Why is my dog acting strange, licking butt, shivering, and pale gums?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry that Jax is having this issue. My recommendation is that you take him to a vet as soon as possible for an exam. Unfortunately his symptoms are too vague for me to pinpoint what may be the underlying cause of his illness. He could certainly have an ear infection or a foreign body inside his ear canal. He could also have a problem with the nerve(s) that run through the ear and innervate the head/mouth/tongue. He needs to have an exam in person by a vet so you can get to the bottom of his issue and so he can get the proper treatment. There is nothing I can recommend you do other than that at this stage with just the information you provided. Hope this helps to give you some direction. Best wishes.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Usually chewing at the back end or bum is caused by the following: 1. Full anal glands- these can rupture if not emptied 2. Flea allergy dermatitis (an over-reaction to fleas, so one bite from a flea makes them very very itchy all over, so you don't see fleas on them but they are reacting) 3. Flea infestation 4. Intestinal worms (lead to diarrhea and itchy bum) 5. Other possible causes exist as well. I recommend that you have him assessed by a vet to check his anal glands and check him for fleas. Also, if he is dewormed then a fecal test might be recommended, and if he isn't then a broad spectrum dewormer might be recommended. Best of luck with Jagger! I hope he feels better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be licking due to allergies. Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Jameson evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. You can use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I suspect that Jackson is suffering from an allergy (environmental, dietary or immune mediated). I would recommend starting him on a food such as Royal Canin Ultamino (prescription required) and feed this for at least 4 weeks to see if this makes a difference. I would also consider the below products (which can be found online quite easily) to see if they help reduce the skin problem you are seeing. He may have a condition known as atopic dermatitis and may require a medication such as cyclosporine or cytopoint to reduce the symptoms. I would discuss these two medications with your veterinarian if the food is not working. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Douxo PS mousse and apply once daily until resolved 3. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected area twice daily until resolved 4. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent 5. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for dogs

It’s possible his anal glands are full/uncomfortable. If they are bulging on either side of his anus when you palapate from the outside, then that definitely could be the case. I recommend bringing him to your vet for a rectal exam/anal gland expression and to check his ears. He likely will need and ear cleaner and a steroid/antibiotic/antifungal/antiyeast ointment such as otomax/kometamax/posatex if he has an ear infection. A few days of an allergy medication called Apoquel may help as well. Good luck!

Hello. Making any kind of assumption or diagnosis is very difficult just based on panting & shivering, but I can tell you this can be typical signs of pain & an elevated temperature. Since he has periods of normal behavior, my concerns is there is some underlying pain that JosLouis is experiencing. It could be from any area, so even if he quits the behavior, I would recommend having your vet check him out, just to make sure. Hope all is well soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for posting more information on Jax, I was sure there was more to the story! If he is currently Lyme positive, I would be concerned that his symptoms may be related to that. This isn't normal behavior after an anal sac expression, and typically those don't cause lingering problems. I would take him into a vet in the morning to get checked out to be safe. I hope this helps!