My dog is down, chewing his tail raw, and shaking. Should I go to ER?

Poor Bow. These symptoms suggest that she either has anxiety from something that scared her or she is having a sudden pain response from somewhere in her body. If the panting episode is continuous and seems labored, she has dulled responses, +/- white or pale gums, or if she seems to be in pain, then I would rush her to the ER vet to have her looked over. However if she is alert, has a normal mentation (aware of her surroundings), panting and shaking are intermittent and not continuous, and if she slowly improves over the next hour as you try to slowly coax her out of her hiding spot, then I would wait it to until morning. Especially if she has a history of anxiety or a recent event (i.e. Thunderstorms, guests over, loud noises, etc) can be seen as a possible cause for her current state. I hope your fur baby is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Hopefully she just got spooked and will return to her normal self after she has time to settle down. Best wishes.

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.

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/

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Storm. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. He may have a skin infection known as a hot spot. His veterinarian will examine him and then prescribe medications to help him feel better. If this is a recurrent issue for him, then longterm management strategies should be discussed. In the meantime, place an E-collar on him to prevent any further licking. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Barrett so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. It sounds as though he is dealing with severe allergies and needs relief. There are multiple medications that can help with allergies. You should also consider the below products to aid in relieving the discomfort associated with a potential allergy: 1. Douxo PS Calm shampoo (found online) 2. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules (found online or at your local Petco) 3. Pramosoothe spray (can be found online) I hope these help! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Poor Tobias! Thank you for providing pictures of his back. This behavior is commonly caused by flea, and if he isn't up to date on his flea medications, I can give you a flea treatment program for him. First, I would give him 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 his 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 Tobias is up to date on his flea treatment, then he could be suffering from allergies or mites causing his symptoms and I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests and skin scrapings allergies and mites. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bolt. You will need to stop him from scratching the wound. He can wear an E-collar if the wound is near his face. A tshirt may be useful if it is on his body. I would contact his veterinarian today as panting can be a sign of pain. He may require adjustments or additional pain medications. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!