My dog chewed her tail. What could be causing this and what should I do?

Poor Girl! Without seeing her in person, it is impossible for me to know what caused it. It could be fleas. Mange usually causes hairloss on other places like the feet and face. She likely has an infection from chewing. I would first put a cone collar on her to prevent the chewing. I would then start her on Benadryl twice a day to help decrease the itching. If it isn't improving, I would have your vet take a look. Your vet will likely want to put her on antibiotics and possibly stronger allergy meds to help it heal. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/

Most likely the fur feels different due to his chewing on the area. Chewing in this area is most often related to an allergy and most often due to a flea allergy. Even if we don't see fleas crawling on the dog, a few bites can cause a severely itchy response that can last for weeks. I would recommend bringing Thor in for an exam to be sure that is what is causing his issue. The vet can prescribe effective flea prevention such as Nexgard, Comfortis, Bravecto, or Simparica (or another they may recommend) and may prescribe an antihistamine or other allergy medication. In the meantime you can put an e-collar on him to try to prevent him from biting at the area and causing further trauma. A colloidal oatmeal shampoo and creme rinse such as Epi-soothe can also be helpful to decrease itching, as can a fatty acid supplement which are available at your vet and at most pet stores.

Poor Baby! Excessive biting or chewing at the paws, tail, or other parts of the body is most often caused by allergies, but could also be due to other skin problems such as a bacterial or fungal skin infection, fleas, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend taking her to the vet tomorrow for an exam. He/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, if she's making herself bleed, you may need to get an e-collar (plastic cone) for her to wear until you're able to see the vet. This will keep her from continuing to chew on herself and make the skin problem worse.

Tail wounds are difficult to heal. You are doing a good job but need to place her in a cone to stop the licking and chewing. The wound can’t heal with constant irritation. I also would check her for fleas to make sure that isn’t the reason she started the chewing, and also you may want to have her anal sacs checked since if they are full they can cause itching in this area. Your veterinarian can also prescribe medication to control the itch and inflammation and antibiotics if they feel the area is infected. Be patient and continue with your treatment and this will heal in time. A tail amputation is a serious surgery and she would probably chew the incision and make a sore so you wouldn’t be any better off than you are now. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Leia.

Unfortunately, tail mutilation can be a complicated problem to resolve - it often requires a combination of oral antibiotics, steroids, and pain medication such as gabapentin to allow the wound to heal while also keeping it wrapped to prevent further trauma from occurring. Often, part of the problem is that there may be an underlying reason why the tail chewing occurred in the first place - a skin condition, neurologic disorder such as lumbosacral stenosis, or an initial injury may have caused Zoey to begin mutilating her tail, and it's often a vicious cycle from there. In some dogs, this can also be a compulsive behavior associated with stress or anxiety. Without seeing a vet, all you will be able to do at home is keep the tail clean and loosely wrapped to prevent further damage, but Zoey will probably need prescription medications for it to heal. You may be able to find a low-cost SPCA clinic in your area who could help.

Yes, place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent chewing or licking. The cone should extend at least 2" from the tip of her nose to be effective. You can remove it at mealtimes, just watch her closely and replace as soon as she is done eating. Keep the area clean and dry as well. You can use a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution for daily cleaning. Keep it well padded to prevent trauma if she bangs it against objects when wagging.

If your dog is not currently on any medication for fleas, this is the first thing I would recommend - chewing at the tail, in particular, is very common for dogs with flea problems. If fleas are not the issue, then he may have some other skin problem causing burning and itching in this area, such as a seasonal allergy or a bacterial or fungal infection. Less commonly, chewing at the tail can also be a sign of a nerve problem like lumbosacral stenosis, or a stress-related compulsive behavior. I would recommend having Charlue examined by a vet to determine the problem and get him started on appropriate treatment - usually, antibiotics and steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs are needed to resolve this kind of problem.