Why is my dog biting his tail after flea treatment? Is he irritated?

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.

Looks like your little lady is giving herself some hot spots there. If there is a hot spot forming under the hair then the best thing to do is to remove the hair and cleanse the area with an antibacterial solution. Some dogs require topical and/or oral antibiotics and other dogs benefit from some steroids to stop the itch. Most hot spots are secondary to underlying allergies (inhaled/environmental, food, or flea). If seasonal environmental is most likely. The best way to help her would be to see your family vet to have the areas addressed topically and so that medications can be prescribed to treat any infection and stop the itch. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I recommend you get him checked by your vet - it is likely the damaged skin has become infected and very painful, hence the biting and snapping towards the area. It is likely he will need antibacterial and antifungal washes and possibly antiinflammatory medication to allow the skin to heal. An omega fatty acid supplement and rigorous flea prevention (including household flea spray to kill the eggs and larvae) are also recommended

Poor Cali is having a rough time lately! In my experience, flea shampoos, collars, and dips do not work to prevent fleas, nor do they kill them very well. I can give you a flea treatment program that can help with fleas. You did the right thing, however, by bug bombing the house and flea spraying the yard. As for treating the fleas, first I would give Cali Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. Other causes of the itching of her tail include mites, ringworm, or allergies. You can take Cali into the vet to rule out these causes of her biting her tail. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Some cats can be allergic to flea bites, and thus still experience symptoms even once the fleas are treated until they are healed. It's a good idea to bring Levi into your vet for a complete exam to rule out any other issues such as infections, allergies, parasites still on the body, etc that could be causing his distress. Using an Elizabethan (cone) collar or even a small t-shirt to hide the area that is irritated and bothering him may also give it a chance to rest without licking or scratching irritating it further until your vet can take a look.

Hello Susan! Thank you for your question to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Fleas actually live in the environment, not on the dog, so if you don't disinfect the environment, it will be a continuing source of fleas. Wash Bella's bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. Diatomaceous earth does nothing to treat fleas, so don't use it. Now some dogs can have allergies to flea saliva, and that can lead to continued skin issues. This could be causing her to continually chew at that spot. I'd have her seen by a vet for this issue so it can be treated. Best of luck.

It could be local irritation and may or may not be related to the treatment. It does look "quiet" in the image provided though. Keep an eye on it, watching for redness, discharge or spread. You can clean it daily using a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. If there are any significant changes or if Miss Pebbles is scratching excessively, then she should be physically examined by your veterinarian.