Why is my dog biting his back end, chasing tail, and has red skin?

Poor guy. This sounds like he may have a common condition called “happy tail” and likely injured the end of his tail due to hitting it on hard surfaces. Another possible cause is a fungal infection, but typically this causes hair loss as well. The hair needs to first be shaved to get a better look at the skin and also allow the area to be cleansed antiseptically and apply topical ointment or spray if needed. Oral antibiotics will also likely be needed if the infection is deep. This would be best taken care of by visiting your vet. Proper wound management is essential for wounds like this to heal well and since it is the tail area it already proves difficult to shave without causing further harm. Your vet will be able to do this quickly and efficiently and also be able to provide a prescription for antibiotics which is often needed for tail wounds to prevent the infection from seeping into the bone and causing further issues. Until you can get Louis seen, you can clean it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water. Best of luck with your pet Louis and his tail wound. I hope this heals well soon! Take care.

There are several conditions that can cause these symptoms. You'll want to try to keep the area as clean and dry as possible and prevent any licking. This will help prevent any secondary bacterial or yeast infection from forming. Be sure to visit your local Veterinarian and request a Skin scraping exam. This will allow your doctor to rule out any mites, mange, or fungal infection. Your doctor should be able to prescribe a treatment plan to clear this up pretty easily.

I suspect these scans are caused from his biting and saliva irritating the skin. The first thing I would do would be have his anal glands checked as impacted anal glands is the biggest cause of dogs biting at their tail/ back end.

I recommend taking Bert to a veterinarian. This can be allergies or there may be an infection on his skin. He also may have fleas, which can make them very itchy and bite a lot. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Bert feels better soon.

Hello, sorry to hear about Sammy. Those areas are very suspicious for flea allergy dermatitis. This is an allergy to flea saliva and a single flea bite can cause an allergic reaction. It is important to know that you do not need to see fleas for Sammy to have this allergy. Sammy is likely very itchy from this and will need medications to control his itchiness and treat any secondary skin infection he could develop. You should ensure he has adequate, monthly, flea control and that other pets in the household are also protected against fleas. Make an appointment with your veterinarian and have Sammy evaluated promptly so that he can get medications for his itchiness and potentially skin infection. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It could be possible that Jett may have a problem with his anal glands, or another skin issue which is causing his irritation. I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to have him examined fully. Your veterinarian will then be able to suggest an appropriate course of treatment which may include antiinflammatories and antibiotics, particularly if he has broken the skin barrier.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like chocolate has a bit of a hotspot developed there, probably from some sort of allergy. If she is not on a good flea preventative, then start her on the best one you can afford. You can also treat the area with a little cortisone ointment, rubbing just a dab onto the skin 1-2 times daily. If the area seems to be getting worse, please have your veterinarian examine the skin as soon as possible to make sure the area is not infected or something else is developing. Take care.