Why is my dog chewing her tail, losing hair, and it smells bad?

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/

The spot on the tail looks like a hotspot right now. Hot spots can be common with food allergies and fleas (which you are already treating). The article below discusses treating hot spots. If Summer can still lick his tail, you may need a long e-collar. https://www.petcoach.co/article/hot-spots-acute-moist-dermatitis-in-dogs/

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.

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.

This is a common area for dogs to chew when they have fleas, and it is possible that is what is causing Princess's symptoms. If she isn't up to date on her flea treatments, I can give you one for her. First, I would give her 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. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her 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. If Princess is up to date on her flea treatments, other causes include mites, allergies, and ringworm. In that case, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam tomorrow. 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 biting and sores is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Lesions like this could be for many things including fleas, trauma or bacterial infection. You must protect the area from licking and Allura should wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. You can wash the area and let it air dry. Otherwise no action is generally needed. If she continues itching, have her examined by the veterinarian to look for underlying causes. I hope this helps.

Unfortunately, you can’t tell the cause of the rash just by looks alone. It’s possible this is related to fleas in the environment or that this is an allergic reaction. This could also be related to hypothyroidism. I recommend to discuss treating him with a good flea product like Simparica with his veterinarian. If you must use an over-the-counter product, use Frontline. This is still a good product but there are some resistance with fleas. Make sure to protect the area from any licking or scratching with an Elizabethan collar. You can wash the area once a day and rinse it well. Start him on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. If this does not start to look better within a week or if it starts to get worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.