog will be in pain and discomfort.

How to prevent this dog behavior?

Since this behavior is mainly caused by medical problems, you will have to take action after you notice your dog starts to bite his tail. To prevent this, you must take care of your dog's health.

Regularly examine your dog, make sure that he has good hygiene, that he regularly receives treatment for parasites, etc. By doing this, you can be sure that you decreased the chances of your dog starting to chew his tail because of parasites or bad hygiene.

World Dog Finder team

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