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Biting His Tail in Dogs
Written By hannah hollinger
Published: 05/25/2017Updated: 11/15/2021
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
What is Biting His Tail?
At first you think your dog is being silly chasing his tail but then you realize he is biting and gnawing at the area. You try to deter him, but he goes right back to biting his tail. There are several reasons why your dog might be biting and chewing at his tail such as:
- Impacted anal glands
- Allergies
- External parasites
- Internal parasites
- Poor hygiene
- Injured tailbone
- Behavior issues
If your dog is excessively biting on his tail, it may be an indication of a serious condition.
Why Biting His Tail Occurs in Dogs
Impacted Anal Glands
Anal glands (anal sacs) are located on both sides of your dog’s anus. The glands produce a strong smelling fluid which is used for territorial marking. Normally, when your dog defecates it puts pressure on the glands, which causes the sacs to secrete onto the feces. If the fluid is not being expressed, the anal glands can get clogged and impacted. Impacted glands can be caused by the dog having soft stools which do not put pressure on the anal glands. The impacted glands cause the dog great discomfort. He will bite and chew at his tail area. Your dog may also scoot his bottom area on the floor. The anal glands can also become infected and abscess.
Allergies
Allergies may be making your dog very itchy and causing him to bite at his tail. Allergies may be caused by fleas, diet or by environmental allergens. The most common food allergens are beef, dairy, corn, wheat and soy. Environmental allergens may include mold/mildew, and tree, grass and weed pollen.
External Parasites
Fleas, ticks and mites can cause great irritation and discomfort. Many dogs and cats are also allergic to the flea’s saliva, which causes the animal to experience severe itching.
Internal Parasites
Tapeworms and roundworms can cause your dog’s anus to be irritated. Tapeworms can be transmitted by a flea bite or by the dog ingesting a flea, which is carrying tapeworm eggs. Roundworms are more common in puppies, and can be transmitted to humans by contact with contaminated stool.
Poor Hygiene
Poor hygiene may be making your dog’s anal area itchy. The hair around the anus can get matted and have fecal matter (fecal mats). This can cause the dog’s skin to get irritated and infected. The fecal mats can also attract flies and cause a maggot infestation on your dog.
Injured Tail
A dog’s tail may be injured causing a fracture, dislocation, abrasion or laceration. Dogs with long tails are more at risk of injuries. An injured tail can cause a lot of pain.
Behavior Issues
Your dog may be biting at his tail due to behavior issues. Dogs that are stressed or anxious may bite, gnaw or lick at their skin. A new pet or person in the household, fireworks, or a household move can cause a dog a great deal of stress.
What to do if your Dog is Biting His Tail
A dog that is excessively biting at his tail should be seen by a veterinarian. A veterinarian can exam your dog and run a few diagnostic tests, which will help find the underlying cause of the tail biting.
Impacted glands will be expressed by the veterinarian. Gland abscesses may need to be lanced. Your dog will be prescribed antibiotics and pain medication. An Elizabethan collar might need to be worn to prevent the dog from biting or licking at the area.
Allergies are commonly treated with medications. Dogs with external parasites will be treated with a flea and tick preventative medication. Internal parasites are treated with a dewormer medication.
If x-rays confirm a fractured tail, the dog’s tail may need to be splinted. Tail abrasions or lacerations will need to be cleaned and treated with antibiotic ointment. The tail will be bandaged and your dog will probably have to wear an Elizabethan collar.
Dogs with behavior issues might be treated with medications, or may be referred to an animal behaviorist. An animal behaviorist can observe your dog and make recommendations, which will help with bouts of stress and/or anxiety.
Prevention of Biting His Tail
A diet that is high in fiber may help prevent a loose stool. The harder stool will put more pressure on the glands and help them to secrete.
Having your dog on a flea and tick monthly preventative can prevent external parasites. Internal parasites may be prevented by regular deworming. Puppies need to be dewormed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age. Adult dogs should be dewormed twice a year.
Proper hygiene and regular grooming can help prevent matted hair and infections.
Dogs should not be left unattended with small children. Children sometimes can pull or step on a dog’s tail. Hurting the dog may cause the dog to bite. To prevent an injury to the dog or to the child, the pair should not be left unsupervised.
Cost of Biting His Tail
Treatment costs of anal gland disorders may range from $75 to $500. Allergy therapy may cost up to $1,500. Medicinal care to eliminate tapeworm or roundworm may range from $50 to $200.
Treating the conditions that cause your dog to bite their tail can be expensive. To avoid high vet care expenses, secure pet health insurance today. The sooner you insure your pet, the more protection you’ll have from unexpected vet costs.
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Biting His Tail Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
We dont know
Six Years
3 found this helpful
3 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Biting Of Tail
I have a dog that is 6 years old. we got him from a local pound when he was 3 months old. in the last 6 months he has started to bite his tail when we are about to feed him or after he has been feed. it has gotten so bad that there is no more fur at the end of his tail and there is dried blood on it.
Sept. 26, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
3 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay, this venue is not set up for urgent emails.
This may be a neurologic or behavioral problem, or there may be something that is bothering him with his tail. Since I cannot examine him or get to the bottom of this behavior, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get treatment for them.
Oct. 15, 2020
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German Shepherd
Lena
12 Years
5 found this helpful
5 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Licking
Biting
Chewing
I have a 12 yoa German Shepherd mix. I noticed last night a raw place after seeing a drop of blood on the floor. This morning, it is significantly worse, at least 2 inches of her tail that's a bald bloody mess! I'm beside myself as her vet can't get her in today and I'm waiting for the emergency vet to open. I'm afraid she may be stress chewing, if that's even a thing, as we brought home a 3 month old kitten on Saturday. We had 6 cats when we adopted her at 5, so she has been around cats before, although we haven't had any in several years.
July 26, 2018
5 Recommendations
It is possible that Lena is stress chewing or there is another cause for the chewing like parasites or another cause of irritation; if you have a cone to put on her in the meantime to prevent further biting it would be useful, plus bathing the wound with a dilute antiseptic. You should get into a Veterinarian as soon as possible for an examination. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 27, 2018
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toy poodle
Nala
7 Weeks
4 found this helpful
4 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Itching
Crying
I adopted a puppy age 6 weeks old now she is 7 weeks old. She is toy poodle. I noticed that she bites her legs and she scratches her ears and neck. she always lick her private areas. In the past two days she started chasing her tail aggressively and trying to bite it. I did take her outside for 6 days and she is only vaccinated one time. Since i knew that its not safe to have my puppy out without full vaccination i stopped taking her out. I am scared she got any type of virus or worms. please help. IN addition to that i noticed that she cries a little when she poops.
June 3, 2018
4 Recommendations
It is important to make sure that you complete her vaccinations before taking her outside as many cases of infectious diseases can be easily prevented with vaccination. However, it sounds like Nala may have either external parasites, allergies among other causes; without examining her I cannot say for certain but you should ensure that Nala has received worm treatment (anthelmintic) and a topical spot on flea & tick prevention applicable for her age and weight. You should visit your Veterinarian for an examination to check about the biting and the painful defecation; a little plain canned pumpkin in the food may help with defecation. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 4, 2018
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Australian Shepherd
Rocky
5 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Licking
Biting
Constant biting/licking under base of tale until raw ...we have to keep cone on him all the time....Aussie/blue healer mix 5 years old...this has been going on for years...comes and goes...had anal glands removed 3 years ago...is it allergies or a habit
May 18, 2018
0 Recommendations
Without examining Rocky it i difficult to say whether the cause is due to allergies, infection, parasite, behaviour defecation issues among other causes; if the biting comes and goes you should think about checking whether or not there are any triggers like food, certain treats, cleaning products, time of year etc… which may cause this biting. Normally a behavioural issue would be constant whereas allergies may be intermittent. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
May 19, 2018
If we are around him he seems to be ok but if we leave or don’t pay attention he starts...I feel like it started as nerves and now is a habit with a little allergy too...I switched his food years ago to whole earth which is grain free etc..I get his hair trimmed short every 3 months which he loves but it always leads to it starting again the groomer knows don’t use a razor around butt and use sensitive shampoo...one time we left him with a friend when we went on vacation he got a burr on his butt which was there maybe 2 hours and then licked it raw and she had to take him to vet for steroid and antibiotic....another time he licked hair off his entire tail...he is a great dog but constantly putting a cone on him seems bad
May 19, 2018
Rocky's Owner
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Rottweiler Mix
Layla
14 Weeks
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Crying
Biting
No Sleep
I got my pup Layla at the beginning of November and she's about 14 weeks now and she keeps biting her tail and crying. My other dog whos about 16 years has some skin allergies, can that effect her as well?
Chihuahua
Nikki
3 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Nervous
My Nikki an 8lb. Chihuahua will bite her tail until it bleeds. She and I are the victim's of Domestic Violence and we're also in the process of moving. It breaks my heart because she gets so upset and I just don't know what to do to help her!
Bichon Frise
Baxter
5 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Raw Open Wound On Tail.
I have a 5 year old Bichon Fris. He has licked at different spots of his body before removing hair and I was was told these are hot spots but now he has licked and chewed on his tail so bad that it bleeds. He has to be led outside on a leash to go to the bathroom and its awful to watch because he runs circle trying to bite his tail and is crying the whole time.... he won't get out of his bed, I have to bring his food and water to him, someone please help.
American Staffordshire Terrier x Rat Terrier
Roxxi
4 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Obsessive Tail Sucking
I've had terrier mix rescue 4 years, adopted her when she was about 2. She has always had severe anxiety and after a year the vet put her on 10mg Prozack daily. Everything was fine until she started biting (more like sucking) her tail. It first began when she was crated while I was at work. Recently she started doing it almost constantly even when she's not crated. At night she even goes into her crate on her own to suck her tail. She has not broken skin and never signs of injury. The vet says its a self-soothing behavior but she even does it when I'm with her now. She gets plenty of exercise and attention but its gotten to the point where she seems to prefer her tail over anything else. I have no idea how to stop this obsessive behavior!
Indian mix breed
Sony
7 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Licking
Itching
Crying
Tail Biting
Wounds On Tail
I foster a stray dog. She is definitely an adult dog but I can't confirm her age. She started biting at the mid part of her tail few days ago. She mostly roams outside but I try to keep her inside my house. She seems more comfortable inside my house. But her biting has increased. Her tail is going bald and the wounds have turned voilet - red. I bathe her today to get rid of any ticks or fleas and saw little pus or water at the wound. I tried to stop her from biting but she got mad at me. She often cries when she sees me as if asking for help. Please help.
